As on date 1,000 publishers – big and small – are in the field, says T. Stalin Gunasekaran
The rich, vibrant and vivacious Tamil publishing industry is one of the oldest in the country. Thanks to Christian missionaries, the first Tamil book was published in the 16th Century. Then on, it has passed through various phases. As on date 1,000 publishers – big and small – are in the field.
Almost 50 per cent of those are small players who operate on a limited scale. Around 400 publishers are active and of those 200 are have publishing as their full-time business. And most of these are less than 20 years old.
According to The Book Sellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI) the publishers come up with about 6,000 Tamil books a year, of which 1,000 are re-prints. This means 5,000 new Tamil books enter the market. The publishers can be classified as those who bring out text books, all genres of books, literary and philosophical books, research books meant mostly for libraries, translated works, only astrological books and religious and children's books.
Full report here Hindu
Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Publishing gets facelift with new tech & products
If you are a starry-eyed young man wanting to become a top-notch entrepreneur, you probably would want to launch a technology company than go for the brick and mortar types. But some lion-hearted entrepreneur will still tread the beaten path and take on the established giants while looking to change the game all over again.
Leonard Fernandes is one such brave man. The 34-year-old likes listening to Goan pop and Miles Davis and plays the guitar once in a while. In his spare time, he also likes reading books. When he is at work, he is busy printing these books. Fernandes owns the Margaon (Goa)-based Cinnamon Teal Publishing, an on-line e-publishing portal where anyone with an interest in writing can request for publishing his/her creations on-line. Publishing can be done either for one or hundred pieces, depending upon the author’s choice.
Since 2007, when Cinnamon was set up with a paltry sum of Rs 1 lakh, Fernandes and his wife Queenie have been busy launching 15 titles every month. Business is growing 50% year-on-year. “I earn almost a fifth of my Rs 20 lakh a year revenue from our buyers, and it gets multiplied as more people become members,” Fernandes says, as he discusses plans to raise Rs 1 crore “to expand operations and make tie-ups with major publishers like Penguin.”
Full report here Economic Times
Leonard Fernandes is one such brave man. The 34-year-old likes listening to Goan pop and Miles Davis and plays the guitar once in a while. In his spare time, he also likes reading books. When he is at work, he is busy printing these books. Fernandes owns the Margaon (Goa)-based Cinnamon Teal Publishing, an on-line e-publishing portal where anyone with an interest in writing can request for publishing his/her creations on-line. Publishing can be done either for one or hundred pieces, depending upon the author’s choice.
Since 2007, when Cinnamon was set up with a paltry sum of Rs 1 lakh, Fernandes and his wife Queenie have been busy launching 15 titles every month. Business is growing 50% year-on-year. “I earn almost a fifth of my Rs 20 lakh a year revenue from our buyers, and it gets multiplied as more people become members,” Fernandes says, as he discusses plans to raise Rs 1 crore “to expand operations and make tie-ups with major publishers like Penguin.”
Full report here Economic Times
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tatas step up focus on the book publishing business
After selling a minority stake in books and music retailer Landmark to private equity fund TVS Shriram Growth Fund-I, the Tata Group are stepping up focus on the book publishing business run under Westland, a subsidiary of Landmark.
“We are marketing and distributing almost 100 titles this year, of which about half are licensed titles while the rest are original titles that we are bringing to the market,” said Gautam Padmanabhan, CEO, Westland.
In addition to stabilising the number of titles launched at around 100 a year, the Tata group company is now stepping up focus on marketing, distribution and promotions so as achieve much higher print-runs of each title as well. This will help the firm improve profitability of each title introduced in the market as revenues rise faster than costs. “We will be better focused on promotions with authors to achieve higher print runs after doubling of the number of titles over the previous fiscal year,” said Padmanabhan.
Full report here Financial Chronicle
“We are marketing and distributing almost 100 titles this year, of which about half are licensed titles while the rest are original titles that we are bringing to the market,” said Gautam Padmanabhan, CEO, Westland.
