The Business of Scholarly Publishing

The financial, technological, and institutional challenges facing scholarly presses are more critical now than they have ever been. Sales channels have narrowed, costs have risen, and technological change and the push toward open access have drastically changed the economic landscape. However, the publishing and dissemination of scholarly books and journals remains essential to academic research. How are publishers adapting this evolving environment?

In The Business of Scholarly Publishing, Albert N. Greco examines this question through a detailed analysis of the business of the scholarly publishing in the United States since World War II. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature, statistical sources, and real examples from the author's experience in the industry, this book analyzes the changing circumstances of scholarly publishing. Greco turns a critical eye to the product, price, placement, promotion, and costs of scholarly books and journals with a primary emphasis on the trajectory over the last ten years. By including books, journals, pre-prints, and online repositories, the book covers the diverse range of academic publications and explains how publishers can address contemporary challenges across formats. Greco also pays special attention to the history and development of scholarly books and journals, intellectual property issues, contracts, and the impact of technology.

The first study wholly devoted to the subject, The Business of Scholarly Publishing offers critical insights into the evolving business strategies and structures of a resilient industry.