Inside Book Publishing

421 Pages·2019·18.958 MB·English

by  Giles Clark, Angus Phillips

Inside Book Publishing
Now fully revised and updated for its sixth edition, Inside Book Publishing is the
classic introduction to the book publishing industry.
Giles Clark and Angus Phillips offer authoritative coverage of all sectors of
the industry, from commercial fiction and non-fiction to educational publishing
and academic journals. They reveal how publishers continue to adapt to a
fast-changing and highly interconnected world, in which printed books have
proved resilient alongside ebooks and the growth of audio. Major themes are
explored, including the development of digital products and the use of social
media in book marketing, as well as those that affect publishers’ businesses, such
as the rise of internet retailing; rental models for student textbooks; and open
access, where academic content is free to the user. Case studies from industry
experts give fascinating perspectives on topics such as crowdfunding, self-
publishing and how authors can market themselves. The book provides excellent
overviews of the main aspects of the publishing process: commissioning authors,
product development, design and production, marketing, sales and distribution.
As a manual for those in the profession and a guide for the potential
publishers of the future, Inside Book Publishing remains a seminal work for anyone
with an interest in the industry. It will also be of interest to authors seeking an
insider’s view of this exciting industry.
Giles Clark was formerly Copublishing Adviser at The Open University, UK.
Angus Phillips is Director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing at
Oxford Brookes University, UK.
Inside Book Publishing
Praise for previous editions
‘The definitive text for all who need to learn about the publishing industry.’
Publishing Training Centre
‘This book was invaluable to me when I set up And Other Stories without having
worked for any publishing company. To understand the industry, this is your book.
It’s an MA in itself!’
Stefan Tobler
‘An excellent book . . . I recommend this book to everyone.’
Gillian Clarke, Editing Matters, magazine of the Society for
Editors and Proofreaders
‘A crucial title if you are looking to enter the industry.’
Suzanne Collier, bookcareers.com
‘Seen as the definitive book about the industry, which is used as a recommended
textbook on a number of publishing courses. It will help you understand how the
industry works and the responsibilities of each department or sector.’
Society of Young Publishers
‘Unless you can confidently claim to have a well-rounded understanding of
publishing, this is a great book for when you want to check what a bit of jargon
means, or beef up the financial case for a marketing idea by refreshing your
memory of how a book’s P&L is calculated. Fabulous to have as a shelf reference
whatever your department.’
Rachel Maund, Marketability
‘An excellent introduction to anyone with a professional interest in publishing.
It is the most clear and specific guide to publishing I have ever read. Although
it focuses on British publishing for its examples, any reader would get a good
grounding in what publishing is all about, with a lot of useful detail about every
aspect of the business. It provides a comprehensive overview and answers so
many questions about why publishing works the way it does. No writer equipped
with this book need ever feel like an ignorant outsider again.’
Chris Holifield, WritersServices
‘Approachable and entertaining as well as highly informative. No one embarking
on a career in publishing should fail to read it – and even those with a few years’
experience will find useful things in it.’
Nicholas Jones, Strathmore Publishing
‘A mainstay adoption on publishing courses throughout the UK and abroad. . . .
No matter your age Inside Book Publishing makes for a pleasant reading
experience. . . . For those entering this culturally and intellectually rewarding
industry, this edition should prove to be as useful an investment in a professional
capacity as it is in an academic one.’
Jason Mitchell, InPrint
‘An excellent introduction to the subject, managing to be both comprehensive and
concise. . . . worth reading for budding authors and publishers alike . . . There are
shelves of books available on the subject of publishing (and in particular self-
publishing), but I think it’s worth reading something that takes a serious-minded,
academic approach to the core of the subject, and this book fills that role perfectly.’
The Fiction Desk
’The text for many publishing courses and to where one directs all those enquirers
keen to get into publishing. Routledge have completely redesigned the book and
made it a real joy to look at and use.’
Publishers Association Bulletin
’At its best when talking about the internet and the complexities of publishing
and controlling intellectual property in a digital age . . . well-worth reading as an
overview of the global industry and publishing process.’
Thomas Woll, Publishing Research Quarterly
‘A publishing textbook which punches through all the competition . . . In short,
this volume merits the accolade of being “essential”: anyone who wants to get a
good grip on the way publishing works should read it. New students following
publishing courses will find the balance of practical advice and academic rigour
perfect for underpinning classroom sessions, and those beginning a career in the
industry will do well to keep a copy at hand as a quick reference guide.’
Samantha Rayner, BookBrunch
‘This is one of the best and most comprehensive overviews of the publishing and
book industry currently on the market . . . One of my new MA Publishing students
refers to this book as her “bible” and carries it around with her at all times.’
Debbie Williams, Logos

Inside Book Publishing
Giles Clark and Angus Phillips
Sixth edition
Sixth edition published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
 2020 Giles Clark and Angus Phillips
The right of Giles Clark and Angus Phillips to be identified as authors
of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Blueprint 1988
Fifth edition published by Routledge 2014
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-57438-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-57791-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-351-26572-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Scala
by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK
Contents
List of expert, focus and skills boxes xi
List of tables xiii
Illustration credits xv
Preface to the sixth edition xvii
Preface to the previous editions xix
Acknowledgements xxiii
1 Introduction: publishing trends and digital transformations 1
What publishers do 1
Market sectors and publisher size 4
Major business trends 10
The digitization of publishing 14
Adaptation and innovation 23
2 The development of modern trade publishing 27
Stability and expansion 27
Mergers and acquisitions 29
Vertical integration 30
The reshaping of retail 34
A change in publishing strategy 40
The rise of digital publishing 44
Market share 56
Children’s and young adult publishing 58
3 Publishing for educational, academic and professional
markets 62
Consolidation 63
Educational publishing 66
Overview of academic, STM and professional publishing 70
Textbooks 73
Academic and professional books 77
Journals 80
Open access 85
viii Contents
4 The characteristics of the main publishing sectors 91
UK publishing 91
Consumer publishing 93
Children’s and young adult publishing 96
Non-consumer publishing 100
Education 100
HSS, STM and professional publishing 104
Journal publishing 110
5 Creating and protecting value in publishing 115
Value chain 115
Business model 119
Intellectual property and protecting value 130
6 The author 138
Starting out and self-publishing 142
Agents 149
7 Commissioning 156
Editorial commissioning 156
New title costing 167
Case study: Inside Book Publishing 173
Success and failure 181
8 The author contract and editorial development 183
Author contract 183
Product development 191
9 Design and production 206
Re-engineering the workflow 207
Design 209
Picture research 222
Production 224
Production processes 233
10 Marketing and publicity 241
The market for books 244
Marketing mix 248
Promotion and publicity techniques 265
11 Sales and distribution 281
Sales 281
Selling in and selling through 288
International sales 295
Distribution 300
Contents ix
12 Rights sales 307
Rights work 307
Subsidiary rights 313
13 The sales channels for books in the UK 326
Online 327
The chains and supermarkets 330
Wholesalers and intermediaries 333
Other sales channels 337
14 Getting into publishing 341
First steps 342
Qualifications 343
Finding vacancies 344
Your application 345
Interview 348
You’re in! 351
Glossary of publishing terms and abbreviations 357
Bibliography 364
Index 369