Book Chapter


The dynamics of the book publishing industry

Abstract

The book industry retains a prominent place in society and continues to make a robust contribution to the economy. The industry continues to evolve and adapt, from its business models to the forms of publication, and the printed book demonstrates resilience despite the many attempts to pronounce its demise. Book publishing has weathered a number of storms over the years, whether the financial crisis of 2008, the arrival of ebooks, or ever-increasing competition from other media. Where it was once TV and film, the present challengers for consumer attention include social media and gaming. The industry has had to respond to external forces including digitization, the availability of free content, and the dominance of the technology companies. Key trends examined in this chapter include consolidation among publishing companies, the democratization of authorship, and globalization. There is continuous experimentation around business models, whether digital or audio first, or crowdfunding to guarantee a market for the book. Publishers are in constant search of the next trend, whether coloring books, psychological fiction, or serious non-fiction. One hit may generate a new genre or a short-lived bubble.

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Authors

Phillips, Angus

Oxford Brookes departments

Oxford International Centre for Publishing

Dates

Year of publication: 2021
Date of RADAR deposit: 2022-04-27



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Related resources

This RADAR resource is the Accepted Manuscript of The dynamics of the book publishing industry
This RADAR resource is Part of The Routledge Companion to media industries [ISBN: 9780367225261] / edited by Paul McDonald (Routledge, 2022).

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