Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business

CHAPTERsix

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

After completing this lesson, the student will be able to Identify the contemporary issues in publishing Understand the concept of reading habit Describe the importance of book village/book town

116 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

6.1

Publishing issues in the world

Recently applications interest of in

electronic

publishing in the humanities has grown rapidly.

Specialists in the Humanities work with impressive amount of various primary materials, sources

including

(such as manuscripts, old printed items, books, paintings, archival frescos, Source: taken from Google image

etc.). In addition to this, they have to consult secondary

sources virtually all publications in the field. Trainers who create teaching materials have to select amongst a plethora of appropriate sources, both primary and secondary. If they use applications of information technology for preparing their materials they have to solve the problem with data input, storage, processing and output. In such a situation, electronic publishing looks very attractive because it could solve the most typical problems in the field: Volume of information: there are vast collections of resources, which are of interest for researchers, trainers, students, etc. Physical access to the information: collections are spread in numerous countries which makes access to them difficult;

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 117

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Specific access regime: manuscripts, incunabula, archival items, etc. need special care and usually are not accessible for the general public;

Special benefits compared to traditional methods of dissemination: the traditional publications in the field and microfilms, microfiches and facsimiles do not cover all such materials and, in addition to this, are rather expensive and deteriorate faster compared to electronic media.

Publishing Obstacles and Challenges Malaysia has some of the important ingredients of a successful publishing industry: considerably high level of literacy, strong government support for education, that relatively are modest technical

resources

required,

commitment Source: taken from Google image information technology, and dedicated

towards the development of

entrepreneurs willing to take risks in a difficult economic climate. However, our book publishing sector is far from successful and there are several obstacles hampering the development of books in terms of their 8 availability, accessibility and affordability. For example, book publishing, like other cultural industries, is perceived as high risk and based on small profit margins. This, coupled with the difficulty in gauging a book's potential market success, makes it difficult for publishers to gain access to working capital through financial institutions. Without access to these resources, it is not easy for local entrepreneurs to benefit from potential gaps in the publishing market. Undercapitalisation and its effect on long-term health and stability of the industry are serious concerns for publishers. Many advanced countries, on the other hand, have developed loan or assistance programs for book publishers through joint efforts by the government and the commercial banks.

118 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

Other problems include the absence of a strong tradition of book authorship, readership and ownership. A limited buying market for published material is partly due to the absence of reading culture, limited disposable income and fragmented reading audience. Also, there is no significant global demand for our published books. Foreign publishers are highly competitive and they are impacting on local industry; for instance more than 60% of academic and university textbooks are currently imported.

These are some of the continuing problems and challenges that encounter which, are also faced by publishers in many developing countries.

Impact of New Media Malaysia is strong in its intent to attain the highest level of communication technology.

Its determination is reflected through the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project that acts as an impetus for the new information and communication technologies. Various government-backed ventures such as the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic System or MIMOS, the Multimedia Development Corporations, the Smart School Projects and the Virtual Library Projects are providing wide opportunities for the development of the electronic publishing.

Since 1995, more than 2,000 titles of multimedia publications have been 9 published and deposited at the National Library.

A few academic publishers have published digital and online books while some academic journals have their digital versions. In the area of marketing, several online bookstores have been set up to promote and sell books over the Internet.

A good example of an electronic publishing initiative is by the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, a government-funded publisher. Its e-publishing portal called KaryaNet, launched in 2002 is an ambitious project to gather Malaysian writers in a virtual production house with the aim of producing and disseminating books in the Malay language in all fields. Currently, KaryaNet has more than a thousand digital titles in its list that can be accessed through the Internet.

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 119

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

To publish or not to publish

There are authors who have refused to allow digital versions of their work out of fear for piracy.

There are also authors who not only disregard the piracy threat, but put their published works online for anybody to download regardless of whether there is a print version of their work.

These authors feel that their works are in fact advertising for them. So far these authors are in the minority, but they are there.

