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Publishing

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"Publisher" redirects here. For other uses, see Publisher (disambiguation).

The Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP) bookshop at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software, and other content available to the public for sale or free of charge.[1] Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, comic books, newspapers, and magazines. With the advent of digital information systems, the scope has expanded to include digital publishing such as e-books, digital magazines, websites, social media, music, and video game publishing.

The commercial publishing industry ranges from large multinational conglomerates such as News Corp, Pearson, Penguin Random House, and Thomson Reuters[2] to major retail brands and thousands of small independent publishers. It has various divisions such as trade/retail publishing of fiction and non-fiction, educational publishing, and academic and scientific publishing.[3] Publishing is also undertaken by governments, civil society, and private companies for administrative or compliance requirements, business, research, advocacy, or public interest objectives.[4] This can include annual reports, research reports, market research, policy briefings, and technical reports. Self-publishing has become very common.

Publishing has evolved from a small, ancient form limited by law or religion to a modern, large-scale industry disseminating all types of information.[5]

"Publisher" can refer to a publishing company, organization, or an individual who leads a publishing company, imprint, periodical, or newspaper.

Stages of publishing

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The publishing process covering most magazine, journal, and book publishers includes: (Different stages are applicable to different types of publishers)[6]

  1. Commissioning
  2. Writing
  3. Copy editing
  4. Design
  5. Copywriting
  6. Typesetting
  7. Proofreading
  8. Correction cycles
  9. Indexing
  10. Final corrections
  11. Web publishing
  12. Prepress
  13. Printing
  14. Post press
  15. Distribution
  16. Marketing

Types of publishers

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Newspaper publishing

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Newspapers or news websites are publications of current reports, articles, and features written by journalists. They are free, sometimes with a premium edition, or paid for, either individually or through a subscription. They are filled with photographs or other media and usually are subsidized with advertising. Typically, they cover local, national, and international news or feature a particular industry. Some organizations charge premium fees if they have the expertise and exclusive knowledge. The news industry is meant to serve the public interest, hold people and businesses to account, and promote freedom of information and expression.[7] Editors manage the tone of voice of their publication; for example, negative versus positive articles can affect the reader's perspective.[8]

Journal publishing

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A journal is an academic or technical publication also available in digital and(or) print format, containing articles written by researchers, professors, and individuals with professional expertise. These publications are specific to a particular field and often push the boundaries established in these fields. They usually have peer review processes before publishing to test the validity and quality of the content.[9]

Magazine publishing

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A magazine is a periodical published at regular intervals. It features creative layouts, photography, and illustrations that cover a particular subject or interest. Magazines are available in print or digital formats and can be purchased on apps or websites like Readly or accessed free of charge on apps or websites like Issuu.

Book publishing

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The global book publishing industry consists of books categorized as fiction or non-fiction and print, e-book, or audiobook. The book market is huge, with around 1.5 billion people speaking English.[10] Translation services are also available to make these texts accessible in other languages. Self-publishing makes publishing widely accessible through small print-run digital printing or online self-publishing platforms. E-reader screen technology continues to improve with increased contrast and resolution making them more comfortable to read. Each book has a registered ISBN to identify it.

Directory publishing

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Directories contain searchable indexed data about businesses, products, and services. They were printed in the past but are now mostly online. Directories are available as searchable lists, on a map, as a sector-specific portal, as a review site (expert or consumer), or as a comparison site. Although some businesses may not consider themselves publishers, the way the data is displayed is published.

Textbook publishing

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A textbook is an educational book, or e-book, that contains information on a particular subject and is used by people studying that subject.[11] The need for textbook publishing continues due to the global need for education.[12][13] Textbooks from major publishers are being integrated with online learning platforms for expert knowledge and access to a library of books with digital content.[14] A university press is an academic publisher run by a university. Oxford University Press is the largest in the world and specializes in research, education, and English language teaching internationally.[15]

Catalog publishing

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A catalog is a visual directory or list of a large range of products that allow you to browse and buy from a particular company.[16] In print, this is usually in the format of a softback book or directory. Smaller visual catalogs can be known as brochures. With the Internet, they have evolved into searchable databases of products known under the term e-commerce. Interactive catalogs and brochures like IKEA[17] and Avon[18] allow customers to browse a full range if they have not decided on their purchase. Responsive web and app design will allow further integration between interactive catalog visuals and searchable product databases.

