The background to literary publishing

What is the trade?

The world of contemporary literary publishing is astonishingly diverse, complex and entering a period of substantial, indeed pivotal, change. Before we look at some of the key features of this evolving industry, it might be useful to set out some terms of reference. Literary publishing is not a monolithic, clearly identifiable strand of the publishing world; it is fragmented, with widely varying economies of scale and trajectory, both in business terms and in terms of the wider culture industry. One way we could assess this landscape is through the prism of trade publishing – that is publishing which sells through distributors to wholesalers and retailers and on to consumers through bricks-and-mortar shops and, increasingly, through online retailers and supermarkets. Another may be direct sales, bypassing shops and much of the supply chain to deal directly with consumers, with readers. Another may be the powerful effects of the World Wide Web and where, when and how we now read in a networked society that transgresses national boundaries.

The book trade has traditionally united several discrete industries: printing, publishing, logistics and bookselling. However, as we'll examine in this chapter, the entire nature of the book trade is under considerable pressure and those traditional relationships are in flux. Logistics may look odd in that list above and yet this component of the trade, in many respects, has come to influence and drive all other players in the field.