How Sourcebooks built an efficient, cross-company digital workflow

Sourcebooks got started early with a digital workflow; was able to do that because owner and leader had insight and vision and the organization was lean enough to “just do it.” Making this change requires direction and discipline from the top and great tech leadership. Sourcebooks had both.

While it is now later than would be ideal for an English-language publisher to make this change, it is relatively much less late for publishers elsewhere in the world where the demand for digital products has been slower to develop. Sourcebooks, now able to make digital products much more readily because they did it years ago can testify to the benefits of making this change.

Big message number 1: this isn’t easy, with details. People struggle. Some fail. Others need help. Everybody must learn as they go.

Big message number 2: there is a big payoff. Sourcebooks has efficiently created websites and products, enabled to do so by having switched to a digital workflow. Much of what they’ve done would have cost too much or been out of reach if they hadn’t.

Big message number 3: you don’t have to be a giant company with huge financial and IT resources to do this. Sourcebooks isn’t. Their message will be: don’t wait; get going.

Presenter

Chris Bauerle
Director of Sales & Marketing, Sourcebooks

As Director of Sales & Marketing for Sourcebooks – one of the America’s fastest growing and most innovative publishing companies – Chris is focused on empowering the sales and marketing teams to create explosive growth, unprecedented opportunities, and an unmatched level of creativity.  Prior to joining Sourcebooks, Chris served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Cumberland House Publishing (now an imprint of Sourcebooks) and as Director of Mass Market Sales for B&H Publishing Group.  Chris lives in Yorkville, IL with his wife Stacie and their two sons, Joshua and Sam.