As Bethune (2008) writes: For a decade Doctorow has campaigned, if not quite in Marcuss underground hacker mode, for copyright liberalization and against governments attempts to monitor the Internet, as well as corporate plans to maintain vast databases of cybertrafc. The question to ask about any intellectual property rights regime, he says, is does it encourage or discourage involvement, art-making, information-sharing? In his opinion, the current system only serves corporate dinosaurs, big dying institutions.

They use copyright to try to regulate technology, to criminalize (or at least turn a prot on) all the peer-to-peer le sharing that is the Internets greatest achievement: lowering the cost of mass collaboration, the barriers to innovation.

Historically, events seem to travel full circle. In medieval times manuscripts were produced by monks in monasteries. With the invention of the movable type printing press, the monks damned the printing press as a devils engine.

When Sony produced the Betamax VCR they were castigated by the moviemakers. Today that same Sony Corp. worries about illegal downloads of music and lm. As they are also manufacturers of a popular E-reader they are probably also worried about the possibility of their book les being pirated (Bethune, 2008).

120 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

6.2

Indigenous publications

Competitive prices offered by local printers and publishers, as well as the high quality of products and services, have attracted buyers from Singapore, the UK, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Africa, Brunei, Mauritius, Vietnam and Russia.

The industry is constantly working to improve turnaround time, and many have invested in state-of-the-art technology to provide in-house finishing and bindery services.

Many printers and publishers also stay abreast of new developments in the printing and publishing technology and this has greatly increased efficiency and productivity, as well as export competitiveness.

Malaysian authorities are committed to upholding intellectual property and copyright laws, and this assurance has enhanced the countrys standing as a reputable centre for printing and publishing.

The industry is poised to export technology and know-how in specialized areas such as print management.

Malaysian publishers and printers are also banking on their skills and expertise in order to develop smart partnerships and investment ventures abroad.

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 121

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

6.3

Popular versus scholarly publishing

Journals, magazines, and newspapers are important sources for up-to-date information in all disciplines.

With a collection as large and diverse it is often difficult to distinguish between the various levels of scholarship found in the collection.

Scholarly journals are also called academic, peer-reviewed, or refereed journals. (Strictly speaking, peer-reviewed (also called refereed) journals refer only to those scholarly journals that submit articles to several other scholars, experts, or academics (peers) in the field for review and comment.

These reviewers must agree that the article represents properly conducted original research or writing before it can be published.).

Scholarly journal articles often have an abstract, a descriptive summary of the article contents, before the main text of the article.

Scholarly journals generally have a sober, serious look. They often contain many graphs and charts but few glossy pages or exciting pictures.

Scholarly journals always cite their sources in the form of footnotes or bibliographies. These bibliographies are generally lengthy and cite other scholarly writings.

Articles are written by a scholar in the field or by someone who has done research in the field.

The affiliations of the authors are listed, usually at the bottom of the first page or at the end of the article such as name of universities, research institutions, think tanks, and the like.

The language of scholarly journals is that of the discipline covered. It assumes some technical background on the part of the reader.

122 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

The main purpose of a scholarly journal is to report on original research or experimentation in order to make such information available to the rest of the scholarly world. Many scholarly journals, though by no means all, are published by a specific professional organization.

Popular periodicals come in many formats, although often slick and attractive in appearance with lots of color graphics (photographs, drawings, etc.).

These publications do not cite sources in a bibliography. Information published in popular periodicals is often second or third hand and the original source is rarely mentioned.

Articles are usually very short and written in simple language. The main purpose of popular periodicals is to entertain the reader, to sell products (their own or their advertisers), or to promote a viewpoint.

6.4

Reading habits and the tradition of the publishing in the society

The traditional paper-based publishing industry is confronting tremendous challenges from the emerging e-book industry.

People's reading habits have changed gradually as more choices are on hand now. Today, reading and writing are no longer bonding to the conventional paper-media. Supported by videos, animation techniques and internet; digital publications greatly expanded the concept of reading. Some insiders predict that traditional paper-media publishing may come to an end.

