Selling Digital Rights as a General Publisher: Text and Images

This paper gives an overview of how publishers can market their digital content to potential customers in the book trade and, especially, in other, corporate and non-trade markets. It conveys why for example corporate customers and brands will be attracted to the multiple options publishers’ digital content can offer them to further build their brand and serve consumers’ interest in return. Publishers should be aware of different models to design content deals and of the issues that need to be addressed while negotiating. The paper provides thorough summaries of all questions that must be solved on both ends, with respect to resource, pricing, contract, legal and technical issues, etc. and is thus a very helpful source to begin with.     

Shifting Sales Channels

The Book Industry Study Group and The Idea Logical Company carried out an online survey to capture publishers’ comments on how market conditions were changing and what they are doing differently as a result of the economic pressures in the consumer market. About 250 individuals responded to the online survey. Interviews were carried out of more than a dozen executives at large and small publishers and their accounts to get further insights. The goal was to identify what are the sales conditions for trade book publishers today and what publishers are doing to change sales and marketing and even editorial practices to accommodate changing times. What we have learned from that joint effort is reflected in this article.     

Romance and Innovation in Twenty-First Century Publishing

The twenty-first century has been decidedly unkind to most sectors of the book publishing industry, yet romantic fiction is somehow more popular and profitable than ever before. What could account for this critically marginalised category’s consummate commercial success in the digital era? This paper makes the argument that contrary to the stereotype of romantic fiction as conventional and change resistant, contemporary romance publishers have proven themselves to be consistently forward thinking and progressive, utilising industry innovations in content, technology, branding and business practice to cement their genre’s status as an exemplary model for twenty-first century book publishing.     

Business Models in Digital Book Publishing: Some Insights from Australia

This interpretive study of change in Australian book publishing, included a survey of book publishers and the conduct of 14 case studies in five categories of publisher: general trade, academic, professional, specialist and university. This paper reports in detail on the experience on one general trade publisher as it sought to face the challenges of globalization and of organizational and technological change. The major finding was that digitization is indeed, impacting on business models for book publishing, with current models comprising something of a hybrid between the traditional and the innovative. Reflecting the presence in Australia of similar trends and issues that are affecting book publishing around the world, the findings are of relevance both to book publishers and to researchers. The work is original in that relatively little recent academic research has been conducted into book publishing in Australia, particularly as regards the implications of digitization for business models.     

The self-publishing phenomenon and libraries

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the concept of book self-publishing for fiction and nonfiction began to loom large in the North American publishing universe. As traditional mainstream publishers consolidated and were often loathe to take chances on unknown writers whose books might not turn immediate profits, some authors found that fewer and fewer publishing venues were open to them. As a result, new self-publishers—collectively called “author services” or print-on-demand (POD) publishers—appeared alongside subsidy (or vanity) publishers. Against the background of an increasing corporatization of mainstream publishing, book self-publishing can theoretically be situated as one of the last bastions of independent publishing. This article examines how academic and public libraries dealt with the book self-publishing phenomena during 1960–2004. To what extent did libraries collect fiction and nonfiction published by self-publishing houses? Can any patterns be discerned in their collecting choices? Did libraries choose to collect more titles from “author services” publishers than subsidy publishers?     

Have We Passed Peak Book? The Uncoupling of Book Sales from Economic Growth

This paper uses time series data on UK book sales to establish what correlation exists between the national income of a country and its sales of books. This is tested by comparing series data in real terms for GDP per capita and for various data series for the UK market, including sales invoiced by publishers and point of sale data on consumer purchasing. The first period, from 1985 to 1999, shows a strong relationship between total sales and GDP per capita. In the second period, from 2001 to 2015, the link appears to disappear when we examine invoiced sales from publishers, even before the impact of the 2008 crisis. This is also including the growth of digital sales towards the end of the period. The direct consumer data shows sales tracking GDP until the onset of the financial crisis; thereafter the only trade sector to have kept pace with GDP is children’s, and this contrasts with the areas of adult fiction and non-fiction. Have we therefore seen a structural shift in the book market? If we have passed peak book, what has brought about this uncoupling of book sales from economic growth? Factors are considered including changes in retail, competition from other media, and a prioritization of experience over the accumulation of stuff.     

Trials and Triumphs in the Polish Book Trade Since 1989

ABSTRACT

After a brief look at the Polish book trade under communism, the article examines developments since communism's collapse in late 1989, concentrating on monographs. The initial mushrooming of publishers was followed in 1992 by the failure of Sk?adnica Ksi?garska as the monopoly book distributor. Since then, a number of private wholesalers have emerged; publishers are also distributing their out-put themselves. The system is now working well for the majority of publications. However, it is often not particularly effective for scholary books. Reasons, consequences, and tactics for coping are discussed.     

