Custom publishing software
Appfront builds custom software for publishers: from title and rights management and the editorial and production workflow to author royalty statements, print run management and the distribution of ONIX metadata. One coherent system in which a title moves from manuscript to catalogue, bookshop and settlement, with ISBNs and metadata that are correct. For general, educational, academic and professional publishers who want control over their list, rights and royalties.
What is publishing software?
Publishing software supports the full process of a publisher: managing titles and the list, recording rights and licences, the editorial and production workflow from manuscript to print-ready file, paying royalties to authors, and managing print runs, stock and metadata for bookshops. It brings the commercial, editorial and financial sides of a title together.
Publishers often work with a patchwork of spreadsheets for royalties, loose documents for contracts and a separate system for metadata. This leads to duplicate entry and errors that only surface at royalty statement time or in the bookshop. Custom software models the relationship between title, author, contract and edition explicitly, so a royalty tier, a licence or a reprint flows through to the right place automatically.
We build publishing software that follows the standards of the book trade: ISBN as title identifier, ONIX for Books (the EDItEUR metadata standard) for exchange with retailers and libraries, and in the Netherlands distribution via the Centraal Boekhuis. See also our broader custom software development and, for the public side, a custom web platform if you want your own sales channel.
The title at the centre
Every title ties together the manuscript, editions, ISBNs, rights, contracts and metadata. Editors, the rights manager and the finance team work from the same record, without retyping data from loose files.
Rights and royalties add up
We capture contract terms, royalty tiers and licences once, after which sales figures automatically produce accurate author statements. This prevents the spreadsheet errors that only become visible at the annual royalty statement.
Metadata that's right everywhere
You manage ONIX metadata and ISBNs in one place and supply them consistently to retailers, libraries and your own webshop, so a title appears everywhere with the same details and cover.
How we build your publishing software
We work step by step and involve your editors, rights and finance staff early on. From an assessment of your list, contracts and metadata flows through to go-live and ongoing management, we focus on software that genuinely follows your publishing process.
We map out your publishing process: title and list management, contract and royalty structures, the editorial and production workflow, and your metadata and distribution flows, plus the integrations you need.
We design the data model around title, edition, author and contract, along with the workflow steps and royalty model, so the logic of your list is right before we build.
We build in short iterations with testing and monitoring. You receive working versions along the way and steer priorities and how well they fit everyday editorial and financial practice.
Controlled go-live with migration of your existing titles, contracts and historical sales figures, followed by management and further development.
What publishing software actually does
We tailor each application to your list, contracts and distribution. These are the features we most often deliver for publishers.
Title and list management
Management of titles, editions, ISBNs and the list, with the status of every title from idea through to reprint or out of print. This gives you oversight of a growing list without loose spreadsheets.
Rights and contract management
Recording of author contracts, translation and subsidiary rights, licences and option periods, with alerts when a right is about to expire or a licence needs renewing.
Royalty statements
Automatic calculation of royalties based on sales, returns and the agreed tiers and advances, with clear royalty statements for authors and agents.
Editorial and production workflow
The route from manuscript through editing, proofreading, typesetting and print-ready file, with tasks, versions and deadlines, so everyone can see where a title stands in the process.
Metadata and distribution
Management and export of ONIX metadata and ISBNs to the trade, libraries and your own channels, plus delivery to Centraal Boekhuis, so title data stays consistent everywhere.
Sales and print run management
Visibility of sales, returns, stock and print runs per title, including print-on-demand, so reprint decisions and royalties are based on the same figures.
Who we build publishing software for
Publishing covers different types of houses, each with its own emphasis on rights, metadata and royalty accounting. For each of these we build software that suits their list and way of working.
General publishers
Trade publishers with a broad list of fiction and non-fiction who want to streamline title management, author royalties and metadata for the bookshop trade.
Educational publishers
Publishers of teaching materials with editions, licences and digital components who want to manage rights, versions and royalties per course.
Academic and professional publishers
Publishers with journals, series and open access models who want to record complex rights, authors and metadata in a structured way.
Independent and hybrid publishers
Smaller and hybrid publishers who manage many titles with a small team and want a system that grows with them without overhead.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
We build on a modern, maintainable web stack and connect to the standards of the book trade. For publishers, the most relevant are ONIX for Books for metadata exchange, ISBN management, distribution via the Centraal Boekhuis, and integrations with your accounting and any webshop. If you also want your own sales or membership platform, see our custom software development services.