Web publishing

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Until recently, physical books were the primary source of recording knowledge. For accessibility and global reach, this content can be repurposed for the web. The British Library, for example, holds more than 170 million items with 3 million new additions each year.[19] With consent, content can be published online through e-books, audio books, CMS-based websites, online learning platforms, videos, or mobile apps. On the Internet, writers and copy editors are known as content writers and content editors, although their roles vary from their print-based counterparts.

Advertising

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Advertising can provide income or a subsidized income for publishers. If the advertising has a return on investment (ROI), the publisher can boost income exponentially by increasing the spending. An ROI of up to £10 per £1 invested is possible, as seen in the John Lewis & Partners Christmas campaigns.[20][21] Likewise, any cost savings that harm the customer/consumer experience can impact a brand in the long term. Multichannel marketing can be more cost-effective in creating an immersive experience that cannot be replicated with one channel. For example, when considering marketing spend, a shop with a small margin (or none at all) compared to a website is very cost-effective because it acts as a huge billboard that offers a browsing experience that enables consumers to make purchasing decisions. It gives them a feel for the brand, has a presence in the community, and creates jobs. Also, using social media publishing to advertise has a good ROI if trending, high-quality content is created that reflects positively on the brand.

Tie-in publishing

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Main article: Tie-in

Film, television, radio, and advertisements publish information to their audiences. Computer games, streaming apps, and social media publish content in various ways that can keep audiences more engaged. Marketing additional products closely related to a major film, such as Star Wars, is an example of tie-in publishing. These products include but are not limited to spin-off books, graphic novels, soundtrack albums, computer games, models and toys, social media posts, and promotional publications. Examples of tie-in publishing based on books are the Harry Potter and James Bond franchises.

See also: Periodical publication

Book publishing sub-divisions

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See also: History of books
"Book publishing company" redirects here. For the publisher named Book Publishing Company, see The Farm (Tennessee).

The publishing landscape is continually evolving. Currently there are four major types of publishers in book publishing:[22]

Mainstream publishers

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These companies traditionally produce hardcopy books in large print runs. They have established networks which distribute those books to bricks-and-mortar stores and libraries.

When a mainstream publisher accepts a book for publication, they require the author to sign a contract surrendering some rights to the publisher. In exchange, the publisher will take care of all aspects of publishing the book at the publisher's cost. They rely entirely on sales of the book to recoup those costs and make a profit. The author receives a royalty on each sale (and sometimes an advance on royalties when the book is accepted[23]). Because of the financial risk, mainstream publishers are extremely selective in what they will publish, and reject most manuscripts submitted to them.[24]

In 2013, Penguin (owned by Pearson) and Random House (owned by Bertelsmann) merged, narrowing the mainstream publishing industry to a handful of big publishers as it adapted to digital media.[25] The merger created the largest consumer book publisher globally, with a global market share of more than 25 percent.[26] As of 2022, approximately 80% percent of the United States trade market for books was controlled by the "Big Five" publishing houses: Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan.[27]

In November 2020, ViacomCBS agreed to sell Simon & Schuster, the third largest book publisher in the United States, to Penguin Random House in a deal that, if it had gone through, would have formed the largest publishing company in the world.[25] On November 2, 2021, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit (U.S. v. Bertelsmann SE & CO. KGaA, et al.) to block the merger on antitrust grounds,[28] and on October 31, 2022, the D.C. District Court ruled in favor of the Department of Justice, filing a permanent injunction on the merger.[29]

Although newspaper and magazine companies still often own printing presses and binderies, book publishers rarely do.[citation needed] Similarly, the trade usually sells the finished products through a distributor who stores and distributes the publisher's wares for a percentage fee or sells on a sale or return basis.

