How Traditional Publishing Works
Thus the defining property of traditional publishing is editorial selection. That is what publishing is about.
Have Content will Travel: Author-Interview Podcasts for Scholarly Books
An interview with Marshall Poe, editor-in-chief of the New Books Network, a rapidly growing platform for podcasts about scholarly works.
Rival Ecosystems: The Increasingly Porous Boundary between Institutional and Consumer Markets
Institutional and consumer markets are becoming more closely linked because of Amazon’s powerful value proposition, making it necessary for academic book publishers to create consumer services of their own.
Guest Post: Scholarly Books Unbound: A Portal for Brainy Books
Leann Wilson and Marshall Poe revisit the idea of a unified online books platform for scholarly works.
Engaging the Public in Scholarship: A Case for Small Scale
Sharing research with the public is critical, and there are multiple platforms and approaches to this kind of outreach. We tried a local book group for sharing both scholarship and the scholarly process.
The Oligarchy of Amazon
Robert Harington describes how the recent, under the radar launch of the Amazon Global Store is putting local businesses at risk.
Good Data, Bad Data, You Know I’ve Had My Share: Library Book Acquisition Patterns
We have had assumptions about the academic book market that probably are just not true.
Hipster Antitrust and Structural Dominance — What Is a Monopoly Now?
Calling something a “monopoly” has been misleading in many cases, but the new economy may require a complete rethinking of the anti-competitiveness created by intermediaries at scale.
Guest Post: Inclusive Pricing or Inclusive of All People? Understanding What’s “Inclusive” in Digital Textbook Publishing
Stephanie Rosen from the University of Michigan discussed the varied meanings of the word “inclusive”, and why we should take care in using it.
Is Copyright Piracy Morally Wrong or Merely Illegal? The Malum Prohibitum/Malum in Se Conundrum
Is copyright infringement malum prohibitum (wrong only because it’s prohibited) or malum in se (morally wrong in and of itself)? Interestingly, scholcomm commentators and legal reference materials often characterize it as the former–while both statute and case law treat it like the latter, classifying it as “property theft” and regularly awarding its victims both statutory and punitive damages.
Guest Post: Institutional Alignment: The University Press Redux
A conference at the British Library provides ample evidence of the breadth of the university press sector and the absolute necessity of a clear institutional mission.
Stage Two Disruption in Scholarly Communications
Popular opinion to the contrary, scholarly publishing has not been disrupted. But only superior management can navigate the many challenges ahead.
Why Independent Bookstores Work in the Age of Amazon
The independent bookstore, once thought endangered, returns from the ashes.
Enriching Book Metadata is Marketing in the Digital Age
A study of how enriching keyword metadata improved sales of 4 publishers points to changes in how we should view marketing of books online.
Amazon in 1999, A Look Back
A look from 1999 at an interesting new company called, “Amazon”. Whatever happened to them?