Arts and Humanities Commons^™

An Industry-Standard Profit And Loss Statement For Book Publishing Professionals In The United States, Jackie Krantz

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Title profit and loss statements (P&Ls) in book publishing are valuable predictive tools for newly acquired titles. They inform the press on how money will be moving through the press in relation to the book’s production, revealing the book’s estimated value and level of profit. However, there is no industry-standard template. This lack of a template makes it difficult for new industry professionals to learn about P&Ls; prevents knowledge of one press’s P&L from being transferrable throughout the industry; and causes smaller presses to potentially neglect this useful tool due to the steep learning curve. The solution is to create …

Author Demographics Of Outdoor Books: Exploring Diversity On The Shelves At Oregon Outdoor Retailers, Nell Stamper

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

In 2023, the book publishing industry faced a documented lack of social diversity (racial, ethnic and gender expressive). The outdoor recreation industry is also predominantly White and male, and there is a rising presence of Instagram influencers working to increase diverse representation in the outdoors. This paper used a literature review, digital ethnography, and field research to examine the gaps in the hypothetical experience of a White heterosexual cisgender male vs. that of any other demographic when browsing and buying books at outdoor retailers in Oregon. Field research showed that out of 300 authors represented on the shelves of outdoor …

The Satisfaction Clause In Publishing Agreements: A Case Study Of Its Purpose, Controversy, And Future, Maliea Ruby

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

This research paper examines the satisfaction clause included in publishing contracts, the reason for controversy surrounding it, and what the future may look like for it. This is accomplished by looking at the history of the clause, how it functions in publishing contracts, and three major court cases centered around it. The satisfaction clause allows a client seeking a job done to determine whether the work is satisfactory to them. Much of the time these contracts are written to favor the client, part of the reason for its controversial status. In the context of publishing, the satisfaction clause is important …

Trends In Young Adult Literature: A Quantitative Approach To Characterizing The New York Times Young Adult Bestsellers Of 2020, 2021, And 2022, Anna Wehmeier Giol

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Understanding how a book becomes a bestseller is one of the biggest mysteries in the publishing industry. This research paper focuses on YA bestsellers and uses a quantitative methodology to try to solve the mystery. Its main objectives are to (1) review the current trends in YA literature and (2) find patterns and similarities in the text of YA bestsellers. By building a dataset and analyzing the 175 books featured in the “Young Adult Hardcover” bestseller list of the New York Times for 2020, 2021, and 2022, the study shows that YA bestsellers share characteristics and patterns, such as the …

Reactions To Latinx Children’S Picture Books From Indie Presses: An Analysis Of Online Consumer Reviews, Karina L. Agbisit

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

This study analyzed online consumer reviews of children's picture books published by three small, independent presses focused on providing representation of Latinx people and culture. Reviews showed an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the use of bilingual text. Reactions to the use of illustrations support research indicating a preference for bright, colorful images. Additional themes that emerged in reviews include the timeliness of a bilingual book about expressing feelings in the first year of the Covid pandemic; the importance of personal connections to expressions of culture and traditions in the text; the pros and cons of using photographs instead of illustrations; …

Examining The Discovery Behaviors Of Comics Consumers, Tara Mccarron

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

The comics consumer base is big and it’s only getting bigger. And yet, very little research has been done on the consumer behavior of comics reads. In order to broaden the accessibility to comics consumer research, this paper examined the discovery behavior of 56 survey participants. The survey included questions pertaining to demographics, frequency of comics consumed, genres of comics consumed, formats used to consume comics, and methods used to discover comics. Due to limited scope, this paper focused solely on format preferences, discovery preferences, and the most-popular genre preferences. Based on this research, graphic novels remained the preferred format …

Struggling To Thrive: Nyc Publishing Salaries In The Age Of Inflation & Implications For Diversifying The Publishing Workforce, Em Villaverde

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

This research delves into the conundrum of New York City’s publishing sector, where passion drives more than profit. This paper reviews the impact of inflation and rising living costs on entry-level book publishing roles within NYC, unraveling the implications for diversity within the industry.

