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https://theconversation.com/the-economic-and-cultural-value-of-the-australian-book-industry-deserves-more-government-support-190900>
"The Australian book industry has operated for more than a century. It has
matured into a mid-level English language market, smaller than the US and UK
markets, but of sufficient size to generate first-rate books and export
significant works to the rest of the world.
It is also an industry exposed to an unusual degree of risk at every level of
the supply chain.
Authors take a risk in devoting years to writing a book which may or may not be
accepted for publication. Even if an author is paid an advance, it is unlikely
to reflect the length of time it takes to write the final manuscript, except in
the rare case of a bestselling author.
Publishers take a risk in paying advances and publishing books that may or may
not generate significant sales. Books are unlike most other retail goods, in
that trade publishers often accept returns (or negotiate mark-down allowances)
for unsold books.
Booksellers take a risk in choosing which titles to stock and promote from the
thousands of new books published each year. Independent bookstores in Australia
play a particularly important role in “hand-selling” Australian books and new
Australian authors through personal recommendations by staff.
Despite the riskiness, the longevity of the Australian book industry suggests
that it can continue its success – with the appropriate policy settings."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
