Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research

Abstract The author analyses the research on the Competiveness of European Publishing Industries, commissioned by the European Commission in 1996. As already presented in the article, published in Knjižnica in 2000, in this research insufficient methodology and criteria were used, and as the result...

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Main Author: Miha Kovač
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Slovenian Library Association & University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani) 2002-10-01
Series:Knjižnica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uni-lj.si/knjiznica/article/view/14037
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author Miha Kovač
author_facet Miha Kovač
author_sort Miha Kovač
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The author analyses the research on the Competiveness of European Publishing Industries, commissioned by the European Commission in 1996. As already presented in the article, published in Knjižnica in 2000, in this research insufficient methodology and criteria were used, and as the result, the Slovenian publishing industry performed as one of the most competitive in Europe, regardless of the fact that already in the second half of the nineties, the first signs of a crisis in the Slovene book industry were already visible. The author proposes new criteria for measuring competitiveness of book industries, the difference between the production & sales costs and the average retail price of a book title. The article shows that the average production and sales costs in Slovene publishing are higher than in the rest of Europe. As a consequence, Slovene publishers earn less than their colleagues in other parts of Europe. The article analyses the historic, demographic, economic and social reasons for such a state of affairs. In conclusion, the author states that the reasons for low book sales and low publishers’ incomes should not be looked for in bad reading habits, but in too expensive books, and partially also in inattractive book contents.
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language English
publishDate 2002-10-01
publisher Slovenian Library Association & University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
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spelling doaj-art-b5fa65ebd4a947b0bce6aa13eb01bc582025-08-20T01:57:28ZengSlovenian Library Association & University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)Knjižnica0023-24241581-79032002-10-0146410.55741/knj.46.4.14037Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing researchMiha Kovač0dr. Miha Kovač je zaposlen kot docent na Oddelku za bibliotekarstvo, informacijsko znanost in knjigarstvo, Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani Naslov: Aškerčeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana Naslov elektronske pošte: miha.kovac@ff.uni-lj.siAbstract The author analyses the research on the Competiveness of European Publishing Industries, commissioned by the European Commission in 1996. As already presented in the article, published in Knjižnica in 2000, in this research insufficient methodology and criteria were used, and as the result, the Slovenian publishing industry performed as one of the most competitive in Europe, regardless of the fact that already in the second half of the nineties, the first signs of a crisis in the Slovene book industry were already visible. The author proposes new criteria for measuring competitiveness of book industries, the difference between the production & sales costs and the average retail price of a book title. The article shows that the average production and sales costs in Slovene publishing are higher than in the rest of Europe. As a consequence, Slovene publishers earn less than their colleagues in other parts of Europe. The article analyses the historic, demographic, economic and social reasons for such a state of affairs. In conclusion, the author states that the reasons for low book sales and low publishers’ incomes should not be looked for in bad reading habits, but in too expensive books, and partially also in inattractive book contents.https://journals.uni-lj.si/knjiznica/article/view/14037bookspublishingtextbooksSloveniaEuropean UnionFinland
spellingShingle Miha Kovač
Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research
Knjižnica
books
publishing
textbooks
Slovenia
European Union
Finland
title Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research
title_full Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research
title_fullStr Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research
title_full_unstemmed Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research
title_short Limits of growth: a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research
title_sort limits of growth a few steps towards the methodology of book publishing research
topic books
publishing
textbooks
Slovenia
European Union
Finland
url https://journals.uni-lj.si/knjiznica/article/view/14037
work_keys_str_mv AT mihakovac limitsofgrowthafewstepstowardsthemethodologyofbookpublishingresearch