Important information

In response to the COVID – 19 crisis we want to keep you informed as we implement contingency plans to respond to the challenges created by this national emergency. The following actions have been taken on behalf of our employees and our customers: More

1.   Books International’s two manufacturing facilities in the United States – our headquarters facility in Dulles, VA and a satellite facility in Chicago, IL. The latter is embedded in the University of Chicago Press’ Chicago Distribution Center. Both plants are currently operating on normal production schedules and we do not currently anticipate a future closure of manufacturing operations at either facility.  This is, of course, subject to change as the situation develops.
2.   Employees at both operations are cross-trained should we encounter any significant absenteeism due to the Coronavirus.
3.   Both facilities have manufacturing redundancy for selected functions should we need to transfer volume between plants.
4.   Plans for back-up manufacturing operations with local book manufacturers are being activated in the unlikely event that we will need to shut down one or both Books International manufacturing plants.
5.   Plans to transition from onsite administrative activities are in place. Books International administrative staff have been appropriately equipped and we will deploying selected functions to a full work from home arrangement in the coming days.
6.   Employee meetings have been held and will continue to be held regarding best practices to avoid contracting the virus and containing the spread of COVID – 19.
7.   Additional cleaning and disinfecting steps have been implemented.
8.   Visits from suppliers and outside companies have been suspended at both facilities and business travel of all types has been eliminated for all employees.
9.   We carry adequate 8-12 weeks of text paper inventory at both manufacturing locations and have increased our position of business critical consumables.
10.   We are actively sourcing additional inventory of both to ensure that material shortages will not intrude on our ability to meet our manufacturing commitments and we are in close contact with key suppliers. We are maintaining close contact with the supply chain partners to ensure uninterrupted delivery and increased inventory.

As this situation evolves we will modify our procedures and policies as circumstance require and you may rest assured that Books International is fully committed to ensuring the health and safety of our team, supply chain partners and customers and a continuous supply of products to our customers.

Kind Regards,

Vartan Ajamian
President & Chief Executive Office
Books International

Publishing Services

Books International is your trusted publishing services partner for all aspects of the production life cycle.

We offer high quality prepress services at competitive rates for the following:

Cover Design
Pre-Editorial: document structuring and tagging
Editorial: all levels of copyediting, from baseline or technical edits to language and style adjustments
Indexing
Proofreading
Page Composition
eBook Conversion
Accessibility Remediation
Project Management

Cover Design

We have designed hundreds of covers for a wide range of publishers, and for a variety of literary projects. Our professional designers work closely with your team to create a cover design that meets the expectations of your editorial, sales and marketing teams, and your authors. Our designer will compile a few sample designs based on your suggestions and preferences, and they will also take into consideration the content of the work. And once the final design is approved, we will provide you print-ready files based on your print specifications (casebound, paperback, ePub, etc....). Our team will take care of the prepress file set-up and ensure the files are forwarded to our print team to meet your publication schedule.

Editorial

Our team of onshore editors bring over thirty years of experience to your project, whether it is a baseline or more intensive edit, our copyeditors will work with your team to ensure the highest standard. We offer:

Minimum (baseline) editing

Light edit for correctness and consistency of grammar, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Review and revise for correctness and consistency of bibliographical references and notes.
Ensure specific cross-references (“See Figure 2.4 for ...”), proper sequencing (e. g., alpha order, numerical order), and list formatting.
Insert codes, captions, and running heads.

Medium (moderate) editing

Includes all of the above plus attention to style, diction, clarity of expression, and voice (e.g., passive, active, etc.).
Ambiguous and/or sensitive speech is flagged (e.g., changing “poor” to “low-income.”)
Track continuity to improve readability and improve flow.

Indexing

Once a proof is compiled, a professional indexer will review the typeset file and compile a comprehensive index that will enable readers to find information about key concepts and topics. We offer various styles based on client preferences (e. g., run-in vs. stacked subheads), combined author/subject index based on volume content, or separate author and subject indexes.

Proofreading

Performed on a typeset proof to ensure the volume is ready to print. The proofreader checks for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, and verifies that the preferred style (MLA, CMS, APA, etc.) has been applied consistently. The proofreader also reviews the formatting to make certain all elements are included and appear as they should: For example, are the running heads correct? Are references formatted correctly? Do all figures and tables have callouts in text? And so on. The electronic proof is checked and marked up using Adobe proofreader tools and mark-up.

Page Composition

Our team of experts bring in-depth experience at creating layouts across a variety of publishing areas: academic and scholarly, technical and professional books, trade fiction and nonfiction, in various formats from single to multicolumn, technical manuals, and illustrated works. We leverage technology to create automations without foregoing the expert’s eye, ensuring that turnaround times are kept to a minimum.

eBook Conversion

Books International offers a full suite of eBook conversion services, enabling publishers to maximize both front- and backlist sales globally.

We stay current on the latest file-development processes and format requirements from trading partners, including the latest accessibility standards. We offer high- quality file creation valid for all major vendors and provide you with a full-year guarantee on all files converted by us.

Conversion services include:

Reflowable and fixed layout ePub3 conversions
All files converted to meet accessibility standards
Web PDF optimization
Interactive and enhanced ePub3 conversions
Pre-ePub3 file remediation
Accessibility remediation
OCR scanning for backlist books where electronic files may not exist

Project Management

Short on staff? Let us manage your publishing project from beginning to end. Our project manager will oversee all communication between you and your author and will manage all stages of the production life cycle. We will bring the project from initial manuscript submission into production, all the way to the submission of final print-ready files.

Reach out to us at info@booksintl.com to learn more.