Book Publication – Process
1. Introduction
The publication or release of a monograph or edited collection is a major moment in the lifecycle of a manuscript. At this point the "finished product" is released to the world and disseminated through the various channels that we have at our disposal. This is also a "point of no return." Even though small corrections can be made after publication, the entire process is aimed at minimizing the occurrence of such requests.
2. Goal & Objectives
The primary goal of this process is to release a reviewed, copyedited, and proofed manuscript as a publication in print and digital formats.
The process covers the following objectives:
- The creation of a complete metadata record for a release
- The creation of finalized print and digital files for a release
- The completion of the book page on the website and triggering of sales
- The annoucement to the author
3. Role Model
The following roles are relevant in the context of this process and need to be assigned to persons or teams / groups involved in the process.
| Role | Task | Assigned staff |
| Process Manager (PM) |
|
Vincent |
| Typesetter |
|
Vincent |
| Metadata Manager |
|
4. Relevant Business Objects
Business objects are “things” that are required, produced, or processed by the process or one of its activities. The following objects are relevant:
| Business Object | Description |
| Print PDF |
The final PDF generated by the Typesetting Software |
| Ebook PDF |
The final PDF generated by the Typesetting Software with front cover generated by the Illustration and Photo Editing Software |
| Metadata Record |
The metadata record of the publication hosted and maintained on the Metadata Management platform |
| Letter to the Author |
The standard letter sent to the Author upon release of the publication |
| Web Page |
The page on the publisher website dedicated to the publication |
| Thoth Identifier |
The identifier of the publication metadata record. This is a hash that is part of the URL of the metadata recod in Thoth, for example |
| Front Cover PDF |
The final PDF of the front cover generated by the Illustration and Photo Editing Software |
| Front Cover JPG |
The final JPG of the front cover generated by the Illustration and Photo Editing Software |
| ISBN Record |
The metadata record of the publication on the ISBN Management platform |
5. Activities
5.1 Release Part 1
5.1.1 Generating Print PDF
This activity generates a print-ready PDF that can be uploaded to the Publishing Platform.
| Input | Finalized InDesign book and document files (from Proofing) |
| Roles Involved |
Typesetter |
| Outputs |
Print PDF file of the publication interior |
| Actions |
|
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information |
5.1.2 Extracting and Uploading DOI References
| Input | Print PDF (from 5.1); DOI Extraction Script; DOI Upload Script; Thoth Identifier |
| Roles Involved |
Metadata Manager |
| Outputs |
Metadata Record updated with DOI references |
| Actions | |
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information | During DOI Check you may find additional small errors in the PDF. Return to 5.1. |
5.1.3 Adding Chapter Metadata to the Metadata Record
| Input | Metadata Record |
| Roles Involved |
Metadata Manager |
| Outputs |
Metadata Record |
| Actions |
|
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information | During Chapter Metadata Addition you may find additional small errors in the PDF. Return to 5.1. |
5.1.4 Uploading Print PDF
| Input | Print PDF, Front Cover JPG |
| Roles Involved |
Typesetter |
| Outputs |
Ebook PDF |
| Actions | |
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information |
5.1.5 Generating Ebook PDF
| Input | Print PDF, Front Cover PDF |
| Roles Involved |
Typesetter |
| Outputs |
Ebook PDF |
| Actions | |
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information |
5.1.6 Updating the Metadata Record before Release
| Input | Metadata Record |
| Roles Involved |
Metadata Manager |
| Outputs |
Metadata Record |
| Actions | |
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information |
5.1.7 Updating the ISBN Records
| Input | ISBN Record, Metadata Record |
| Roles Involved |
Metadata Manager |
| Outputs |
ISBN Record |
| Actions | |
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information |
5.1.8 Adding Publication to SQL Database
| Input | Metadata Record |
| Roles Involved |
Metadata Manager |
| Outputs | Updated SQL Database |
| Actions | |
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information |
5.1.9 Adding Publication to the Internet Archive Usage Data Python Script
| Input | Thoth Identifier, Internet Archive Usage Data Python Script |
| Roles Involved |
Metadata Manager |
| Outputs | Updated Internet Archive Usage Data Python Script |
| Actions | |
| Alternative Actions, Exceptions, Additional Information |
5.1 Release Part 2
Part 2 of the release can be undertaken after the Print Publishing platform has approved the book for publication. This takes between 24–72 hours, and the platform will send a notification email to info@punctumbooks.com with the subject "Your paperback book has been published!"
Document Control
| Document ID | SPM-PUB-001 |
| Document Owner | Vincent |
| Version | 1.0 |
| Last Date of Change | October 2, 2025 |
| Next Review Due Date | |
| Version & Change Tracking |