The digital era opens up books and written content to cross-breeding with other media. For instance, nonlinear reading becomes a multimedia experience. The "vook," for example, adds a set of high-definition visuals to the reading experience. ScrollMotion and Sesame Street created children's ebooks that enhanced the text with audio tracks (Elmo's ABC Book).

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 123

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Random House has also developed applications that mix text, music and narration. The reader's participation in book publishing may seem incongruous in such a supply-driven industry. After all, the creative thinking usually stems from the author.

Yet some experiments suggest that new formats may succeed in attracting younger, creation-hungry generations to the world of literature.

Digital publishing has created a feedback mechanism, whereby authors can communicate directly with their audience, and readers can communicate with one another.

Authonomy.com, operated by Harper Collins, helps hopeful authors create their own webpage and upload their manuscript for all visitors to see.

The readers can then vote and comment on a manuscript that, if successful, is then published in paper format.

Amazon recently acquired Shelfari.com, which brings together a community of readers who share their favorite books through a virtual library-an initiative comparable to publisher Hachette Livre's website MyBoox.

You have now reached the stage where you should be able to discuss the content of the topic with your group. Discuss the reading habits among a group of people (for example students, scientists) or in a country that you know.

124 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

6.5

The importance of the Book Village

Book Village is a small village with a large number of second-hand or antiquarian book shops. These villages attract bibliophilic tourists to the book shops, and with literary festivals. The first book town was Hay-on-Wye in Wales. Its example was followed by numerous villages, first in Europe, and then across the world. Also known as Book Town in various places in the world. Example of Book Village in Malaysia: Langkawi Book Village and Malacca Book Village.

Importance of Book Village

1)

Increase research skill Book Village suits people with best environment in increasing the skill of learning, time management, library management and information gathering. With the place that provides such material, Book Village became as a centre where people can implement all these task of research skills in this place. Many people came to the Book Village to found the information needed.

2)

Economy of the country As the country realized the product for tourism sector, Book Village plays an important role in increasing the economy of the country. By attracting the tourist come into the village, it has increase the percentage of tourists that come and visit the village. So it can encourage people to come to the country that develop the Book Village and also the economy.

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 125

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

3)

Developing Information Society The development of Book Village in the country may affect the society around the place specially. With the environment and situation that surrounded with various kinds of knowledge and information, the society will become more informatics. This Book Village can also encourage reading habit among society.

4)

Relation of Book Village around the world With the establishment of Book Village, the relation of the book village around the world became a part of important communication between the organizations. Book Village that is supported by the organization members participate in any programs that conducted by the organization. They also can get more advantages from this relationship such as sharing the information about books and the technology that is used in managing the book village.

5)

Knowledge Center Book village can be classified as knowledge center, where the society can become knowledgeable society. The book village can develop new hierarchy of society where all the society will have high knowledge level especially the society who grabs the opportunities from the existence of book village. A lot of new knowledge can be gain from the book village through the reading habit at book village.

6)

Literature Prestigious Through book village the country will increase the prestigious of literature in the country that have book villages. By the book village all the literature of the country can be access at the book village and from that the foreigner will know the literature of the country. That mean book village can promote the literature of the other country.

126 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

7)

Create Environment Awareness among People Environment that develops in book village can create awareness among people. Besides developing a skill society with the book, they can also show the scenic and serene environment just like a library. Book Village helping readers get a sense of the endless, mindless, inane attacks those pundits loved lodging against for the book.

8)

Creativity To present information and facts combine with wit and whimsy. To combine Science and The Arts by creating a Scientific Poetry Pattern Book based on the patterns observed in the Book Village. It means that visitors of the Book Village can gain various subject of information from around the world and can combine it to create some other information.

9)

Writing Produce a piece of writing using a variety of specific forms and materials from other media to enhance the final product beside that, book villages can use as a variety of lettering and format styles to enhance the visual presentation.

