Educational publishing is one of the largest sections in the publishing industry. However, it is also one of the parts of the industry that faces the most pressure to keep up to date with the digital revolution. As Allison Bailey, a senior partner says, “Publishers must much more rapidly adapt to a world of digital disruption,” (BCG, n.d.). It is possible that the near future will consist of textbooks and assignments being created and used online, how will this affect publishers?
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Children’s publishing is a growing sector in the printing business, thriving in the digital aspect as well as in traditional print format. In 2012, sales of children’s books rose by 9%, a staggering $3.3 billion (Milliot, J., 2014.). Has children’s publishing always been such a strong section of the industry? Or did the early lack of risk publisher's were willing to take regarding a new, vulnerable audience effect its early growth? To answer this, we must look back at the history of children’s publishing.
Children’s stories and folk tales have been around since man learnt to speak and were passed across the world. However, children’s books have been a late addition to the literary world only thriving in the last two centuries (Britannica, 2011). According to the Atlantic, “Up to the Georgian era there were no books at all for children or the poor, excepting the class-books containing old ballads,” (Hewins, C.M., 2011). In previous generations, children were thought of as adults and were constantly being trained to become warriors, hunters or workers. Therefore no one thought it was necessary for them to waste their time reading fictional stories. If books were shared with children, they tended to be religious or contain a valuable lesson. Similarly, picture books only came about 130 years ago, while pictorial storytelling has been around since the first cave paintings (Popova, M., 2012). As this section of the industry grew, there were clear tensions between the creative vision of the creator and the publisher. As Walter Crane, a Victorian-era picture book creator has stated about Edmund Evans, “...but it was not without protest from the publisher who thought the raw, coarse colours and vulgar designs appealed to a larger public, and therefore paid better...” (Popova, M., 2012). It was not until the late 19th century that picture books blossomed due to new developments in printing technology (Popova, M., 2012). The earliest written stories known for children were fables; short stories conveying a moral. An early author of these was Sir Roger L’Estrange (1616-1704). Fairytales shortly followed, the very first ones collected and published in France in the 17th century. Later, the Grimm brothers published over 200 fairytales in Germany between 1812-1822 (Mendez, T., 2009). After 1850, the golden age of children’s literature began in the United States and the United Kingdom (Mendez, T., 2009). Great writers teamed with exceptional illustrators to create children’s picture books. The industrial revolution resulted in advances in print technology and suddenly the middle class greatly increased their interest in education and thus the audience of children’s books expanded. Timeless classics such as Alice in Wonderland, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Wizard of Oz were published during this time. In 1922 the Newbery Medal was created, oldest award for children’s literature, and following shortly after was the 1938 Randolph J. Caldecott Medal. Children’s books had now become an established and growing sector in the publishing industry. In conclusion, I would state that it was due to the way the generation believed children should be treated and the lack of knowledge about the strength in children’s literature that resulted in such a late bloom for the category. Publisher’s were not aware of what to expect, and parents were afraid of the purpose of such books. Today, children’s publishing is flourishing as e-books, interactive storybooks and traditional print books. Word Count: 541 Sources: Britannica, 2011. History of children’s books and their illustration. [Online] Available at: http://www.writing-for-children.com/history.html. [Accessed 31 October, 2014]. Hewins, C.M., 2011. The history of children’s books. [Online Article] Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1888/01/the-history-of-childrens- books/306098/ [Accessed 1 November, 2014]. Mendez, T., 2009. History of children’s literature. [Online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/tmendez034/history-of-childrens-literature [Accessed 1 November, 2014]. Milliot, J., 2014. Children’s books: a shifting market. [Online article] Available at: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/61167-children-s-books-a-shifting-market.html [Accessed 1 November, 2014]. Popova, M., n.d. A brief history of children’s picture books and the art of visual storytelling. [Online] Available at: http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/02/24/childrens-picturebooks/ [Accessed 1 November, 2014]. Popova, M., 2012. A brief history of children’s picture books and the art of visual storytelling. [Online Article] Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/02/a-brief-history-of-childrens-picture-books-and-the-art-of-visual-storytelling/253570/ [Accessed 30 October, 2014]. The USSR was thought of as being a nation of readers, with high literacy rates and an overall fondness of the written word (Telegraph, 2011). This is not the case with todays Russia as only 20-22 million people of the 146 million population actually read (Gerden, Eugene, 2013). Many factors contribute to these statistics within the book industry and another backlash the industry faces is e-book piracy.
