The Publishing Business

This essential guide demystifies the complex ecosystem of modern publishing, offering a clear-eyed tour through the industry's core departments: editorial, rights, design, production, sales, and marketing. Kelvin Smith structures the book around the essential activities performed at each stage of the publishing process, using diverse international examples from children's books to academic monographs. The text is particularly valuable for its focus on how the entire industry is actively adapting to the realities of digital culture, providing a current and practical framework for understanding this evolving field.

What sets this book apart is its comprehensive, department-by-department approach that reveals how a manuscript becomes a marketed product, making it indispensable for anyone considering a publishing career. Aspiring editors, marketers, and literary agents will find a realistic roadmap of industry roles and responsibilities, while writers and curious observers gain the operational literacy needed to navigate the business side of books. By connecting traditional practices with digital transformation, Smith delivers a crucial primer on the mechanics and future of bringing stories and ideas to readers.