"Agile" is becoming more of a buzzword in publishing circles as companies look to harness the new possibilities digital is providing, but many are still unsure whether the agile model is right, and others still aren't sure exactly what "agile" means for publishing. To tackle these concerns and more, BISG hosted a webcast with featured speaker Kristen McLean, the founder and CEO of Bookigee.

So -- what exactly is "agile" publishing? "It's a philosophy that is grounded in the customer, getting a lot of good feedback, and not necessarily assuming you know the answer without communication," said McLean. "It's for learners, not knowers."

McLean laid out the key concepts of agile: quick cycles (as quick as a week), self-organizing working groups (as opposed to traditional hierarchical working interactions), and iteration (agile publishers assume that there are going to be changes along the way), among many other key principles. One of the more radical differences between agile and traditional publishing, McLean noted, is that it emphasizes process over perfection...

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