Enforcing Copyright in the Book Publishing Industry in Ghana

A strong copyright regime is crucial for the development of local print publishing industry. However, piracy and other acts of copyright infringement are prevalent in the print publishing industry which denies creators and right owners from fully enjoying the reward of their labor and investment. This study therefore seeks to explore the acts of copyright infringement; enforcement provisions in the Copyright Act, 2005, 690 [10]; assess publishers and stakeholders understanding of these provisions and to identify the challenges in enforcing copyright in the Publishing Industry. The study adopted both questionnaires and interviews as research instruments. Seven institutions and organizations were interviewed, and questionnaires were administered to 43 individual companies within the book trade. The research subjects were sampled using the purposive and stratified sampling methods respectively. Findings from the study indicate that acts of copy infringement in the book publishing industry in Ghana have caused tremendous financial loss to the rights owners. Evident from the analysis are the difficulties associated with enforcing the law due to lack of awareness of the law by the right owners, and lack of awareness and expertise by enforcement agencies. The study recommends public awareness campaigns for the public and stakeholders in the industry. It is also important that training is given to law enforcement agencies and the support of stakeholders enlisted in enforcing the law.     

Australian Book Market: An Overview

In this article, Andrew Wilkins, the former publisher of bookseller+publisher magazine, provides an annual overview of the Australian book marketplace, offering statistics on the market and analysis of the key publishers, retailers and consumer habits. The second half of the article concentrates on international rights sales, an important aspect of the Australian publishing industry. This article was originally published in 2007 as part of the annual Think Australian magazine, which aims to support Australian publishers and literary agents at the Frankfurt Book Fair (see ).     

A Publishing Education Report

Notes about the February 2016 PubWest Conference (Santa Fe, New Mexico) and a panel discussion about the relationship between academic publishing studies programs and publishers. PubWest is a regional publishers’ organization in the U.S., with Canadian members. The 2016 conference—“A Passion for Books”—included keynotes, intensive sessions, and panels on making publishing more profitable. Per Henningsgaard, Portland State University, chaired the panel “What Publishers and Academics Who Study Publishing Can Learn from Each Other.” Co-panelists: Sybil Nolan, University of Melbourne; David Emblidge, Emerson College. Henningsgaard gave an overview of publishing studies programs worldwide, what they teach and how they serve students interested in entering the publishing business. Emblidge presented a publishing studies student project from Emerson College—a book proposal for an illustrated nonfiction trade book. Nolan commented on broader research interests concerning the book business and its history, shared by academics in publishing studies. Similar conferences for publishing industry professionals and publishing studies courses at various universities are noted here, as is a research project aiming to build a comprehensive database for publishing studies teaching and learning materials.     

Digital Technologies for Book Publishing

This paper is based on an Australian government-funded research project looking at the implications of digitization for the book publishing industry, which was originally completed in 2008 and later extended to cover up to the present day. Although Australian-based the project and subsequent research has wider implications for application elsewhere. The paper initially provides a snapshot of Australian book publishing in a global context, and then summarizes our findings on the current and potential future impact of digital technologies. The original research employed an interpretive research paradigm, using a mixed methodology design, including an online survey of book publishers and the conduct of 14 case studies. The extension of the original research project led to its being given a more global dimension. In reporting this new research, the paper discusses in detail the diverse range of technologies, their limitations and the risks and opportunities they offer to the book publishing industry. This includes insights into the business as well as technical issues confronting the industry.     

The Readiness of E-Publishing Among Malaysian Book Publishers

Advancements in digital technology are making waves in the publishing industry and e-publishing is starting to make its mark in the market. Although publishers view e-publishing as an opportunity to exploit products and new distribution channels, some of them are seeing this development as a risk rather than an opportunity, and thus are not willing to participate in these changes. This study was conducted to determine the readiness of e-publishing among Malaysian book publishers based on the E-Publishing Readiness Assessment Model. The results found that publishers in Malaysia are prepared in terms of infrastructure and human resources. However, only a small percentage of them are willing to practice e-publishing by publishing at least one e-book, while the majority is taking a wait and see approach before they start issuing e-books. Interviews with two companies displaying high levels of e-readiness and low e-readiness, showed a willingness depend on the decision of the company’s top management. In addition, external factors such as market demand, technological pressure, competition, consumer habits and police and government policies also affect the results of the top management to run e-publishing in their respective companies. Through these findings, the government and agencies involved in the publishing industry may be able to help find a solution when designing a strategy for improving e-publishing practices in Malaysia.     

Market Trends in the South Indian Publishing Region

This article aims to study the publishing trends in South India, including the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. It also gives an insight into the markets in South India for English and Regional language books. As many international publishers are moving towards the Indian book market, it is necessary to understand the culture and diversities of the country which prove to be the biggest hurdle in marketing and promotion. This article gives detailed information on General trade, Academic and School book markets. It also lists the key distributors, retailers and publishers in South India. The last page of the article details the entry barriers for international publishers and proven techniques adopted by other publishers. Partnership with Indian companies has worked well for many international publishers. All the statistics and data have been collected and referenced to the best knowledge of the author.     