The central question investigates how the combination of inflation and living expenses influences the feasibility of jump-starting a publishing career in one of the most expensive cities—and the largest publishing hub—in the US. The study spotlights not only barriers to entering the industry but also the exacerbated challenges faced by BIPOC professionals.
The research zooms in …

Metadata Decentralized: An Examination Of Folksonomy In Book Publishing, Dani Tellvik

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Classification of materials as multifaceted and complex as books is fraught with competing needs and idiosyncratic forms of expression and organization. A publisher’s primary goal is to position their books in a way that will attract readers who find value in the books. Book Industry Standards and Communication (BISAC) codes, the list of industry-approved subject headings, are essential to a book’s metadata for North American publishers. They are used to strike the balance so that a book blends in to an established category while also standing out as a particularly compelling of unique expression or the chosen classification.

What Compels Millennial Parents To Buy Books For Their Children?, Emma Wolf

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Millennials (those born between 1981-1996) make up the largest generation in U.S. history, and due to their relatively recent entrance into parenthood, there is little preexisting information available about their purchasing habits, which differ greatly from those of previous generations (McGee). Now that millennials are becoming parents, companies targeting the children of this generation—including those in the book publishing industry—would benefit from a better understanding of how and why this demographic chooses products; this paper focuses on how they buy books for their children. Through academic research and a survey of 150 participants, several indicators were discovered regarding how millennial …

Woman Turned Warrior: An Analysis On The Strong Female Character Trope And The Influence It Has On Gender Stereotypes Through The Use Of Back Cover Copy, Alexandria Gonzales

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

This research paper analyzes the language of young adult fantasy back cover copy and how the language is used within the Strong Female Character trope that is often found in fantasy fiction. The paper also looks at the influence this trope has on perpetuating gender stereotypes. This was done through the use of content analysis—word frequency, gendered word analysis, and thematic coding. Gendered word analysis provides qualitative evidence for the presence of gendered language in back cover descriptions, while word frequency and thematic coding provide additional context. The research found that there is a bias toward portraying women characters with …

A Major Motion Picture Or Just A Picture? An Analysis In Movie Tie-Ins Vs. Original Cover Art, Vivian Nguyen

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

It has been believed that the needs of consumers who are primarily readers versus moviegoers greatly differ; those who are readers are more likely to purchase a book that features the original cover art, while those who are mostly moviegoers gravitate toward movie tie-in covers. This paper examines the accuracy behind that belief by calculating the number of book sales from NPD BookScan, as well as collecting survey data from participants across all reading activity levels.

Analysis revealed that though there is a slight difference in amount of preference based on reading group, overall participants overwhelmingly preferred the original cover …

Pottermore, A Case Study: What Publishers Can Learn About Developing Interactive Transmedia In The Post-Web Age, Megan Crayne

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

15 years after the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling’s magical world would be transformed into an interactive, playable website called simply Pottermore. It included all the elements that dominate successful interactive transmedia: exclusive narrative content that brought readers into the storyworld, spaces for members to create and build virtual communities, interactive gameplay, and additional forms of transmedia available for purchase. Then in 2015, Pottermore Publishing launched a major redesign of Pottermore in the face of declining eBook and audiobook sales.

By comparing and contrasting the three versions of Pottermore (Old, New, and now Wizarding …

Diversity In Ya: A Look At How Book Description Language Talks About Race, Brittney Finato

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

When exploring young adult literature, it is specifically important to research racial diversity because it can help show particular stereotypes, biases, and tropes that may be used in YA overall. This helps inform current issues or excellencies in the canon and leads to broader discussions about the importance of racial, and other, diversity in books generally. By developing methods to isolate racially diverse books in YA, extracting specific language from their Goodreads copy, and talking broadly about overall themes, I will analyze the types of language that book descriptions use when talking about race, if they do at all.

How To Edit Controversial Texts, Nicholas M. Shea

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

In a time where political tensions are at an all-time high, this paper examines the role of editors when faced with potentially controversial works—whether it’s a manuscript with a few minor offensive elements or a manuscript with an overarching provocative theme. The responsibilities of developmental editors and copyeditors are evaluated to find a common interest, prior to delving into the intricacies of editing a polemical text. Topics include: What constitutes a controversial work, and who decides? How do the roles of developmental editors and copyeditors relate to audience? How can editors remain neutral? How can editors use their neutral positioning …

Trends In Marketing For Books On Animal Rights, Gloria H. Mulvihill

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Though many of us have heard the mantra that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, marketers in book publishing bank on the fact that people do and will continue to buy and read books based not only on content, but its aesthetic appeal. This essay will examine the top four marketing trends that can be observed on the Amazon listings for books published on animal rights within the last ten years, specifically relating to titles, cover design, and the intended audience. From graphic adaptations of animals to traditional textbook approaches and animal photography, publishers are striving to evoke …

