IM Printing Ltd

In book printing field, except for the books and services provided, there are some value added through the process when a book is published from the type, edit, design, print and distribute.

Brand: the publisher is making a statement about the value of the author’s work by lending their brand or imprint. The brand adds value and endorsement. In consumer book publishing, the character of an imprint is understood by author’s agents, informed sections of the media, trade buyers in the supply chain, and by other media companies and overseas publishers. In non-consumer book publishing, an imprint’s status is recognized by associated peer groups and those in the supply chain, including institutional and corporate purchasers. Major textbook brands offer authors a platform to show their approach to teaching is better than existing texts, and the advantage of online support services. Highly rated academic and professional publishing brands offer authors peer group recognition worldwide and personal career advancement.

Product development: the publisher’s knowledge and judgement of current markets and future trends adds value to those authors who are commissioned and selected by the publisher. They are helped through the creative development of the proposal to match market and user needs, including filling gaps in the market and realizing opportunities, and through the provision of other guidance and advice.

Packaging: another creative expertise of the publisher is to design and present the author’s work to best effect in a saleable printed book: length, size, format, usability, fitness for purpose, quality and accuracy of content, feel and look, especially the cover to sell it. A hardback art book, for example, will be produced to a very high standard and sold at a high price. An inexpensive paperback will be produced with lower production values. The publisher organizes and manages the workflow to deliver the book. Electronic distribution breaks the link between the contents and the physical packaging – for example the download of a book chapter or journal article.

Supplier management: the publisher orchestrates the production of the book or journal through the procurement of a range of external services from individuals’ typesetters, printers, paper suppliers, technology companies. The outsourcing and procurement of services extends to marketing, sales and distribution worldwide. From a publisher’s perspective, authors are critical suppliers and their “management” is arguably the most vexing.

Market reach: the publisher sets the time of publication of the author’s work in order to maximize sales. It may be related to a specific marketing and sales opportunity or need, to the publication of the publisher’s other books, to competitors’ publishing schedules, or be subject to the demands of the retailers. The realization of the author’s sales and readership depends largely on the effectiveness of the publisher to promote and publicize the work, to sell it through the numerous channels to market to distribute it, and to collect the money and to account to the author.

Business model: Ultimately a publisher has to operate a profitable business model that delivers sufficient return to enable the publication of authors’ works and which offers authors remuneration in terms of readership, money and status. The potential financial worth of the author’s work is assessed by the publisher at the outset. The publisher envisages in advance the product package, its price, the potential demand over a time period and the projected sales income, balanced against the estimated costs of production and the payments to the author, resulting in the publisher’s forecast profit. The publisher takes the risk decision based on multiple factors as to whether to invest in the author’s work or not.