If you want subscribers to manage their own address, delivery and payment, there is our app for journal subscription administration.
If you want to record advertising orders with agency commission as they come in, take a look at our app for advertising invoicing with agency commission.
If you want to sell advertising space without double bookings, take a look at our software for advertising space scheduling.
If you settle royalties with authors, translators and illustrators on a contract basis, with advances and returns offset, then there is our royalty accounting software for authors.
For licences and image usage, with an alert before a licence expires, there is our app for image rights administration.
Why Appfront for your publishing software?
Appfront builds custom software and starts with a thorough analysis of your list, contracts and metadata flows. Publishing software has to keep the relationship between title, author, contract and edition consistent, and that is exactly where off-the-shelf packages tend to go wrong.
We write clear documentation and deliver maintainable code, so that your team or a future supplier can understand and manage the software. Your royalty logic and rights structure are transparent, not hidden in a black box.
You work with a single point of contact who understands both the technology and the publishing practice, from ONIX to royalty tiers. That keeps lines of communication short and prevents misunderstandings about how your list operates.
See also our broader custom software development services. Do you have questions? Get in touch with us.
- Custom software for publishers
- Titles, authors, contracts and editions modelled consistently
- Royalty accounting without spreadsheet errors
- ONIX metadata and ISBNs managed consistently
- Integration with Centraal Boekhuis and accounting
- Clear documentation your team can manage
- A dedicated contact who knows the book trade
- Ongoing maintenance and further development
- A way of working aligned with your IT landscape
- Print-on-demand and print runs on the same figures
Security and reliability
Publishing software contains confidential contracts, author details and financial settlements. We build with role-based access control, so an editor sees different data from the finance department, and we record access and changes in audit logging.
We work in line with the GDPR, with data minimisation, encryption in transit and at rest, and the OWASP security standards. For your royalty and list data, we set up back-ups and a recovery approach, so that settlements and title history remain reliably preserved.
More about our approach: information security policy and vulnerability disclosure policy. Discuss your situation without obligation via our contact form.
- GDPR-compliant processing and data minimisation
- Role-based access for editorial, rights and finance
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- Audit logging of access and changes
- Back-ups and a recovery approach for royalty and list data
- Building to OWASP standards
- Monitoring and alerting
- Clear documentation and management agreements
Frequently asked questions about publishing software
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about custom software for publishers.
Publishing software supports a publisher's processes: title and list management, rights and contracts, the editorial and production workflow, royalty accounting with authors, and the management and distribution of ONIX metadata and ISBNs. Custom software binds the commercial, editorial and financial sides of a title together, so that data does not drift apart across separate spreadsheets.
Yes. We manage ISBNs per edition and generate ONIX for Books metadata (the EDItEUR standard) for exchange with the trade, libraries and your own channels. In the Netherlands we can deliver to Centraal Boekhuis. This way a title appears everywhere with the same, correct data and cover.
You record contract terms, tiers, advances and licences once per title and author. Sales and returns then automatically lead to a correct settlement, with clear statements for authors and agents. This replaces the error-prone royalty spreadsheets that only reveal problems at the annual settlement.
We build custom software. Publishers differ greatly in their list, contract models and distribution. Custom software fits your actual process and grows with you. After an intake meeting, we decide together which functionality matters most and in what order we build it, without promising a fixed lead time or price that we can't yet substantiate.
Yes. Common integrations include your accounting package for invoicing and royalty payments, the Centraal Boekhuis for distribution, and any webshop of your own or print-on-demand partner. We'll work out together which integrations add real value and build them with the right security and logging.
Yes. We can take over existing applications or replace them step by step. We assess the current setup, migrate your titles, contracts and historical sales and royalty data, and document everything, so you can switch over without unnecessary risk and without losing any of your list's history.
Ready to build your publishing software?
Tell us how your publishing house works and where you run into trouble, from title and rights management to royalties and metadata. We are happy to think along with you about list, contracts, ONIX and distribution. In a no-obligation first conversation, you will get a clear picture of what custom publishing software could do for your house.