525,600 Minutes: How Do You Measure Cultural Diversity In Oregon Trade Publishing?, Alyssa Gnall

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

In this paper I will explore the ongoing conversation about the state of diversity in the publishing industry, the identity of the Pacific Northwest as a bastion of diversity relative to New York City, and whether and how the economic concept of cultural diversity can be useful to publishers committed to increasing diversity in their lists or amongst their staff. Generally speaking, the term “diversity” refers to the social choice to be inclusive of everyone regardless of race, sex, class or economic status, etc. In this paper, I will also refer to the economic concept of cultural diversity. In publishing, …

Dismantling The Gate, Crossing The Threshold: The Promise Of Producerly Paratexts In Building An Innovative, Responsive, And Representative Book Industry, Dory Athey

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Aisha Saeed was the first to use the hashtag that would fuel what was (and continues to be) arguably the first digital campaign to speak loudly and directly to publishers and booksellers about the mis-and underrepresentation of nonwhite, differently abled, and queer populations in young adult and children’s literature. Though Saeed’s original tweet received only eleven retweets and seven likes, two years later, the #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag is now just a piece of the larger organization that generated more than 333,000 dollars in 2014 (its first year as an organization) and continues to promote large-scale programming in schools, organize festivals, award …

Elevating The Translator: Next Steps In Promoting International Literature, Olenka Burgess

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Enthusiastic readers both inside and outside the publishing industry have lamented the paucity of international literature translated into English. Despite the widely held belief that translated literature doesn’t sell, small presses and literary organizations have emerged over the past decade to take the lead in advocating for more translated literature and more recognition for those who, despite the near impossibility of making a living from their craft alone, continue to spill unfathomable hours into the pursuit of literary translation. In response to this advocacy, media coverage of translated literature has grown considerably, and it is increasingly common to see translations …

How To Be In Charge (And Make Authors Do What You Tell Them): An Examination Of Editorial Authority In Letters Written By Trade Fiction And Nonfiction Editors, Emily Goldman

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

This paper will introduce and discuss the ways in which six different editors of trade fiction establish their own authority as editors in their developmental letters to their authors. These particular editors edit a wide range of genres, such as literary fiction, adult fantasy and science fiction, middle grade fiction, short story collections, memoirs, and nonfiction. Some are (or have been) editors for big New York publishing houses, and others are part of small, independent presses. One editor is currently a literary agent, and another does freelance editing in addition to working at a publishing house. All six of them …

Anarchism In Book Publishing: An Exploration Of Business And Ethics, Alexis M. Woodcock

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

The term anarchist business may seem like an oxymoron to some. In fact, the misconception that anarchism precludes any organization at all is rampant, regardless of participation in capitalism. The fact remains that there are anarchist businesses all over, from restaurants to bookstores to record labels, engaging in capitalism while simultaneously opposing it. Publishing is an area of particular interest, with a number of explicitly anarchist presses actually thriving. How do they reconcile their businesses with their ideals? Does their work contradict their ideologies?

Foreign Word Alert, Foreign Word Alert: Rethinking Editorial Approaches To The Italicization Of Foreign Terms, Katey Trnka

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Several style guides dictate that foreign words in running text be set in italics, but those individuals concerned with marginalization are questioning this rule in increasing numbers. With an eye to authorial intent and inclusiveness, is it time to do away with this stylistic dictum wholesale, or are there valid reasons for keeping this convention in play?

Publishing Puzzles: Some Implications Of Literary Diffculty For The Editor, Brendan Brown

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

The specter of literary difficulty is at bottom the very same as, or a primary aspect of, that which has dogged and driven textual scholars and literary theorists, linguists and philosophers of language, educators, legislators, theologians, and aesthetes—in short, “professional readers” of all stripes—from time immemorial. As such, it carries with it a bevy of unknowns, questions thus far neither satisfactorily answered nor, in many cases, even fully and properly articulated. This likely has a great deal to do with the fact that the term difficulty is and has historically been applied in a variety of senses to a radically …

We’Ll Want It When We Say We Want It: How The Market Speaks To The Publishing Industry Via Crowdfunding, And Why Publishers Should Listen, Alan Scott Holley

