Types of Book Publishing
There are different kinds of book publishing which exist in the industry.
Consumer, Trade or General Publishing
This consists of books that are read for pleasure especially in leisure time. They are referred to as consumer, trade or general books. Publishers in this category produce novels, biography, cookery books, among others. Such books are primarily sold in bookshops (either physical or online), at airports or stations, and at supermarkets. They could also be downloaded from online retailers, or direct from a publisher’s website. Several authors of trade, general or consumer books often work through an agent (or literary agent) saddled with the responsibility of representing their business interests. The agents help authors develop a thriving career. They also negotiate contracts on behalf of publishers and others who wish to make use of their clients’ work. There are agents who also publish e-books (electronic books) for their clients. The agents ensure that their clients’ works adapt to the dynamism brought about by digital technology in the book publishing and selling industry. Social media and several online platforms are used to promote such books to reach wider audience. Among the major international trade publishers across the world are the Penguin Random House, and (in the UK) Hachette, HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan.
Educational Publishing
This kind of publishing primarily focuses on production of textbooks, supplementary reading materials, teachers’ notes, exercises, digital teaching materials, tests and diverse other teaching and assessment aids. Content of educational publishing is basically premised on the needs of the curriculum, educational structure, and linguistic and cultural norms of a particular national or state government (Smith & Bold, 2018). Some of the biggest global companies in this sector are Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, McGraw-Hill and Macmillan.
Academic, Scholarly and Reference Publishers
This consists of publishing research based journals and other materials containing studies done by scholars and researchers in higher institutions and research centres. In the publishing industry, there are companies that specialize in disseminating research works done by people working in higher institutions research centres, and studies sponsored by various organizations across the world. Companies that focus on this kind of publishing are among the biggest in the industry. Most of these publishers today publish such works primarily in digital form, with some of them still having hard copy versions. Among the major Scientific, Technical and Medical (STM) publishers include Elsevier, Springer Nature, John Wiley & Sons and Taylor & Francis. Large university presses are also popular in this sector. These companies primarily target academic libraries, with the products made available through a subscription business model (Smith & Bold, 2018). Today, the Open Access format brought about by the digital era is reforming the traditional approach to academic publishing.
