Inside Book Publishing

by Angus Phillips, Giles Clark

Overview

Now fully revised and updated for its seventh edition, Inside Book Publishing is the classic introduction to the book publishing industry.

The book provides excellent overviews of the main aspects of the publishing process: commissioning authors, product development, design and production, marketing, and sales. Angus Phillips and Giles Clark offer authoritative and up-to-date coverage of all sectors of the industry from commercial fiction to educational publishing and academic journals. They reveal how publishers continue to adapt to a fast-changing and highly interconnected world, in which printed books have proved resilient alongside ebooks and the growth in audio. The topics explored include AI, social media in marketing, sustainable book production, open access for research, and diversity, equity and inclusion. International case studies from industry experts give perspectives on, for example, comic books, children’s picture books, women in Indian publishing and the Korean literary wave.

As a manual for those in the profession and a guide for the publishers of the future, this book remains a seminal work for anyone with an interest in the industry. It will also be of interest to authors seeking an insider’s view of this exciting industry.

The book is supported by online resources, including a glossary, a further reading list and links to a range of online resources, available at www.routledge.com/9781032516554.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032516554
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/28/2025
Edition description:	7th ed.
Pages:	390
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Angus Phillips is Director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes University, UK.

Giles Clark was formerly Co-Publishing Adviser at The Open University, UK.

Table of Contents

List of expert, focus and skills boxes

Illustration credits

Sources for quotations in sidebars

Preface to the seventh edition

Preface to the previous editions

Acknowledgements

Book publishing: an introduction

1. The development of modern trade publishing

2. Publishing for educational, academic and professional markets

3. The characteristics of the main publishing sectors

4. Creating and protecting value in publishing

5. The author

6. Commissioning and acquisition

7. The author contract and editorial development

8. Design and production

9. Marketing and publicity

10. Sales and distribution

11. Rights Sales

12. The sales channels for books in the UK

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

Praise for previous editions

‘the definitive text for all who need to learn about the publishing industry’

Publishing Training Centre

‘This book was invaluable to me when I set up And Other Stories without having worked for any publishing company. To understand the industry, this is your book. It's an MA in itself!’

Stefan Tobler

‘an excellent book ... I recommend this book to everyone’

Gillian Clarke, Editing Matters, magazine of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading

‘a crucial title if you are looking to enter the industry’

Suzanne Collier, bookcareers.com

‘seen as the definitive book about the industry, which is used as a recommended textbook on a number of publishing courses. It will help you understand how the industry works and the responsibilities of each department or sector.’

Society of Young Publishers

‘Unless you can confidently claim to have a well-rounded understanding of publishing, this is a great book for when you want to check what a bit of jargon means, or beef up the financial case for a marketing idea by refreshing your memory of how a book's P&L is calculated. Fabulous to have as a shelf reference whatever your department.’

Rachel Maund, Marketability

‘an excellent introduction to anyone with a professional interest in publishing. It is the most clear and specific guide to publishing I have ever read. Although it focuses on British publishing for its examples, any reader would get a good grounding in what publishing is all about, with a lot of useful detail about every aspect of the business. It provides a comprehensive overview and answers so many questions about why publishing works the way it does. No writer equipped with this book need ever feel like an ignorant outsider again.’

Chris Holifield, WritersServices

‘approachable and entertaining as well as highly informative. No one embarking on a career in publishing should fail to read it - and even those with a few years' experience will find useful things in it.’

Nicholas Jones, Strathmore Publishing

‘a mainstay adoption on publishing courses throughout the UK and abroad. ... No matter your age Inside Book Publishing makes for a pleasant reading experience.  ... For those entering this culturally and intellectually rewarding industry, this 4th edition should prove to be as useful an investment in a professional capacity as it is in an academic one.’

Jason Mitchell, InPrint

'an excellent introduction to the subject, managing to be both comprehensive and concise. ... worth reading for budding authors and publishers alike ... There are shelves of books available on the subject of publishing (and in particular self-publishing), but I think it’s worth reading something that takes a serious-minded, academic approach to the core of the subject, and this book fills that role perfectly.’

The Fiction Desk

‘the text for many publishing courses and to where one directs all those enquirers keen to get into publishing. Routledge have completely redesigned the book and made it a real joy to look at and use.’

Publishers Association Bulletin

‘at its best when talking about the internet and the complexities of publishing and controlling intellectual property in a digital age ... well-worth reading as an overview of the global industry and publishing process.’

Thomas Woll, Publishing Research Quarterly

‘a publishing textbook which punches through all the competition ... In short, this volume merits the accolade of being “essential”: anyone who wants to get a good grip on the way publishing works should read it. New students following publishing courses will find the balance of practical advice and academic rigour perfect for underpinning classroom sessions, and those beginning a career in the industry will do well to keep a copy at hand as a quick reference guide.’

Samantha Rayner, BookBrunch

‘This is one of the best and most comprehensive overviews of the publishing and book industry currently on the market ... One of my new MA Publishing students refers to this book as her “bible” and carries it around with her at all times’

Debbie Williams, Logos

"Inside Book Publishing 6e is a necessary addition to the field."

Dr. Sebastian Köppl, formerly librarian at Bamberg University

 

From the Publisher

Clark, a deputy manager of the copublishing department at The Open University, provides an overview of British publishing, including the history and present structure of the UK book business; the role of authors, authors' agents, packagers and booksellers; copyright and contracts; publicity and promotion, sales and rights, and finding a job in publishing. While the book is focused on the British book trade, the US book business is frequently mentioned, and much is applicable on both sides of the pond. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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