Even though there has been a decline in reading in Russia, the interest in e-books is becoming stronger. 70% of readers use an e-book, where 50% of these turned to e-books in the last 3 years and 23% in the last year alone (Gerden, Eugene, 2013). A factor for this large increase can be due to the fact that e-book readers are much cheaper in Russia, selling at $3 compared to $10-$15 in Western countries (Gerden, Eugene, 2013). E-book piracy in Russia is a notorious problem. In 2012, the e-book market doubled and in 2013 it increased once again (Nawotka, Edward, 2014). However, piracy is becoming a bigger problem than ever. According to Eksmo, Russia’s largest publishing house, 95% of the e-book downloads in the country are pirated (publishing perspectives). This can be compared to 16% of internet users who access pirated copies in the UK (Havoscope, N.d.). This results in the robbing of publisher’s revenues which means that they can no longer back as many new authors. Andrei Yurchenko, senior analyst of Pro-books magazine, stated that “pirated sites remain popular in Russia due to lack of any real competition from companies that distribute legal content,” (Nawotka, Edward, 2014). There are between 100,000 - 110,000 e-book titles available through piracy, yet there are only 60,000 that are legally available (Indvik, Lauren, 2013). By analyzing these statistics, it becomes extremely clear why the piracy problem in Russia has become so large. Experts have shared different reasons for this swelling problem. They believe that time, money and convenience are the main issues for downloading illegal e-books. Many readers have also stated that they are not aware of whether their book is a pirated or licensed. Simon Dunlop, founder of Bookmate.ru, a digital download company, has said, “Russia has very little physical distribution of books. There are no nationwide chains like Barnes & Noble or Waterstone’s,” (Telegraph, 2011). He then goes on to explain that with digital media there are no transportation costs, no border controls and no customs, simply making it the more effortless choice (Telegraph, 2011). To try and control this growing issue, a State Agency which regulates mass media called Rospechat, have created a campaign to encourage readers to buy only legal e-books (Nawotka, Edward, 2014). They are doing this by monitoring piracy websites and have so far removed 25,000 links (Nawotka, Edward, 2014). This is an issue which needs to be dealt with in the next few years if the publishers of Russia want to be able to flourish with their printed books and new talents. Word Count: 478 Sources: Gerden, Eugene, 2013. Russia’s ebook market nearly doubles in 2012, but still plagued by piracy. [Online article] Available at: http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/07/russias-ebook-market-doubles-in-2012-but-still-plagued-by-piracy/ [Accessed 22 October, 2014]. Havoscope, N.d. Pirated digital content in the UK. [Online] Available at: http://www.havocscope.com/tag/book-piracy/ [Accessed 19 November, 2014]. Indvik, Lauren, 2013. 92% of e-book downloads in Russia are pirated. [Online] Available at: http://mashable.com/2013/07/09/russia-ebook-piracy/ [Accessed 22 October, 2014]. Nawotka, Edward, 2014. Is Russia starting to solve its ebook piracy problem? [Online article] Available at: http://publishingperspectives.com/2014/01/is-russia-starting-to-solve-its-ebook-piracy-problem/ [Accessed 22 October, 2014]. Telegraph, 2011. Russia’s e-book boom is a page-turner. [Online article] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/rbth/technology/8345760/Russias-e-book-boom-is-a-page-turner.html [Accessed 22 October, 2014]. The publishing industry is rapidly changing, where yesterday’s techniques quickly become the old ways. The growth of technology is causing even greater change for businesses. Justin Pollard, Dan Kieran and John Mitchison realized this and used it to their advantage to create Unbound; a publishing platform that some rave about while others question strongly.
What exactly is Unbound and what is its purpose? Unbound is a forum for authors where they can pitch their books straight to the readers. If someone likes the idea for a book, they can pledge money on different levels and if the novel reaches a certain amount of pledges, it will be printed (Skidelsky, William, 2011.). The company supports new talent as well as already published authors. When a project is created, it becomes a print book as well as an e-book. Technology becomes vital for Unbound as the entire process takes place through their website. The whole idea of the company started when the three founders realized that there were faults with the traditional model of publishing. They started looking at older publishing models, such as subscription publishing, and then combined online pledging in the music business with old fashioned subscription publishing. As they themselves put it, “Unbound is a new way to connect authors and readers. Authors present a pitch, you pledge, and when the goal is reached the book is written. It’s really that simple,” (Unbound, 2014.). The Bookseller reports that Unbound is opening up to offer channels to traditional publishing houses through crowdfunding (Page, Benedict, 2013.). So far, Canongate and the Do Book Company have signed up to Unbound, because they like the concept that ideas can grow and multiply without a huge risk (Page, Benedict, 2013.). However, other publishers are seeing strong faults with the company. A sense of community is extremely vital for Unbound, and in turn their process is very selective. It is also a slow practice and not many books actually make it all the way to the printing stage. Experts question whether the right audience is out there for this sort of community based publisher (Johnson, Bobbie, 2011.). Unbound was founded in 2010, and today have 30 projects completed (Whetstone, n.d.). Similar to any other company, it takes time before one finds the right audience and their place in the industry. An important aspect of Unbound is that they address both the needs of the author as well as the publisher. Authors receive 50% of all profits, compared to the regular 5%-10% in other publishing companies (Butcher, Mike, 2013.). As Unbound gains more experience and manages to find their true audience, it will only grow stronger as a new way to publish books in an ever changing industry, threatening the ways of standard publishing companies. Word Count: 442 Sources: Butcher, Mike, 2013. Startup book publisher unbound raises $2M for kickstarter for authors platform. [Online article] Available at: http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/22/startup-book-publisher-unbound-raises-2m-for-kickstarter-for-authors-platform/ [Accessed 18 October, 2014]. Johnson, Bobbie, 2011. Unbound’s struggle to build crowdfunding for books. [Online article] Available at: https://gigaom.com/2011/07/26/unbound’s-struggle-to-build-crowdfunding-for-books/ [Accessed 18 October, 2014]. Page, Benedict, 2013. Unbound offers crowdfunding to traditional publishers. [Online article] Available at: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/unbound-offers-crowdfunding-traditional-publishers [Accessed 19 October, 2014]. Skidelsky, William, 2011. 21st-century publishing builds on a healthy radical tradition. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/dec/18/book-publishing-digital-radical-pioneers [Accessed 18 October, 2014]. Unbound, 2014. Frequently asked questions. [Online] Available at: http://unbound.co.uk/faq [Accessed 19 November, 2014]. Unbound, 2014. Unbound, books are now in your hands. [Online] Available at: http://unbound.co.uk [Accessed 18 October, 2014]. Unbound, 2014. Unbound. [Online Blog] Available at: http://blog.unbound.co.uk [Accessed 19 October, 2014]. Whetstone, n.d. Unbound / united authors. [Online] Available at: http://www.whetstonegroup.org/entrepreneur-support/unboundunited-authors/ [Accessed 17 October, 2014].
