What is the number one problem that publishers deal with when working with offshore vendors?
It is my experience that knowledge of technology and systems is not a problem with off-shore vendors. The main cause of delays, errors, and continual back-and-forth with off-shore vendors is a lack of familiarity with U.S. page layout standards and the nuance of publisher instructions during initial typesetting and subsequent revision stages. This is aggravated by a preference for automation or, lacking that, a set of standard rules that may be applied to every project. This can lead to a workflow that lacks efficiency and reciprocity that a publisher requires to be confident in his/her deliverables.
