You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
National publishing associations must advocate the value of publishing to their governments and embrace digitisation of their member services, while book fairs need to create more opportunities for selling books online and a consensus on health and safety protocols for reopening following the pandemic, according to a new report from the International Publishers Association on key challenges facing the global industry.
The report, How Global Publishing can Channel Solidarity into Opportunity, from the INSPIRE (International Sustainable Publishing & Industry Resilience) Taskforce created by the IPA as a response to the pandemic, looks at steps to support the global publishing ecosystem following the impact of Covid-19, which has hit the industry severely in some countries while some more developed markets have staged good recoveries. It was compiled through conversations with over 60 publishing stakeholders in 23 countries.
Noting that the pandemic has already catalysed co-operation between stakeholders throughout the publishing ecosystem, the report looks at opportunities to build on that for the future and strengthen the global industry.
The pandemic exposed weaknesses in the industry, with many countries labelling it '"non-essential" and bypassing the industry for government-led stimulus programmes, the report notes. National publishing associations need to counter that by engaging governments on the value of the industry, it recommends. Meanwhile, with publishers facing rapid digital transformation as a result of the pandemic and its lockdowns, associations need to support them with the development of hybrid events and online transactional marketplaces.
Education publishers face particular concerns globally, with the acceleration in the use of digital content in teaching and learning requiring them to pivot towards new business models. Publishers need to lead the dialogue on the future of education, recommends the report, supporting the adoption of new business models and working across the education ecosystem to address the digital divide globally which means many pupils cannot access content.
The report also calls for "rebuilding trust and resetting relationships" with authors and illustrators and other key stakeholders, with sticking points said to include independent authors keen for more flexible rights deals with traditional publishers to accommodate direct-to-consumer sales channels, and literary agents asking for more protection of their authors' intellectual property rights from digital piracy.
With book fair sales representing a significant proportion of annual publishing sales in many countries, it's important to create marketplaces where publishers and booksellers can sell online, as book fairs in Indonesia, the Philippines, Georgia and Nigeria have already done, the report states. Major book fairs plan to continue hosting hybrid events due to continuing travel restrictions, and an increased acceptance that it represents a way of participating in global book events, it adds.
The IPA is also looking to expand its partnerships with several United Nations and international non-profit organisations to define the role of the global publishing industry in sustainable development and upskilling publishing ecosystem professionals to counter the digital skills gap, among other issues, says the report.
The report will be unveiled at Frankfurter Buchmesse on 18th October by IPA president Bodour Al Qasimi in conversation with FBF c.e.o. Juergen Boos at virtual networking series "The Hof", as well as being made available on the IPA website.
There are currently over 50 book trade signatories to the IPA's INSPIRE Charter, which supports the creation of a more united and resilient post-pandemic industry, on top of the IPA's own 86-strong membership.