Production systems
Research, drafts, checks and scheduling, with an editor approving every piece.
Custom software for media and publishing.
Publishing runs on deadlines, and too much of it still runs on spreadsheets and inboxes. We build production, sales and reporting systems with editors in charge of what runs.
Common problems
Where the time usually goes.
Today
- Production depends on one person
- Ad sales live in spreadsheets
- Reporting takes a day each week
With the system
- Research, drafting, checks and scheduling move through one system, so the work doesn't stop when someone is out.
- Bookings, contracts, creative and invoices in one place, with nothing lost between steps.
- Audience and revenue numbers come together on their own, ready for the Monday meeting.
What we can build
Examples for your kind of organization.
Every project starts by looking at how your team actually works, so yours may look different.
Ad sales operations
Advertiser CRM, booking calendar, e-signed orders and invoicing.
Advertiser previews
Advertisers see their ad in your real layout and approve it themselves.
Audience data
Subscriber, reader and advertiser data connected, so you know who you reach.
Reporting
Audience, sales and revenue numbers in one place.
Platform moves
Move email platforms or publishing systems without losing subscribers or history.
Handled with care
What we watch for.
Editorial standards come first. AI can research, draft and check, but an editor decides what runs. For newsletter publishers, see our newsletter systems.
Related problems
Common places to start.
Reports built by hand
Every month, someone exports from four systems, pastes it all into a spreadsheet and fixes what looks wrong. By the time it's ready, the numbers are old.
Read moreSoftware that doesn't talk
Sales has one number, finance has another, and nobody is sure which is right. Each tool is fine by itself. The trouble is in the gaps.
Read moreRetyping the same information
An order arrives by email. Someone types it into one system, then another, then a spreadsheet. It's slow and dull, and mistakes are easy to make.
Read more
FAQ
Common questions.
Do you work with our email or publishing platform?
Yes. We build around the platform you already use and connect it to sales, billing and reporting. See platforms.
Have you built this before?
Yes. Our longest-running build is a production and sales system for a B2B media company. Read the case study.
Partner with Inkwell
Tell us where the time goes.
A few sentences is plenty. We'll tell you honestly whether custom software makes sense.