In addition to stabilising the number of titles launched at around 100 a year, the Tata group company is now stepping up focus on marketing, distribution and promotions so as achieve much higher print-runs of each title as well. This will help the firm improve profitability of each title introduced in the market as revenues rise faster than costs. “We will be better focused on promotions with authors to achieve higher print runs after doubling of the number of titles over the previous fiscal year,” said Padmanabhan.
Full report here Financial Chronicle
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Challenges of SME publishers in India
There is a need for innovative techniques in Marketing & Promotions for Indian SME book publishers. Publishing industry is a Rs 10,000 crores business in India and is growing very rapidly. Some statistics pegs the growth at 30% but the actual growth for books publishing might be only around 15-20%.
Around 90,000 book titles get published every year in India by more than 16000 publishers and India is the world's 3rd largest publisher for English books. India is also the prime source for books within the SAARC countries. The industry is split between organized & unorganized players with only 35% to 40% of the industry in the organized sector and the rest 65% to 60% in the un-organized sector.
The growth of this industry can be attributed to the mushrooming of educational institutions across the country, government policies from globalization that allowed foreign publishing companies to set up shops in India, growing middle class population and the jump in the literacy rate & overall economic growth.
Full report here Economic Times
Around 90,000 book titles get published every year in India by more than 16000 publishers and India is the world's 3rd largest publisher for English books. India is also the prime source for books within the SAARC countries. The industry is split between organized & unorganized players with only 35% to 40% of the industry in the organized sector and the rest 65% to 60% in the un-organized sector.
The growth of this industry can be attributed to the mushrooming of educational institutions across the country, government policies from globalization that allowed foreign publishing companies to set up shops in India, growing middle class population and the jump in the literacy rate & overall economic growth.
Full report here Economic Times
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Self published authors get a space at WBF
India's leading self publishing and print on demand company Pothi.com is showcasing self published and independent author's books at its stall in the ongoing 19th World Book Fair. Self Publishing provides an opportunity for hitherto undiscovered authors to showcase their writings to the world without having to go through the tedious process of struggle and rejection by countless editors and publishing houses. However, in the absence of the backing of a publisher for promotion and distribution, independent authors are restricted to selling their books online. This limits the reach of their books to a select few. For the first time in India, Pothi.com is providing a platform for such authors to reach out to the masses during the major book festivals of the country. This will encourage and create opportunities for independent authors in their quest to reach out to a wider readership.
Based in Bangalore, Pothi.com is the leading print on demand backed self publishing company in India. It has published over 300 titles since its inception a little over year and a half ago. The company had also participated in Bangalore Book Festival 2009. Pothi.com has been founded by two IIT Kanpur alumni Abhaya Agarwal and Jaya Jha.
"World Book Fair is a major event happening every two years, which attracts book lovers not only from NCR and nearby regions, but from all over India. The independent authors are seriously hampered by a lack of distribution network to showcase their books. This will be a never-before opportunity for them to reach out to a much wider audience. We are very excited to participate in the fair on behalf of the independent authors." said Abhaya Agarwal who is the co -founder of Pothi.com.
"This is also an opportunity for us to showcase the wonders of Print on Demand (POD) and how it can be used effectively by independent and traditional publishers. With POD, it is possible to print even one copy at a time. Also while printing multiple copies, each copy can be different. It is ideal for printing early copies of the books under preparation, printing limited edition personalized copies, short run reprints and short run first prints of niche books." added Jaya Jha, the other co-founder of the company.
Pothi.com is located at stand number 2S-12, between stall numbers 39 and 40 in Hall 1.
"World Book Fair is a major event happening every two years, which attracts book lovers not only from NCR and nearby regions, but from all over India. The independent authors are seriously hampered by a lack of distribution network to showcase their books. This will be a never-before opportunity for them to reach out to a much wider audience. We are very excited to participate in the fair on behalf of the independent authors." said Abhaya Agarwal who is the co -founder of Pothi.com.
"This is also an opportunity for us to showcase the wonders of Print on Demand (POD) and how it can be used effectively by independent and traditional publishers. With POD, it is possible to print even one copy at a time. Also while printing multiple copies, each copy can be different. It is ideal for printing early copies of the books under preparation, printing limited edition personalized copies, short run reprints and short run first prints of niche books." added Jaya Jha, the other co-founder of the company.