Some major publishers have entire divisions devoted to a single franchise, e.g., Ballantine Del Rey LucasBooks has the exclusive rights to Star Wars in the United States; Random House UK (Bertelsmann)/Century LucasBooks holds the same rights in the United Kingdom. The video game industry self-publishes through BL Publishing/Black Library (Warhammer) and Wizards of the Coast (Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, etc.). The BBC has its own publishing division that does very well with long-running series such as Doctor Who. These multimedia works are cross-marketed aggressively, and sales frequently outperform the average stand-alone published work, making them a focus of corporate interest.[30]

The advent of the Internet has provided an alternative mode of book distribution and most mainstream publishers also offer their books in ebook format. Preparing a book for e-book publication is the same as print publication, with only minor variations in the process to account for the different publishing mediums; E-book publication also eliminates some costs like the discount given to retailers (usually around 45 percent).[31]

Small presses

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Small publishers, also called independent or indie publishers,[32] operate on a traditional model (i.e. the author surrenders some rights in exchange for the publisher bearing all costs of publishing), but their precise terms can vary greatly.[33] Often, they do not pay an advance on royalties.

Hybrid publishing

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A hybrid publisher shares the costs of publication (and therefore the risks) with the author. Because of this financial risk, they are selective in what they publish. The contract varies according to what is negotiated between author and company, but will always include the surrender of some rights to the publisher.[34] Hybrid publishing is the source of debate in the publishing industry, due to the tendency of vanity presses to masquerade as hybrids.

Vanity presses

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A vanity press will publish any book. In return, the author must cover all the costs of publication, surrender some rights to the publisher, and pay royalties on sales. Vanity presses often engage in deceptive practices or offer costly, poor-quality services with limited recourse available to the writer. In the US, these practices have been cited by the Better Business Bureau as unfavorable reports by consumers.[35] Given the bad reputation of vanity publishing, many vanity presses brand themselves as hybrid publishers. The Society of Authors (SoA) and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) have called for reform of the paid-for publishing sector. These unions, representing 14,800 authors, jointly published a report to expose widespread bad practices among companies that charge writers to publish their work while taking away their rights.

Self-publishing

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When an author self-publishes a book, they retain all rights and assume responsibility for all stages of preparing, publishing and distributing the book. The author may hire professionals on a fee-for-service basis as needed, (e.g. an editor, cover designer, proofreader) or engage a company to provide an integrated package.[36]

Recent developments

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Accessible publishing uses the digitization of books to mark them up into XML and produce multiple formats to sell to customers, often targeting those who experience difficulty reading. Formats include a variety of larger print sizes, specialized print formats for dyslexia,[37] eye tracking problems, and macular degeneration, as well as Braille, DAISY, audiobooks, and e-books.[38]

Green publishing means adapting the publishing process to minimize environmental impact. One example is the concept of on-demand printing, using digital or print-on-demand technology. This cuts down the need to ship books since they are manufactured close to the customer on a just-in-time basis.[39]

A further development is the growth of online publishing, where no physical books are produced. The author creates an e-book and uploads it to a website, from which anyone can download and read it.

An increasing number of authors are using niche marketing online to sell more books by engaging with their readers online.[40]

Standardization

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Refer to the ISO divisions of ICS 01.140.40 and 35.240.30 for further information.[41][42]

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Main article: Publication

Publication is the distribution of copies or content to the public.[43][44] The Berne Convention requires that this can only be done with the consent of the copyright holder, which initially is always the author.[43] In the Universal Copyright Convention, "publication" is defined in Article VI as "the reproduction in tangible form and the general distribution to the public of copies of a work from which it can be read or otherwise visually perceived."[44]

Privishing

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Privishing (private publishing, but not to be confused with self-publishing) is a modern term for publishing a book but printing so few copies or with such lack of marketing, advertising, or sales support that it effectively does not reach the public.[45] The book, while nominally published, is almost impossible to obtain through normal channels such as bookshops, often cannot be ordered specially, and has a notable lack of support from its publisher, including refusal to reprint the title. A book that is privished may be referred to as "killed." Depending on the motivation, privishing may constitute a breach of contract, censorship,[46] or good business practice (e.g., not printing more books than the publisher believes will sell in a reasonable length of time).

History

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Printer working an early Gutenberg letterpress from the 15th century (1877 engraving)

Publishing became possible with the invention of writing and became more practical upon the introduction of printing. Before printing, distributed works were copied manually by scribes. Due to printing, publishing progressed hand-in-hand with the development of books.

