Publishing

Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software, and other content available to the public for sale or free of charge.

[3] Publishing is also undertaken by governments, civil society, and private companies for administrative or compliance requirements, business, research, advocacy, or public interest objectives.

Publishing has evolved from a small, ancient form limited by law or religion to a modern, large-scale industry disseminating all types of information.

The news industry is meant to serve the public interest, hold people and businesses to account, and promote freedom of information and expression.

[7] Editors manage the tone of voice of their publication; for example, negative versus positive articles can affect the reader's perspective.

[8] A journal is an academic or technical publication also available in digital and(or) print format, containing articles written by researchers, professors, and individuals with professional expertise.

E-reader screen technology continues to improve with increased contrast and resolution making them more comfortable to read.

[12][13] Textbooks from major publishers are being integrated with online learning platforms for expert knowledge and access to a library of books with digital content.

Oxford University Press is the largest in the world and specializes in research, education, and English language teaching internationally.

Interactive catalogs and brochures like IKEA[17] and Avon[18] allow customers to browse a full range if they have not decided on their purchase.

Responsive web and app design will allow further integration between interactive catalog visuals and searchable product databases.

For example, when considering marketing spend, a shop with a small margin (or none at all) compared to a website is very cost-effective because it acts as a huge billboard that offers a browsing experience that enables consumers to make purchasing decisions.

Also, using social media publishing to advertise has a good ROI if trending, high-quality content is created that reflects positively on the brand.

Computer games, streaming apps, and social media publish content in various ways that can keep audiences more engaged.

Marketing additional products closely related to a major film, such as Star Wars, is an example of tie-in publishing.

These products include but are not limited to spin-off books, graphic novels, soundtrack albums, computer games, models and toys, social media posts, and promotional publications.

[25] On November 2, 2021, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit (U.S. v. Bertelsmann SE & CO. KGaA, et al.) to block the merger on antitrust grounds,[28] and on October 31, 2022, the D.C. District Court ruled in favor of the Department of Justice, filing a permanent injunction on the merger.

Some major publishers have entire divisions devoted to a single franchise, e.g., Ballantine Del Rey LucasBooks has the exclusive rights to Star Wars in the United States; Random House UK (Bertelsmann)/Century LucasBooks holds the same rights in the United Kingdom.

The video game industry self-publishes through BL Publishing/Black Library (Warhammer) and Wizards of the Coast (Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, etc.).

In return, the author must cover all the costs of publication, surrender some rights to the publisher, and pay royalties on sales.

Vanity presses often engage in deceptive practices or offer costly, poor-quality services with limited recourse available to the writer.

The Society of Authors (SoA) and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) have called for reform of the paid-for publishing sector.

The author may hire professionals on a fee-for-service basis as needed, (e.g. an editor, cover designer, proofreader) or engage a company to provide an integrated package.

[36] Accessible publishing uses the digitization of books to mark them up into XML and produce multiple formats to sell to customers, often targeting those who experience difficulty reading.

Depending on the motivation, privishing may constitute a breach of contract, censorship,[46] or good business practice (e.g., not printing more books than the publisher believes will sell in a reasonable length of time).

The Chinese inventor Bi Sheng made a movable type of earthenware c. 1045, but there are no known surviving examples of his work.

The Korean civil servant Ch'oe Yun-ŭi, who lived during the Goryeo Dynasty, invented the first metal moveable type in 1234–1250 AD.