Integrated workflow with the authors

[Fabien32657226tm3b]

Hello everyone,

I am currently working an illustrated book/encyclopedia (part of a TTRPG role-playing book). Our authors and illustrators use OneNote to compile content and appreciate the ability to organize texts and images into distinct sections (e.g., history, geography, etc.).

However, integrating this content into InDesign is a manual process for me, as I haven't found a way to directly connect OneNote and InDesign. It's often inefficient an repetitive copy-pasting, especially when updates are made to the original content.

Would anyone have suggestions for improving our workflow?

We're particularly interested in maintaining the tabbed organization for the authors. We're open to changing our tools or processes, but due to our small team size and tight schedules, we cannot wait for all authors to complete their texts before starting the InDesign work.

Thank you very much for your help!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Best - InCopy. 

Microsoft Word or Google Docs / Sheet? 

Or some customised online solution - CMS. 

But you would've to give us more details. 

Do you have designs / templates ready and authors need to fill it with info - or you base your designs on specific texts and add graphics later?

[Fabien32657226tm3b]

Hello Robert,

I don't have templates, I base my designs on the texts and graphics provided.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

So each "file"/part is unique? 

If it's and encyclopedia - then you should have some kind of templates for same kind of data?

At least for cards? 

[Fabien32657226tm3b]

It's not a regular encyclopedia, but each chapter indeed has some kind of a template. The design is adapted on each page to the content.

More specifically: The text for each chapter is separated in a lot of boxes, positioned differently depending on the page and with extra design around. But the text boxes have the same styles in the same chapter.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

It's not a regular encyclopedia, but each chapter indeed has some kind of a template. The design is adapted on each page to the content.

More specifically: The text for each chapter is separated in a lot of boxes, positioned differently depending on the page and with extra design around. But the text boxes have the same styles in the same chapter.

By @Fabien32657226tm3b

You need some kind of more or less custom CMS - online part for authors and something that will import all this data to InDesign.

As a bonus - you can have online tool to arrange elements/boxes on the pages = InDesign will be at the far end as a tool to only create printable PDFs. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I can't think of where or how OneNote would be an efficient source/collaboration base for InDesign.

I'd suggest, in the same vein as RT, that working in Word or Google Docs would be far more efficient, and then you can transfer whole preformatted sections into the ID project.

InDesign is pretty much a one-way tool: stuff that goes in doesn't come back out easily, nor are there any good collaboration tools except for InCopy, which is best suited to long-form content where you want writers or editors to work in a simplified ID environment (such as a magazine).

Working in a shared tool until the content is final and you can pull it into ID is probably a far better working model.

[BobLevine]

Natively you're right, but with WordsFlow and DocsFlow from Em Software<>, a lot of pain points are removed.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

This does not sound like a collaborative loop with any budget for conversion tools. Nor do I get the reading that the contributors and designer are working at the same level, overall. (Could be wrong on both points.)

But yes, to make it complete/clear, there are add-in solutions to integrate Word and ID better than the basic import method.

I'll maintain that projects such as this are better done on a collaborative platform — with, er, more muscle than OneNote — until they are pulled into ID for final layout etc. No need for a circular workflow that I can see.

[BobLevine]

Of course.

More muscle than OneNote would be, how do I put it gently, a very low bar to clear.

[Fabien32657226tm3b]

Hello,

Thanks you both for your answers. I understand there's no magical integrated tool but any collaborative tool that could export Word could be usable, with WordsFlow it could be a great help for the last minutes changes in the text.