The Chinese inventor Bi Sheng made a movable type of earthenware c. 1045, but there are no known surviving examples of his work. The Korean civil servant Ch'oe Yun-ŭi, who lived during the Goryeo Dynasty, invented the first metal moveable type in 1234–1250 AD.[47]

In what is commonly regarded as an independent invention, Johannes Gutenberg developed movable type in Europe around 1450, along with innovations in casting the type based on a matrix and hand mould. The invention of the printing press gradually made books less expensive to produce and more widely available.

Early printed books, single sheets, and images created before 1501 in Europe are known as incunables or incunabula. "A man born in 1453, the year of the fall of Constantinople, could look back from his fiftieth year on a lifetime in which about eight million books had been printed, more perhaps than all the scribes of Europe had produced since Constantine founded his city in A.D. 330."[48]

The history of modern newspaper publishing started in Germany in 1609, with the publication of magazines following in 1663.

Missionaries brought printing presses to sub-Saharan Africa in the mid-18th century.[49]

Historically, publishing has been handled by publishers, although some authors self-published.[50] The establishment of the World Wide Web in 1989 soon propelled the website into a dominant publishing medium. Wikis and blogs soon developed, followed by online books, online newspapers, and online magazines. This also facilitated the technological convergence of commercial and self-published content and the convergence of publishing and production into online production through the development of multimedia content.

A U.S.-based study in 2016 that surveyed 34 publishers found that straight, able-bodied, white females overwhelmingly represent the publishing industry in the US.[51] Salon described the situation as a "lack of diversity behind the scenes in book world."[52] A survey in 2020 by the same group found there has been no significant statistical change in the lack of diversity since the 2016 survey.[53] Lack of diversity in the American publishing industry has been an issue for years. Within the industry, the least amount of diversity was in higher-level editorial positions.[54]

See also: List of women printers and publishers before 1800
See also: History of printing in East Asia