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

With its utilization of an environment as fluid and innovative as the internet, it’s no wonder that the digital revolution is an ongoing phenomenon that is reinvigorated time and time again with no signs of slowing down. As advanced digital technologies and practices are rolled out by developers and embraced by consumers, commercial companies are thrust headlong into a necessitated showing of adaptability, progressiveness, and up-to-the-minute technological fluency. For the publishing industry, these expectations have been met with a slow yet relatively steady adherence—an understandable reaction considering how so many digital innovations appeared at the time to have the express …

This Is Your Brain On Editing: How Digital Tools Affect The Cognitive Processes Behind Copyediting, Megan Doyle

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Copyediting is an important mechanic in developing content, and it has many functions to do so, including mechanical editing, correlating parts, language editing, content editing, permissions, and typecoding. In recent years, copyediting has almost exclusively become a task that is done by digital means, using computers and software to complete via track changes, callout queries, and typing. Although publishing professionals in recent years have shown a trend toward younger age demographics, a significant portion of them are “digital immigrants” using digital technology to do their daily jobs. In order to study digital technology’s effects on copyediting, I analyzed the cognitive …

Social Media Blogs-To-Books: Changes In Content And The Editorial Process, Kyra Hearn

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

Publishers have recently released a number of books that derive their content from Tumblr or Twitter accounts. Previously, it was more common to see publishers release books that derived their content from blogs. Since all of these social media platforms produce content in different ways, how does this influence—if at all—the publisher's editorial process? Also, how does the content change—if at all—from the original social media platform to its presentation in a book?

Independent Publishers And Transition To Nonprofit: Distress Call Or Mission-Based Evolution?, Meagan Lobnitz

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

It has been widely reported in recent years that a few independent publishing houses, which were formed as for-profit organizations, have adopted nonprofit status. Given the sheer quantity of independent publishing houses in the United States and the complexities involved with establishing and maintaining nonprofit status, it is worthwhile to explore whether or not there has in fact been growth in nonprofit publishing houses in recent years, to consider if that growth is indicative of a trend, and to inquire what factors may lend to the success or failure of nonprofit independent publishers. Furthermore, it is useful to consider the …

Imagine That! Word Balloons In Children's Picture Books, Erika Schnatz

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

When did speech bubbles first appear in children’s picture books? In what ways have speech bubbles been co-opted from comic books to serve picture book narratives? What does this example suggest about the future of children’s books co-opting the visual language of comic books? The visual language of comics has slowly permeated American popular culture since the first regular newspaper strip, Richard Felton Outcault's The Yellow Kid, back in 1895. From the onomatopoetic visuals in the campy '60s Batman television series and pop art paintings of Roy Lichtenstein, to the never-ending string of superhero-based blockbuster movies today, comics …

A Publisher’S Look At Ebooks And Their Affect On Young Readers, Caitlin Waite

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

As publishers it is important to learn about new reading platforms and how to use them to the benefit of readers. There have been numerous advancements in the past several years with regard to electronic books (or eBooks), including an emergence of technology that allows for relatively easy and cost effective ways to create eBooks for children. As eBook technology advances, questions are arising about the eBook’s validity as a learning tool, and whether it is even safe for children to be using eBooks at all. Studies have been conducted in the recent past with the goal of answering these …

E-Books And Author Payments: The Affect Of Digital Publishing On Author Royalties, Missy Lacock

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

From digital rights management to retail costs, controversy has always accompanied ebooks— although it hasn’t even been a decade since Amazon first released the Kindle. This discussion, however, explores another question: How have e-books affected author payments?

The most significant change in author payments has been e-book royalty rates. While the standard rates are seven and a half percent for trade paperback books and fifteen percent for hardcover books, royalty rates for e-books are twenty-five percent—the same today as they were when e-books first flooded the market in 2009. While royalty rates are higher for e-books than their printed counterparts, …

Changing Publisher-Author Relationships In The Midst Of Developing Crowd-Funded Publishing Platforms, Margaret Schimming

Book Publishing Final Research Paper

With the growth in crowd-funded publishing houses and imprints, it is high time to consider the implications of this type of publishing arrangement for author–publisher relationships. What are some of the factors that drive an author to this type of publishing arrangement? How do these relationships differ from traditional author-publisher relationships?