Technology Enabled Solutions for Manuscript Editing

The need for language editing in manuscripts is increasing as publishers look at acquiring content globally, often from non-English speaking countries. At the same time, production cycles are shrinking rapidly as time to market becomes critical, especially for eBooks. Hiring additional copyeditors is not an option as budgets are frozen. How can we achieve more with less?

SPi was faced with the same challenge and used technology to develop an effective solution. SPiCE, SPi’s proprietary application, automates most of the mechanical, but essential tasks of the editing process. SPICE reduces processing time, improves consistency across the document, and prepares the document for higher-level editing. This helps the copyeditor to focus primarily on language editing.

Some of the editing tasks that SPiCE can automate include:

• Inserting required metadata from electronic coversheets.
• Applying house style for titles, headings, table, citation of figures and tables, en- and em dashes, changing single quotes to prime marks, etc.
• Checking and linking citations, figures, tables, and references.
• Formatting references.
• Validating against external databases.
• Ensuring spelling consistency (UK vs. US).
• Correcting common spelling errors.
• Handling abbreviations.
• Correcting inconsistencies that exist between occurrences of the same term.
• Creating XML and validating the same against the specified DTD.

SPiCE offers a fast, cost-effective, offshore copyediting solution to our clients.

SPi is a full-service provider of editorial and production solutions to journal and book publishers. SPi produces over 3 million pages per year for leading journal and book publishers. For more information, please visit www.spi-global.com or contact s.govindarajan@spi-global.com

SPi Content Solutions has recently partnered with ECPA to develop solutions that meet the needs of its members. ECPA members are eligible for annual rebates.