U.S. book returns, 1984–1989

Between 1984 and 1989, the U.S. book industry drowned in a recorded $7.88 billion of returns: 23.87 percent of all books published during those years were returned to publishers by wholesalers and booksellers for full credit. This massive return of books undermined the stability of the book industry, causing many publishers to question the efficacy of a system that failed to operate successfully during a period of exceptionally stable business conditions, free from high rates of interest and inflation, recession, or a war. In this study the author addresses the book return phenomenon by: (1) analyzing statistics about the U.S. book industry and its twelve key market segments; (2) evaluating possible causes of the increase in returns; and (3) proposing some suggestions to reduce returns. Albert N. Greco also serves on the board of directors of the Book Industry Study Group, publisher ofBook Industry Trends, 1991.     

Current status of biomedical book reviewing: Part IV. Major American and British biomedical book publishers

This is the fourth part of a comprehensive, quantitative study of biomedical book reviews. The data base of the total project was built from statistics of 3,347 reviews of 2,067 biomedical books taken from all 1970 issues of fifty-four reviewing journals. This part of the study identifies the major American and British biomedical book publishers in terms of their quantitative production of book titles reviewed, and determines the relationships among these publishers. It is found that Williams & Wilkins, Charles C Thomas, Academic Press, and Springer Verlag are the most productive biomedical book publishers in terms of books reviewed in 1970. These four publishers accounted for 32% of the 1,674 books available in the United States and reviewed in the reviewing media in 1970. Williams & Wilkins is especially significant by virtue of reprint activity. The present study also explores the price trend of biomedical books. It is found that the mean price for 1,077 books studied was $16.20 per volume, with a standard deviation of $9.42.     

Crowdsourcing: A Platform for Crowd Engagement in the Publishing Industry

Publishers will usually make decisions based on their experience and knowledge in book publishing. However, there are risks of losses as markets can be unpredictable. Now, with the availability of various online social platforms, “crowdsourcing” is being used by publishers and authors to gather new ideas and innovations. This article will analyze how the crowdsourcing platform is used by industry players to attract active participation from the public, especially in the title development process. Publishers or authors also need to understand which platform is appropriate and how to use the platforms as a marketing communication tool. The netnography approach will be used to gather and analyze the data related to the specific subject area of the study, including literature review and online observation. Based on our observations, platforms such Wattpad and Ilham Karangkraf are popular among Malaysian authors and publishers, and had been used to get crowd engagement as well as to communicate with readers. With it, sometimes a work that has many readers or followers will be published.     

混乱时代里的永恒:美国数字出版和书籍销售的近期发展趋势

数字技术扰乱了图书出版的各个方面。40多年前这种影响就已开始,但最近几年随着电子阅读器的出现和廉价互联网的普及,它对大众出版的影响愈趋强烈。技术已经导致图书出版商的部分传统功能被其他领域的个人和组织取代。这种现象引起了出版商对价值链有何独特贡献的激烈讨论。出版商的传统角色和职责正在发生改变,未来这种变化将更加剧烈。     

E-books, the latest word: proceedings from the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge

A panel which included a librarian, publisher and e-book providers presented issues confronting the growth of e-books in the academic library marketplace. The e-book market projections are a small part of the higher education book market. Frontlist titles are demanded by libraries with suppliers eager to supply such titles. However, publishers are feeling their way through various rights and contract issues as well as business models as they determine which frontlist titles to provide in electronic form. The instability of business partners has contributed to publisher delays in releasing titles as e-books. No one, (librarians, suppliers, publishers) is throwing in the towel on e-books but the position this format takes in the publishing industry and therefore in library collections in the near future is unsettled.     

Recent Trends and Developments in Publishing in Croatia

Abstract

Croatia considers the book a priority cultural product. Today various forces, both positive and negative, affect publishing in Croatia. A survey of traditional publishing in Croatia based on statistical data collected by the author in the Croatian ISBN Agency over the past 8 years introduces the main topic. The author then reports on the results of a survey of 1,000 publishers, aimed at establishing which medium publishers used for their books between 1993 and the beginning of 1998, the period when book production passed from printed to digital form. The research results show that modern electronic book forms have been gradually developing in Croatia in parallel with traditional publishing. The number of publishers producing books in electronic format is not great. However, the fact that nearly a quarter of the publishers who returned the questionnaire do produce electronic books, shows that Croatian publishers accept new technologies as they appear in countries with a developed publishing industry, onlyin amuch more modest scope. The author mentions electronic books published by as many as forty publishers, and gives a survey of online-bookstores in Croatia. Special attention is paid to book legislation in the country. As a conclusion the author proposes an incentive for electronic publishing.