I Bypassed Adobe and Microsoft to Build a Git-Tracked Book Production Pipeline
2 days ago
- #self-publishing
- #book-production
- #open-source-tools
- The author, a software developer and novelist, built a book production pipeline using open-source tools to bypass proprietary software like Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign.
- Initially, the workflow involved using Microsoft Word as the source, Adobe InDesign for print PDFs, Calibre for EPUBs, and Kindle Create for Kindle formats, which was cumbersome and required multiple updates.
- Inspired by Standard Ebooks, the author pivoted to using their strict, linted process for EPUB creation, ensuring high compatibility and quality, and eliminating Kindle Create from the workflow.
- The source of truth transitioned from DOCX to ODT (LibreOffice) for semantic richness, allowing styles for elements like foreign languages and thoughts, improving accessibility and control.
- A custom Python script was developed to parse ODT files and convert them to XHTML for EPUB and TeX for LaTeX, enabling automation and version control with Git.
- LaTeX was chosen for print PDFs due to its advanced typography features (e.g., via microtype package), matching InDesign's quality, with packages like memoir and fontspec for document and font handling.
- The new workflow provides a sustainable, automated, and version-controlled process for both print and electronic formats, with plain-text files allowing easy tracking of changes via git diff.
- While not for everyone, this approach satisfies the author's preferences as a developer, though readers primarily care about story quality; the process enhances the author's enjoyment and output.