10)

Reading Develop and state personal opinions by reading a variety of books that provide in the Book Village. Reading became a vital thing that assumes people in which

categories. By developing a reading skill, the person especially becomes more intelligent and knowledgeable.

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 127

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

i.

List of book towns (book village)

This is a (possibly incomplete) list of towns calling themselves a book town, with their date of establishment: Hay-on-Wye, Wales (1961) Redu, Belgium (1984) Becherel, France (1988) Montolieu, France (1989) Bredevoort, Netherlands (1993) Stillwater, Minnesota, (1993) St. Pierre de Clages, Switzerland (1993) Fontenoy-la-Joute, France (1993) Munjal, Fjrland, Norway (1995) Wigtown, Scotland (1997) Waldstadt Wunsdorf, Germany (1997) Damme, Belgium (1997) Dalmellington, Scotland (1997) Sysm, Finland (4th July 1997) Muehlbeck/Friedersdorf, Germany (1997) Kampung Buku Langkawi, Malaysia (1997) Tvedestrand, Norway (2003) Sidney, British Columbia Gold Cities Book Town, Grass Valley, Nevada City, California Hobart, New York (Book Village of the Catskills) Jinbocho, Tokyo, Japan

128 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

6.5.1 Book Village in Malaysia

Officially opened by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. His Excellency Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on the 3rd of December 1997. Kampung Buku in Langkawi is different from other Book Villages and Book Towns in the world, because it is situated at the foot of a mountain, on the fringe of a waterfall, beside a stream, in a forest, where new house are built.

i.

Objectives of Book Village in Malaysia To promote, establish and manage in Malaysia a Book Village by means of which the public at large and booklovers in particular may have access to new and second hand books, reference and reading materials for the purpose of acquiring knowledge. To acquire and distribute books, magazines, journals, periodicals, catalogues, newspapers and other literary works and undertakings, works of art and handicraft. To promote and make available books covering all subjects for the purpose of borrowing and if feasible to sell any such books.

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 129

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

6.5.2 Roles of Book Village

To promote people's voluntary literature interest and renew and develop the people's comprehension of culture as well as to create international connections particularly through a net of book villages.

Organized other book related events that has informed of book village activities, which has produced and made available to buy many different kinds of book village products.

Helped the publishing of the Book Village and created connections to international book.

Raise public awareness of book village and stimulate interest by giving information via internet and by organizing an International Book Village Festival.

Enhance the quality of Book Village by exchanging knowledge, skills and know how between the Book Village and their individual book sellers and other businesses.

Strengthen the rural economy by making propaganda for the existing Book Village and by offering a medium such as e-commerce to the book sellers, by which they can offer their books to a universal public.

Undertake other activities which can serve the interests of Book Village and strengthen independent businesses in Book Village such as stimulating the use of information technology;

Help in maintaining regional and national cultural heritage and stimulate the international public to get acquainted with it.

130 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

Chapter 6

Functioning as a tourism product for the country that focuses on knowledge vitality. It also provides the element of knowledge based centre where tourist especially, come to enjoy and searching for information.

Also became as knowledge portal or knowledge warehouse where the place functioning as information provider to local people. It is the place where people gathering and searching the information.

Book Village became a place where the local and foreign encourage the reading habits while they stay and enjoy the harmony environment at the village.

You have now reached the stage where you should be able to discuss the content of the topic with your group. Discuss the importance of book village/book town in a country.

P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s | 131

Chapter 6

Contemporary and Intellectual Issues in the Publishing Business IML 601

At this point you should be able to: Identify the contemporary issues in publishing Understand the concept of reading habit Describe the importance of book village/book town

a) b) c) d) e)

Describe briefly the development of book village in Malaysia. Explain the benefits of the book village. Discuss the publishing obstacles and challenges in the publishing business. What are the indigenous publications? Describe briefly about the reading habits and the tradition of the publishing in the society.

132 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s