Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of boxes
- List of abbreviations
- Preface
- Part I General issues in cultural economics
- Part II The ‘traditional’ economics of the arts and heritage
- Part III Artists' labour markets and copyright
- Part IV The creative industries
- Introduction
- 14 Economics of creative industries
- 15 Economics of the music industry
- 16 Economics of the film industry
- 17 Economics of broadcasting
- 18 Economics of book publishing
- 19 Economics of festivals, creative cities and cultural tourism
- Part V Conclusion and exercises and problems
- References
- Index
18 - Economics of book publishing
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of boxes
- List of abbreviations
- Preface
- Part I General issues in cultural economics
- Part II The ‘traditional’ economics of the arts and heritage
- Part III Artists' labour markets and copyright
- Part IV The creative industries
- Introduction
- 14 Economics of creative industries
- 15 Economics of the music industry
- 16 Economics of the film industry
- 17 Economics of broadcasting
- 18 Economics of book publishing
- 19 Economics of festivals, creative cities and cultural tourism
- Part V Conclusion and exercises and problems
- References
- Index
Summary
This chapter first looks at international data on the publishing industry and then at the production of trade books, including authors' contracts, and after that at consumption – both the demand for books and for library services – and at various schemes for stimulating reading. Authors may be supported by state subsidy and awards, and these schemes and evidence on authors' earnings from copyright round off the chapter.
Background
Publishing covers a wide range of print material that is distributed in various ways. There is considerable product diversity within the categories of publication, such as books, journals, magazines and newspapers; books may be fiction or non-fiction, textbooks or manuals; fiction may be a great classic or a trifling tale. Until recently publication was on paper, but now electronic books and other publications are emerging and digitisation is under way in the industry. Book publication is divided into several categories: the biggest distinction is between trade books and educational and professional books. The latter, which constitute around a half of the publishing market, are aimed at schools and colleges; our interest here is in the market for ‘trade’ books, meaning adult fiction and non-fiction and children's books.
Books are some of the oldest cultural products and reading is an essential means of accessing knowledge and entertainment, and authorship – the creation of content – is one of the oldest creative activities. Book publishing has been a creative industry for centuries and has been a private enterprise for as long.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- A Textbook of Cultural Economics , pp. 487 - 512Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010