The tangled web: Managing and confronting scholarly ebook production at UBC Press

This report describes academic ebook production as it currently stands, emphasizing the practices of UBC Press and its use of a digital asset management/distribution provider. It identifies best ebook production practices, emphasizing labour and cost reduction, and argues for the replacement of digital asset management/distribution services with industry standardization. Part One identifies the organizations and technologies involved in scholarly ebook production, covering formats, readers, access, digital rights management, and distributors. It describes the ways in which these areas intersect to necessitate short-term digital asset management and long-term standardization. Part Two examines UBC Press ebook production, outlining their adoption of codeMantra’s digital asset management services. It analyzes codeMantra’s facilitation of the creation, distribution, and management of UBC Press ebooks in the face of convoluted industry requirements. Part Three identifies potential enhancement to ebook production, focusing on standardization initiatives that could obviate the need for digital asset management.