The publishing industry has had rapid growth in the past years due to the demand for more material as the world’s population is expanding dramatically. In 2007 the very first Amazon Kindle was introduced and since then e-books and iPads have been formed and increased tremendously in popularity. This has led to a fall in the printed book, dropping £98m in 2013 (BBC, 2014). The publishing industry has one of the biggest carbon footprints in the world, compared to other industries. Therefore we must ask ourselves, which is the greener choice: the e-reader or the printed book?
In 2009, the Book Industry Environmental Council set up 2 distinct goals for the United States book industry. By 2020 they aimed to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint by 20% and in 2050 by 80% (Moran, Nick. 2012). Many publishing houses today are beginning to reach these goals. An example of this is the company John Wiley & Sons who have a paperless workflow and edit using Adobe (Moran, Nick. 2012). At first glance, many believe that e-readers are the more environmentally friendly choice compared to the printed book, mainly due to the idea of saving trees. Statistics state that one needs to cut down 24 trees for a ton of books and 12 trees for a ton of newsprint (Packer, Courtnie, n.d.). 35% of these books are later destroyed, without having been read (Packer, Courtnie, n.d.). However, what is not taken into account is the entire life cycle of e-readers. There are the manufacturing of electronic products, as well as shipping costs, fuel and the energy needed for the recycling of these materials. Also, the life span of e-readers is relatively short compared to the printed book, often a new one is bought after 2-3 years. Furthermore, the carbon footprint of e-readers does not end with production: the devices need constant recharging for their battery and this requires fossil fuels, natural gas and coal. Non-renewable resources are also used in e-readers, such as mercury for the LED screen and lithium for the battery. The printed book also demonstrates problems. Not everyone in the world can afford an e-reader or other electronic device to read from, therefore the growth of the printed book is still evident in some places of the world. As everyone is aware of, printing books does greatly affect the destruction of trees. It has been stated that if someone reads between 26 and 42 books on an e-reader, the carbon emissions that traditional books are releasing begins to reduce (Dean, Allison, 2012). Another big issue with books is how publishing houses may print more than they will be able to sell and therefore they need to disregard the ones not purchased. In conclusion it becomes clear that the publishing industry still has a far way to go in making their industry greener. Steps have been taken in order for this process to begin, but they are still a distance away from their end goal. Word Count: 489 Sources: BBC, 2014. Printed book sales fall £98m in 2013. [Online Article] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25624856 [Accessed 2 November, 2014]. Brown, Alanna, 2013. How green are e-books and e-book readers? [Online Article] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/luxeco-living/how-green-are-ebooks-and-ebook-readers_b_3468080.html [Accessed October 2]. Dean, Allison, 2012. E-Readers and Tablets: are they really greener? [Website] Available at: http://livinggreenmag.com/2012/02/29/green-business/e-readers-and-tablets-are-they-really-greener/ [Accessed October 3]. Greenhome, 2013. E-Readers vs. Old-Fashioned Book - Which is more eco friendly? [Website] Available at: http://www.scgh.com/videos/e-readers-vs-old-fashioned-books--which-is-greener/ [Accessed October 3]. Hutsko, Joe, 2009. Are E-readers Greener than Books?. [Online Blog] Available at:http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/are-e-readers-greener-than-books/?_php=true&_&_r=0 [Accessed October 2]. Moran, Nick, 2012. Are eReaders Really Green?. [Online Article] Available at:http://www.themillions.com/2012/05/are-ereaders-really-green.html [Accessed October 3]. Packer, Courtnie,. Going green with ereaders. [Website] Available at: http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com/going-green-with-ereaders.html [Accessed October 2]. |