Pothi.com is located at stand number 2S-12, between stall numbers 39 and 40 in Hall 1.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Publishers embrace vision for a green future
The publishing industry has been fitted for 20-20-20 vision. The Book Industry Environmental Council, a coalition of publishers, booksellers, librarians, printers and paper manufacturers, announced Thursday a goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in the year 2020 (based on 2006 numbers), the equivalent, the council says, of pulling 450,000 cars off the road, says an AP report.
The council, which says it represents more than 60 percent of the book market, intends to shrink emissions by 80 percent in 2050. While individual publishers have set environmental goals, the council's announcement marks a broader industry commitment.
"I'm very pleased that our industry has set aggressive but achievable goals that will have tangible benefits and will surely set a precedent for other industries," Pete Datos, chair of the council's climate subcommittee and vice president for inventory and procurement at the Hachette Book Group USA, said in a statement.
No specific plans have been established, but the council cited some possible roads to reductions: increased use of recycled fiber, greater energy efficiency in office buildings, fewer destroyed books that end up in landfills and using market research and digital technology to reduce the number of unsold books returned to publishers (long a desired, but elusive goal for the industry).
"The tools at our disposal have dramatically improved — providing better insight to improve our forecasts, reducing lead times to get books printed and distributed faster, and increasing our flexibility to print just the "right" quantities," Datos said.
The council has yet to take a stand on e-books, saying that the benefits of saving paper may be offset by the possible toxic effects of electronic devices.
The council was formed last year and its coordinators include the Green Press Initiative, an environmental organization that works with book and newspaper publishers, and the Book Industry Study Group, a publishing industry trade association.
The council, which says it represents more than 60 percent of the book market, intends to shrink emissions by 80 percent in 2050. While individual publishers have set environmental goals, the council's announcement marks a broader industry commitment.
"I'm very pleased that our industry has set aggressive but achievable goals that will have tangible benefits and will surely set a precedent for other industries," Pete Datos, chair of the council's climate subcommittee and vice president for inventory and procurement at the Hachette Book Group USA, said in a statement.
No specific plans have been established, but the council cited some possible roads to reductions: increased use of recycled fiber, greater energy efficiency in office buildings, fewer destroyed books that end up in landfills and using market research and digital technology to reduce the number of unsold books returned to publishers (long a desired, but elusive goal for the industry).
"The tools at our disposal have dramatically improved — providing better insight to improve our forecasts, reducing lead times to get books printed and distributed faster, and increasing our flexibility to print just the "right" quantities," Datos said.
The council has yet to take a stand on e-books, saying that the benefits of saving paper may be offset by the possible toxic effects of electronic devices.
The council was formed last year and its coordinators include the Green Press Initiative, an environmental organization that works with book and newspaper publishers, and the Book Industry Study Group, a publishing industry trade association.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Chandigarh to host national convention of Indian publishers
The Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) in association with Punjabi Publishers’ Association, is organising the 12th National Convention of Indian Publishers from 13-14 March 2009 at the Punjab Arts Council Auditorium, Rose Garden, Sector 16-B, Chandigarh.
The theme of the Convention is ‘Indian Book Publishing: Present and Future Perspectives’. The convention aims to to bring together publishers and book specialists on one platform to realise their strength and identity and to share their experiences and views in search of a better future for language publishing in India.
Discussions are planned on subjects like – Copyright: How to enforce it?; Publishing in Regional languages (Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English); Problems of Publishers and Booksellers; Publishing of Translations; and Authors: Their Problems and Perspectives and Readership: Is it Declining? Leading publishers from all over India and prominent literary luminaries are expected to participate in and address the Convention.
The theme of the Convention is ‘Indian Book Publishing: Present and Future Perspectives’. The convention aims to to bring together publishers and book specialists on one platform to realise their strength and identity and to share their experiences and views in search of a better future for language publishing in India.
Discussions are planned on subjects like – Copyright: How to enforce it?; Publishing in Regional languages (Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English); Problems of Publishers and Booksellers; Publishing of Translations; and Authors: Their Problems and Perspectives and Readership: Is it Declining? Leading publishers from all over India and prominent literary luminaries are expected to participate in and address the Convention.
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