[scribus] PDF X/1a:2001 again.

[Gregory Pittman]

On 08/17/2009 08:15 AM, John Culleton wrote:
> On Sunday 16 August 2009 10:22:27 pm Murray Strome wrote:
>    
>> On Saturday, August 15, 2009 1:33 PM,  "Craig"
>> <cbradney at zip.com.au>  wrote:
>>
>>                  John Culleton wrote:
>>      
>>> My old nemesis LSI is still insisting on the above PDF format;
>>> otherwise they will run the cover file through a process that
>>> rasterizes the file.  When it comes to access to Amazon it is
>>> their bat and their ball and you have to play the game their
>>> way.
>>>
>>> I remember that some time back this standard was in the summer
>>> of code or something like that.  It is not in 1.3.5.1 however.
>>>
>>> If there was another way to get economical access to Amazon I
>>> would surely use it, but there isn't AFAICT.
>>>        
>> Erm.. what about our CreateSpace Self-Publishing service?
>> http://www.createspace.com/
>>
>> Craig
>>
>> What about Trafford Publishing?
>> http://www.trafford.com/AboutUs/default.aspx
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>      
> Trafford is a subsidy, which means the unit cost is way too high,
> the reviewers will reject it out of hand because of the subsidy
> imprint etc.  There are 58 subsidies listed in "The Fine Print"
> grouped by desirability into five groups. Trafford is classed in
> the bottom group.  If you want to know why read the book. Most of
> the subsidies use either LSI or Booksurge for the printing and
> distibution so it makes no sense to have a middleman.
> Booksurge and CreateSpace are essentially the same outfit.
>
> The top subsidies in my study of success on Amazon were Booklocker,
> Infinity and Lulu in that order. Booklocker had a two to one
> advantage in Amazon rankings over the next highest.   All three
> will let you use your own ISBN and imprint,  an absolute
> requirement IMO.  But I don't wnat to use any subsidy, for reasons
> stated above.
>
> I am looking for four things in a POD printer:
> 1. Good quality printing.
> 2. Access to Amazon
> 3. Reasonable unit cost.
> 4. Ability to use my own choice of software: TeX for the interiior
> and Scribus for the cover.
>
> LSI meets all the above except for number 4.  LSI really want syou
> to use InDesign, Distiller,  and X/1a:2001. Createspace is more
> liberal on covers, has a reasonable unit cost,  but requires a
> higher discount on Amazon than LSI which decreases my profit
> margin. And with Createspace the jury is still out on quality. I
> will test.
>
> See my short list below for info on "The Fine Print."
>
> Like Diogenes with his lamp I am still looking for the ideal digital
> printer and distribution channel. If and when I can get X/1a:2001
> output from Scribus I will go with LSI.
>
> It would also help mightily if Scribus had a merge layers feature
> like Gimp, so that I could use transparency, blends etc. and still
> get pdf 1.3 output. Consider that a feature request.
>    
One of the lessons we gained from our official Scribus manual is that it 
is not out of the realm of consideration for us to consider forming our 
own publishing company, now that we have seen and dealt with a number of 
pitfalls in the process and have some sense of how to do this. It takes 
some effort, to be sure, but what is appealing in the end is the control 
one has in dealing with various elements of this process.

There are basically 3 elements to contend with: 1) setting up some kind 
of publishing entity, in essence forming a corporation in some 
particular country, 2) making arrangements with a commercial printing 
operation (LSI being one, Mardigrafe being another) for the physical 
printing of books, and then 3) figuring out the distribution channel(s) 
(amazon being one), along with the means of customers interacting with 
this for purchasing and receiving their books. These days, of course, 
number 2 isn't an essential element, if one decides to bring out e-books 
or something similar.

We have yet to decide if we will go this route of creating a "Scribus 
Publishing Company", since it does require some work and we know that 
even with success there is not a great deal of income generated by such 
an effort.

Greg