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New! >> What is “Publishing Beyond Publishers”

A new report explores the many surprising facets of how authors and their readers have reinvented the book business on digital platforms. Click here > Free download for a limited time!

There is so much more going on in the international book business then what fits between two covers.

Self-publishingplatforms that target highly segmented target audiences – multi-format publishing – multi-channel distribution – serialization – readers (and listeners) who have taken on the role of book ambassadors.

There are so many ways for books to be created, produced, picked up by consumers – and devoured!

And amazingly, most of this is not represented in the book and publishing statistics and bestseller lists that we look at to make sense of our industry. 

Download the full report here.

The library at the headquarter of Yuewen China Literature in Shanghai.
The library at the headquarter of Yuewen China Literature in Shanghai. (Photo: Ruediger Wischenbart)

Publishing Beyond Publishers” provides a global overview of the rapidly expanding universe of publishing models.

Most of these go well beyond the traditional value chain of authors working through traditional publishers (as gatekeepers and producers of their work).

Instead, content can be created and disseminated in a variety of formats (print, digital), media (books, audio, films, games), distribution channels (communities, platforms, streams) and business models (unit sales of products, subscriptions, streaming, freemium, paid models) in mostly digitally defined supply and marketing chains.

This study maps representative cases of these new models and adds evidence-based indicators to assess the scale of these sectors and sub-sectors.

The report has been written by Ruediger Wischenbart, with Thad McIlroy.

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Publishing Beyond Publishers

Publishing Beyond Publishers

A report on non-traditional publishing models and their expanding impact on the international book business

Publishing Beyond Publishers” presents an overview of a rapidly expanding universe of publishing models from around the world, which lead beyond the traditional value chain of authors approaching publishers (as gatekeepers and producers for their work) to reach audiences through separate B2B and B2C vendors.

Instead, content can be created and disseminated in an unlimited diversity of formats (print, digital), media (books, audio, movies, games), distribution channels (communities, platforms, streams) and business models (sales of products, subscriptions, streaming, freemium, paid models) in mostly digitally defined supply and marketing chains.

The research aims at mapping exemplary cases of such models and adding evidence based indicators for assessing the scale of sectors and sub-sectors.

A first presentation of preliminary findings at the Readmagine conference in June 2023 can be watched on video. The full report is available here.

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The research project builds on insights from the analysis in the Global 50 Publishing Ranking 2022 and the CEO Talk at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2022 with Ashleigh Gardner of Wattpad WEBTOON Studio and Michael Tamblyn of Kobo Rakuten.

A stack of books with a plant on top
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