As many have pointed out in twitter land the position of e-book specialist did not exist a mere two weeks ago and now there are openings at two of the biggest publishers in North America. I have to admit the HarperCollins requirements for the position look an awful lot like the web master position of years gone by, where as the Random House posting looks more like a data entry position with a project management topping and a side of design skills. Of course it helps if you are interested in the future of digital publishing! I find it a sad fact that neither of the postings list a love of open standards, like epub, as a requirement. Only in a perfect world I suppose. (acknowledgement goes to Mark Bertils who pointed to the Publisher’s Lunch posting via twitter.
HarperCollins
Responsibilities:
- Work with Digital Publishing Services team to produce e-books
- Work with internal and external clients to facilitate e-book workflow
- Ensure consistency in e-book formatting
- Manage workflow deadlines
- Proactively source digital files for conversion
- Design and create cover art as necessary
- Work in a fast paced, high-volume environment
Skill/Requirements
- 2+ years experience with producing PDF or other digital book format
- Expert proficiency in InDesign, Acrobat & Illustrator required
- Proficiency with Flash, Adobe Digital Editions (EPUBs), DreamWeaver a plus
- Proficiency in XML, XSL, HTML, CSS markup
- Experience with FTP, file tracking and reporting.
- Ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic work environment demanding rapid turn-around and frequent change in direction
- Detail-oriented, with exceptional organizational and project management skills
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
Random House
Your Tasks
This position will support the Content Conversion Team in our Content Management Group with both production and administrative functions as we work to manage our e-Book conversion and distribution for both frontlist and backlist titles. Responsibilities include tracking and monitoring of schedules and process, maintaining and routing project files, entering and maintaining data in SAP, estimating standard projects and verifying specifications of electronic mechanicals and e-Book specs. In addition, you will process digital corrections, issue purchase orders and prepare corrected files for ingestion into the Content Management Systems; traffic materials, monitor auto-distribution and be involved in examining and making process changes as needed. Other related projects or duties will be assigned as required.
Our Requirements
Undergraduate degree required. Must have knowledge of MS Office, Quark XPress, Illustrator, Photoshop and Filemaker Pro. Must be comfortable working with both MAC and Windows OS environments. Must be interested in the future of digital publishing. The ideal candidate will be forward thinking and have the ability to generate creative ideas/solutions to maximize efficiency. Must work well with numbers, have the ability to self-organize and be extremely detail oriented, while managing a heavy and varied workload. Strong communication skills (verbal and written) a must and a minimum of one to two years prior book experience preferred.