See also

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General

Publishing on specific contexts

Publishing tools

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Publishing | meaning". Cambridge English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  2. ^ "GLOBAL 50. The world ranking of the publishing industry 2019". Issuu. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  3. ^ International Publishers Association (2018). "The Global Publishing Industry in 2016". WIPO. doi:10.34667/tind.29034. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  4. ^ Börjesson, Lisa (2016). "Research outside academia? – An analysis of resources in extra-academic report writing". Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. 53 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1002/pra2.2016.14505301036. S2CID 7212603.
  5. ^ "Publishing industry history and challenges | Britannica". britannica.com. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  6. ^ New Oxford Style Manual. Oxford University Press. 2016.
  7. ^ "Freedom of expression, media freedom and safety of journalists". Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023. (last checked 2023-01-19)
  8. ^ Heuristics and Biases Kahneman, D.; Tversky, A. (1982). Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511809477. ISBN 9780511809477. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Journals". The Royal Society. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  10. ^ "The Most Spoken Languages Worldwide". Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  11. ^ "textbook". Colins Dictionary. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  12. ^ "The Global Publishing Industry in 2021" (PDF). WIPO. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Finance". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023. $5 trillion spent on education worldwide
  14. ^ "Pearson+". Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  15. ^ "About Oxford University Press". Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Catalog – (US Spelling)". Collins Dictionary. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  17. ^ "IKEA Business Brochure 2023". Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  18. ^ "Avon Catalog". Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  19. ^ "The British Library". 12 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2023. (last checked 2023-01-12)
  20. ^ "John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners launch first-ever joint Christmas TV Advert, 'Excitable Edgar'". John Lewis & Partners. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  21. ^ "John Lewis Christmas Campaigns". Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023. (last checked 2023-02-16).
  22. ^ Friedman, Jane (17 September 2021). "The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2023–2024". Jane Friedman. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  23. ^ Louisa (4 January 2023). "how book advances work in traditional publishing". Louisa Deasey Author. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  24. ^ Jr, Thomas Umstattd (30 September 2020). "How to Get Published with a Traditional Publishing House". Author Media. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  25. ^ a b Alter, Alexandra; Lee, Edmund (25 November 2020). "Penguin Random House to Buy Simon & Schuster". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  26. ^ Pfanner, Eric; Chozick, Amy (29 October 2012). "Random House and Penguin Merger Creates Global Giant". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  27. ^ Grady, Constance (25 August 2022). "The planned Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster merger has been struck down in court". Vox. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  28. ^ "U.S. V. Bertelsmann SE & CO. KGaA, et al". www.justice.gov. 2 November 2021. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.[title missing]
  29. ^ Alter, Alexandra; Harris, Elizabeth (31 October 2022). "Judge Blocks a Merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  30. ^ Shelagh Vainker in Anne Farrer (ed.), "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas", 1990, British Museum publications, ISBN 0-7141-1447-2.
  31. ^ "Book Cost Analysis – Cost of Physical Book Publishing – Kindle Review – Kindle Phone Review, Kindle Fire HD Review". Kindle Review. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  32. ^ "Small publishers are sweeping the Booker and Nobel prizes". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  33. ^ Friedman, Jane (25 June 2018). "How to Evaluate Small Publishers—Plus Digital-Only Presses and Hybrids". Jane Friedman. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  34. ^ Klems, Brian A. (11 August 2016). "What is Hybrid Publishing? Here Are 4 Things All Writers Should Know". Writer's Digest. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  35. ^ "Self-publishing vs vanity publishing. Confused?". www.writersandartists.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  36. ^ Steven, Daniel. "What is self-publishing". publishlawyer.com. Daniel N. Steven, LLC. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  37. ^ Dwight Garner (20 May 2008). "Making Reading Easier – Paper Cuts Blog". NYTimes.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
  38. ^ "Overview of the Technology- Awards, Cost Savings". Radhowyouwant.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  39. ^ Kanter, James (2 December 2008). "Reading Green On Demand". Green blogs, New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  40. ^ Rinzler, Alan (29 July 2010). "The Magic of Niche Marketing for Authors". Forbes. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  41. ^ International Organization for Standardization. "01.140.40: Publishing". Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
  42. ^ International Organization for Standardization. "35.240.30: IT applications in information, documentation and publishing". Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
  43. ^ a b WIPO. "Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works". Wipo.int. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  44. ^ a b "Microsoft Word – The Universal Copyright Convention _Geneva Text—September" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  45. ^ Winkler, David (11 July 2002). "Journalists Thrown 'Into the Buzzsaw'". CommonDreams.org. Archived from the original on 4 August 2007.
  46. ^ Sue Curry Jansen; Brian Martin (July 2003). "Making censorship backfire". Counterpoise. 7. Archived from the original on 19 June 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  47. ^ Newman, Sophia (19 June 2019). "So, Gutenberg Didn't Actually Invent Printing As We Know It". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  48. ^ Clapham, Michael, "Printing" in A History of Technology, Vol 2. From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution, eds,. Charles Singer et al. (Oxford 1957), p. 377. Cited from Elizabeth L. Eisenstein, The Printing Press as an Agent of Change (Cambridge University, 1980).
  49. ^ Gazemba, Stanley (13 December 2019). "African Publishing Minefields and the Woes of the African Writer". The Elephant. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  50. ^ FitzGerald, Jamie (1 November 2013). "Notable Moments in Self-Publishing History: A Timeline". Poets & Writers. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  51. ^ Flood, Alison (27 January 2016). "Publishing industry is overwhelmingly white and female, US study finds". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  52. ^ Lee, Paula Young (26 January 2016). "White women of publishing: New survey shows a lack of diversity behind the scenes in book world". Salon. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  53. ^ Flood, Alison (30 January 2020). "US publishing remains 'as white today as it was four years ago'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  54. ^ Italie, Hillel (11 February 2020). "Missteps lead publishing industry to review diversity effort". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.

Publications

[edit]
  • Amory, H., & Hall, D. D. (2005). Bibliography and the book trades : studies in the print culture of early New England. University of Pennsylvania Press.
  • Patten, E., McElligott, J. (Eds). (2014). The perils of print culture: book, print and publishing history in theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Johns, Adrian. (1998). The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making. University of Chicago Press.
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