The document summarizes the history and current state of the book publishing industry. It discusses how books transitioned from handwritten works of art to mass-produced printed books following Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. It then outlines major developments like the growth of literacy, penny presses, paperback boom, and the rise of large publishing corporations. More recently, it notes the impact of e-books, print-on-demand, and Amazon's dominance in the book retail market. The document also provides an overview of the key components of the publishing industry including publishers, distributors, retailers, and the roles within publishing houses.

1. Books
Chapter 7

2. A brief history
• Early books were inscribed by had, very
detailed, like works of art
• The invention of moveable metal type
(Gutenberg)
• Printed books appeared in England in 1476
• Colonial America: Early publishers were also
authors (Benjamin Franklin). Most book
content was religious and political

3. A brief history
• Penny Press era: changes in printing technology
and increased literacy helped the publishing
industry
• Book prices declined, public education and the
penny press papers created a demand for reading
materials
• The Paperback Boom: “Dime novels” accounted
for one-third of all books published (Many
bestselling paperbacks were actually pirated
editions of best-sellers in England, and a new
copyright law was enacted)

4. A brief history
• The Early 20th Century: the commercialization
of publishing, became more businesslike,
advent of literary agents, introduced modern
promotion and distribution techniques to the
industry
• Postwar: Paperbacks were popular again,
reading as a leisure activity, large corporations
acquired publishing houses and merging
operations

5. The contemporary book industry
• Amazon changed the way people buy books
• A jump in the number of outlets that sell
books (Wal-Mart, Starbucks)
• Bookstores are also suffering due to the
recent economic downturn
• E-books gaining in popularity

6. Books in the digital age
• E-book: digital books. As e-readers become more
popular, so do e-books. Major producers of e-
readers include Sony, Amazon, B&N, Apple
• Books are the last stronghold of the print
industry. The majority of customers still purchase
a print product versus a purely digital form
• Printing on Demand: the books is printed after it
is sold. This cuts down on production and
distribution costs

7. Books in the digital age
• Mobile books: describes viewing on a device
other than a dedicated e-reader. Example:
reading a book on an iPhone or Blackberry
• User-generated content: Blogs that put out
print books (“I Can Has Cheezburger?”)
• Social Media: utilized to promote books and
authors

8. Defining Features of Books
• The least “mass” of the mass media
• Can have a huge cultural impact
• The oldest and most enduring of the mass
media

9. Organization of the book industry
• Publishers: those who transform manuscripts
into books. Annually, 100,000 – 150,000 books
are published. Highly segmented industry.
(See list on pg. 138)
• Distributors: Three main ways books get to
people: distributed to wholesalers who then
sell to retail outlets, direct from the seller
(Amazon), publisher to consumer (e-book
downloads)

10. Organization of the book industry
Retailers: Amazon.com is the biggest bookseller
in the US (then B&N, then
Borders/Waldenbooks [as of 2011, not
anymore!])
Other retail channels: college bookstores, book
clubs

11. Producing the book
There are four major departments in a typical
publishing company: editorial, production,
marketing and general
administration/business
Editorial primarily deals with authors, selects
manuscripts, prepares them for publication.
Production oversees the physical design of the
book

12. Producing the book
Marketing department supervises sales,
promotions and publicity
Business manager is responsible for accounting,
preparing budgets and making long-range
financial forecasts. Also deals with the day-to-
day operational needs of the company

13. The publication process
• Editors get their books in three ways: through
submissions by agents, unsolicited books sent by
authors, book ideas generated by the editor
• Unsolicited manuscripts are called “slush.”
• The author typically submits a proposal
consisting of a cover letter, brief description of
the planned books, list of reasons it should be
published, analysis of the potential market,
outline or table of contents, one or two sample
chapters

14. The economics of book publishing
• At the consumer level, books have become more
expensive
• Publishers have two main sources of income:
books sales, money from subsidiary rights
• Subsidiary rights: sales to book clubs, foreign
rights, paperback rights and reprint permissions
• Costs of publishing include: cost of
manufacturing the book, operating expenses,
author advances

15. Feedback in book publishing
• Best-seller lists (New York Times, USA Today,
Publisher’s Weekly)
• Neilsen BookScan: measures sales data from
about 6,500 major retailers in the US (including
big retailers and independent stores)
• Audiences: about 119 million Americans reported
having read a book in the past year, biggest
increase in audience is in the 18-24 year olds
(reversing a recent trend)