The digital scriptorium: agile methodologies and the small trade publisher

This report provides the technological, historical and theoretical context of an agile publishing workflow—that is, a workflow that adapts to a changing environment through iterative development. Given the current publishing climate, including the increasing pressure to produce print and digital formats simultaneously and the limited resources of small publishers, this report posits that such a workflow has become necessary. Building on ongoing research, it describes the structure of an accessible (low-cost and easily learned), web-first, agile workflow and the process of integrating it into the production processes of a small publisher, Arsenal Pulp Press. The report concludes with a look at the system’s successes and shortcomings, and the trajectory of the industry with the influences of proliferating formats and lengthening sales curves. In particular, it examines the changing role of the editor in the age of the short run and the integrity of the text given the flexibility and transparency afforded by digital approaches.