Roles Definitions in Collaborative Authoring

Collaborative Book Production in Authoring Studio: Exploring Roles, Definitions, and Differences

Introduction

Collaborative book production relies on well-defined roles, to which each contributes in their own way. The author is responsible for shaping the story and ideas, while the editor focuses on refining the content. The production manager oversees logistics, and the reviewer offers valuable feedback. Understanding these roles promotes creativity and teamwork.
In this guide, we will explain the roles that go into the book-making process, each with their own responsibilities and authority.

Type of Roles

Author

The Author is the creative force behind the book. They write and develop the content.
 
What they can do: Authors have the following abilities:
1. Create, edit, and manage chapters and sections.
2. Reorder the table of contents (TOC) to organize the book's structure.
3. Add comments, track changes, and resolve comments during the writing process.
4. Import documents into chapters.
5. Manage chapters on hold.
6. Rename attachments.
7. Upload the book cover.
8. Export chapters and the entire book for further collaboration.
Note: Please note that in this collaborative authoring setting, the role of the Author is an invited position by the main author or book owner. While the Author does not possess full authority like the book owner, they hold the highest level of authority among the defined roles in the collaborative process.

Editor

The editor has the highest level of authority after the Author. The Editor's role is to enhance the book's quality and coherence. They provide feedback and refine the content.

What they can do:
1. Create, edit, and manage chapters and sections.
2. Add comments and resolve them during the editing process.
3. Track changes and accept or decline them.
4. Reorder the table of contents (TOC).
5. Manage metadata, providing essential information about the book.

Production Manager

The Production Manager oversees the logistical aspects of book creation, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

What they can do:
1. Upload the book cover.
2. Handle the export process, including changing export settings and publishing the exported book.
3. Manage licenses related to the book's usage and distribution. 

Reviewer

Reviewers play a critical role in evaluating the book's content objectively. They provide valuable feedback.

What they can do:
1- Add and resolve comments. 

Comparative Role Permissions in Collaborative Authoring

This table provides a comparison of the permissions associated with different roles in collaborative authoring.

Options

Role

Author

Editor

Production Manager

Reviewer

Restore history

Yes

 

 

 

Modify section settings

Yes

 

 

 

Delete chapter

Yes

 

 

 

Import documents to chapters

Yes

 

 

 

Manage chapters on hold

Yes

 

 

 

Rename attachment

Yes

Yes

 

 

Edit notes

Yes

 

 

 

Add comments

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Lock chapter

Yes

 

 

 

Create section

Yes

 

 

 

Reorder TOC

Yes

Yes

 

 

Upload cover

 

 

Yes

 

Change chapter status

Yes

Yes

 

 

Track changes

Yes

Yes

 

 

Manage license

 

 

Yes

 

Resolve comments

Yes

Yes

 

 

Create chapter

Yes

 

 

 

Edit locked chapter

Yes

 

 

 

Rename section

Yes

Yes

 

 

Upload attachment

Yes

Yes

 

 

Edit cover

Yes

 

Yes

 

Edit book

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Track change accept/decline

Yes

Yes

 

 

Manage Metadata

 

 

Yes

 

Rename chapter

Yes

Yes

 

 

Export chapter content

Yes

 

 

 

Delete section

Yes

 

 

 

Remove attachment

Yes

Yes

 

 

Delete cover

 

 

Yes

 

Export

Yes

 

 

 

Export book

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

View export file

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

Delete exported book

 

 

Yes

 

Comment export file

 

Yes

Yes

 

Publish exported book

 

 

Yes

 

Change export settings

 

 

Yes

 


FAQ(s)

1. What roles are involved in collaborative book production?
There are four key roles:
  1. Author: Shapes the book's content and has the highest level of authority among the defined roles in the collaborative process.
  2. Editor: Enhances the book's quality and coherence by providing feedback and refining content.
  3. Production Manager: Oversees logistical aspects, ensuring smooth book creation, handling book cover uploads, export processes, and managing licenses.
  4. Reviewer: Evaluates book content objectively and provides valuable feedback.
2. What abilities does an Author have in collaborative book production?
Authors can create, edit, and manage chapters, rearrange the table of contents, add comments, import documents, manage chapters on hold, rename attachments, upload the book cover, and export chapters or the entire book.

3. What tasks are under the Editor's purview in collaborative book creation?
Editors can create, edit, and manage chapters, add and resolve comments, track changes, and manage metadata, contributing to refining the book's content.

4. What responsibilities does the Production Manager handle in collaborative book production?
Production Managers are responsible for uploading book covers, managing the export process, including settings and publishing, and handling licenses related to book usage and distribution.

5. What role does a Reviewer play in the collaborative book creation process?
Reviewers focus on adding and resolving comments, offering objective evaluations and valuable feedback on the book's content.

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