Abstract
In today’s exciting new world of digital communication and do-it-yourself publishing, what professional publishers actually contribute to the publishing process is often unknown, unrecognized, and underappreciated. The natural invisibility of publishers’ work prompts questions about what value they actually provide and whether it’s worth what customers are asked to pay. This paper attempts to reveal some of the hard-to-see aspects of publishing in hopes of depicting all of the work that goes into publishing. Topics include acquisitions, copyediting and production, design and typesetting, subsidiary rights, and electronic publishing. Ultimately, the paper aims to portray the importance and value that publishers offer their customers to increase appreciation for the many services they provide.
What Do Publishers Do?
In today’s exciting new world of digital communication and do-it-yourself publishing, what professional publishers actually contribute to the publishing process is often unknown, unrecognized, and underappreciated. The natural invisibility of publishers’ work prompts questions about what value they actually provide and whether it’s worth what customers are asked to pay. This paper attempts to reveal some of the hard-to-see aspects of publishing in hopes of depicting all of the work that goes into publishing. Topics include acquisitions, copyediting and production, design and typesetting, subsidiary rights, and electronic publishing. Ultimately, the paper aims to portray the importance and value that publishers offer their customers to increase appreciation for the many services they provide.