Scrift
Scrift is a highly sophisticated
publication data suite for storing, managing,
and presenting bibliographic data and levels.
Its rich set of content-enhancement and
e-commerce features makes it a perfect one-stop
solution for publishers and booksellers. But
even without these options Scrift remains a
usefull instrument for any organization that
needs to manage book and magazine information on
a regular or large scale basis.
Basic Architecture
As with most Java web
applications Scrift consist of four main
components:
- The Scrifter, which is used to enter and manage data
- The database, in which this data is
stored
- The Java beans and action
elements, which contain the "business
logic" necessary to retrieve and
process the data
- Your web-site using these action
elements to present the data to the customer
Key Features
Storing and Managing Bibliographic Data
To enter and edit bibliographic data
choose either the Table or Detail
View of the Scrifter
and simply fill in blanks. All standard
bibliographic elements are supported, both for
books and periodicals allowing you to keep a
strictly structured database for lossless
exports and unrestrained searchability.
Person Management
Using Scrift records for authors or
editors have to be entered just once and can
hold a wide selection of attributes, including
portrayals, contact addresses, personal
web-pages and even photographs.
Information Material and High Quality
Downloads
If you're a publisher or bookseller you
probably want to provide your customer with
somewhat more than just a basic bibliography.
Scrift not only allows you to ad standard
descriptive elements such as summaries,
promotion texts or cover-images to your records,
but also a variety of other content related
materials, including sample pages, tables of
contents, abstracts, and instructions for the
subscribers or authors of a magazine.
Most importantly these add-ons
can be imported at the click of a button from
any source material and made available not just
in HTML but high quality and printer friendly
formats such as PDF or MS-Word.
Bibliographic Levels
One of the most difficult tasks in
building a publication database is the handling
of bibliographic levels. Scrifts add
and assign technique provides an interface to
manage the sometimes complex relationships and
hierarchical structures of serials and
multi-part monographs that is both flexible and
easy to use. Supported levels for book
publications are series, sub-series,
book-volume, book sub-volume, book and article.
Supported levels for periodicals are periodical,
volume, issue and article. Both books and
periodicals can also be assigned to custom
defined categories and sub-categories, according
to a publishers subject program.
E-commerce
Scrift can be used as a plain database
management and presentation tool for non-profit
organizations, or as a full fledged online
store. The Direct Sales Option includes
a shopping cart and order form allowing the user
to collect and manage his orders, which are then
sent to your sales office via e-mail for further
processing. Small businesses lacking the
resources to support their own e-commerce
solution might prefer to settle for the Referred
Sales Option, a flexible tool designed to take
advantage of the various affiliate programs
online retailers like Amazon orBarnes
& Noble provide or to participate in
cooperative sales programs like the German TXT platform.
Highlighting and Promotion
Highlighting new releases, bargain books
or other special features takes just one click.
Simply mark your books accordingly and present
them automatically on your front page or any
other area of your site. Scrift even lets you
compose special theme sections to feature books
with any related subject.
Content Enhancements
One of the lessons learned in last few
years is that content is king. Online users
expect more from a web-site than from a print ad
or a sales brochure. Scrift offers a rich and
flexible portfolio of book related services that
help you meet these expectations and enhance the
value of your site.
- Links
Hyper-links are one of core foundations of
the Internet. Using Scrifts link database
and assignment functions you can store links
and associate them with any publication from
your catalogue. Links can also be grouped in
custom definable categories and
sub-categories making it easy for you to
point your customers to the additional
information that interests them most.
- Reviews
Before buying customers will always
appreciate a second opinion. Just as with
links you can add any number of reviews to
your books and magazines. The feature may be
used to present professional press reviews
or in combination with an online form that
let's readers submit their own comments.
- Newsletters
Newsletters and announcement mailing lists
are one of the most effective ways to keep
in touch with your customers. With Scrift
creating and managing any number of mailing
lists becomes as easy as handling your own
mail-programm.
- Events
Scrifts calendar of events is another nice
feature to enhance the value of your site.
Again Scrift lets you associate events with
any number of publications in your
catalogue, making it an ideal tool to
promote author readings, book signings,
exhibitions, or any other book related
event.
- Announcements and News
Using Scrifts News Service of course you can
also feature any other announcement or book
related story on your site.
- Promotion Material
If you'd like to supply your visitors with
additional promotion material you can do so
either trough the shopping cart and order
form or make it available for free as a
down-loadable PDF file.
- Banners
Manage 3rd party advertisements using
Scrifts banner tool.
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