Re: Index of cases

[Alan L Tyree <alantyree@gmail.com>]

On 09/09/13 08:17, David Rogers wrote:
> Jambunathan K <kjambunathan@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Jambunathan K <kjambunathan@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>>> I have (I think) got them to agree to accept plain text, but I would
>>>> like to make it just as plain as possible.
>>> Oh, Ok.  Looks like there is "exchange of ideas" between the author and
>>> publisher...
>> In lighter vein and tongue-in-cheek sort of way...
>>
>> It seems like publishers are making you go in circles.
>>
>> You were after epub.  Now you are after Word.  It is only a matter of
>> time, before a publisher insists on an LaTex, at which point you would
>> have done the full-circle and savour a moment of epiphany.
>
> I'm wondering something a bit different:
>
> It sounds as if the publisher actually demands Word documents, and had
> never asked for anything but that.
>
> I'm swallowing hard before I say this...
>
> Why not just use Word?
>
Well, the book is already in LaTeX. I chose that back at the 4th edition 
and am now in the process of preparing the 8th. Earlier editions were in 
Word, and the new Word can't even read the early manuscripts. I 
regularly lost work using Word. The usual complaints.

I had special needs at the time: the publisher uses numbered paragraphs 
of the chapter-number variety, eg, [12-125], and index entries should 
point to the relevant paragraph. Rearranging paragraphs or inserting a 
new one made a mess of *everything* when using Word.

My nephew, a mathematician, suggested that I have a look at LaTeX and 
helped me get started.

I'm very, very happy with using LaTeX for writing. The usual reasons: 
enforced structure, automatic adjustments when rearranging material, 
embedded index entries, automatic generation of tables, the ability to 
use version control, etc. Maintaining a 700+ page book with a zillion 
cross references, index entries, and multiple indexes became a breeze. I 
could concentrate on writing.

The only problem has been interaction with editors, and I am now senior 
enough to insist that the editor edit my files directly. I'll get 
him/her to use TexStudio or something similar to edit my files directly. 
This will deal with the last problem: that of introduced errors through 
transcribing editor's corrections.

I would abandon the book rather than go back to Word :-).

End of rant.

Cheers,
Alan

-- 
Alan L Tyree                    http://www2.austlii.edu.au/~alan
Tel:  04 2748 6206              sip:typhoon@iptel.org