Improving economy? Don't forget to factor this in

An LA Times story on outsourcing raises flags on proofreading and copy editing being sent to other countries, namely India:

Editorial work in the form of copy editing is already an Indian fixture. A few blocks from OfficeTiger is Alden Prepress Services, a division of an English printer that dates to 1832. Alden prepares for publication dozens of U.S. and European journals, including Foot and Ankle Surgery, the Journal of Molecular Biology and the International Journal of Fatigue.

Alden began in India five years ago with five employees, and now has 100 editors and 270 other employees. They review articles for consistency and intelligibility, and query authors by e-mail if there's a question they can't straighten out on their own. Alden then typesets the material and transmits the finished journal to the printer.

UPDATED: Find an interesting look from the other side of the aisle in this Times of India piece. It encourages Indians to revolutionize their publishing world as they did manufacturing.

Indian publishing is plagued by sloppiness and low wages, both of which would be challenged by winds of change. Editors and artists will be exposed to world trends and standards, which would, in turn, raise the quality of the domestic product.

It's nice to know we may still have accuracy and proficiency to list as reasons to keep our jobs. But watch out.

Indian manufacturing can respond well to a globalised environment by becoming lean and efficient, there is little reason to believe why publishing cannot. After computer geeks, watch out for an army of illustrators and editing freaks.