Press

WU SHULIN: Publishers should become professional information services provider
Source: China Publishing & Media Journal, November 30. 1999
The global publishing industry has begun to rebound, and a recovery has emerged; this is good news indeed. However, against the backdrop of the internet, the book publishing industry must adjust and restructure. We should leverage the internet mindset to turn the publishing industry into a provider of professional information and knowledge solutions.
At the 2016 Beijing Book Order Fair, all participating entities were highly motivated; the number of exhibitors rose by 20%. China is not the only country where optimism in the publishing industry has emerged. In the last two years, the global publishing industry has begun to rebound, and is in the process of recovery. In 2014, the US publishing industry rebounded by 8% year-on-year; the preliminary data for 2015 shows a year-on-year growth of 2.8%. In Germany, the publishing industry rebounded by 2% while the overall European publishing industry rose by 1.5%. Nonetheless, behind the publishing industry's prosperity, we need to more consciously think with the internet mindset so that publishing and distribution are able to catch up with trends in information reform and information technology (IT) advancement.
Between March and May 2014, The Washington Post published three consecutive analytical reports on the rebounding of the book publishing industry. The reports indicated that the internet revolution brought about by rapid advancements in information technology since 1994 as well as the emergence of the information superhighway have resulted in substantive changes in every industry; in particular, information technology had the largest impact on the publishing industry. The global book publishing industry has been deteriorating since 2000, particularly in the US, where newspapers, magazines and the publishing industry have fallen by annual average rates of 3.5%, 2% and 1.5%, respectively, for more than a decade. By 2013 however, the book publishing industry stopped falling and rebounded. The Association of American Publishers, the American Library Association, and the National Science Foundation have surveyed and analyzed the factors behind the rebound in the US publishing industry post-2013: First, over the last decade or so, the US economic climate had been sluggish while funding at US libraries had been relatively stable. Confronted with the IT revolution, libraries applied most of their funding to the transformation of their reading rooms, and the procurement of digital equipment, significantly reducing outlays for the purchase of printed books. After more than 10 years of transformation, most US libraries had completed their digital transformation by 2013. Library funding was then re-applied to the purchase of printed books, which benefited the traditional publishing industry. Next, a US survey of current reading preferences across various age groups revealed that: First, Among those born after the year 2000, 34% of those surveyed felt that digital reading cannot replace reading in print; only 7% believed that digitization can replace reading in print. These statistics have made the publishing industry all the more determined to produce books better. This was also an important basis for greater optimism about the traditional publishing industry in the world today. Second, 68% of those surveyed felt that although the internet was able to consolidate and integrate information, that which could allow people to settle down to read are still printed books.
While reading in print has exhibited an improving trend, internet information has now penetrated all aspects of scientific research, lifestyle and social development. During this process, the publishing industry must truly understand current trends, and scientifically analyze and accurately master such issues as the digital trends confronted by the publishing industry and the standing of printed books, as well as whether printed books have a future.
To better understand the current situation, the following four critical issues warrant attention.
First, the revolutionary advances of the IT revolution has resulted in enormous changes in book intelligence. In the last 20 years, IT and communication technology have led to revolutionary changes in book intelligence as well as library production and dissemination methods. What can the industry do to hold on to the essential functions of publishing as well as library and distribution work? The publishing industry is that of knowledge dissemination. Whether by way of books in the paper medium or databases, or other advanced forms in the future, the publishing industry should continue to adhere to its essence of disseminating civilization and disseminating information. Currently, what changes have occurred to publishing work? First, changes in the knowledge production and dissemination domain have taken place. During the traditional printing era, publishers and distributors undertook almost all of knowledge production and information transmission work. Given advancements in revolutionary information technology, the principals that dominate the dissemination of knowledge are entities such as Google and Amazon. Second, the content of knowledge production and dissemination has been digitized. In 2000, printed books accounted for 64% of income worldwide while the share of digital income comprised 22%. After more than a decade of growth, printed books accounted for 18% of income worldwide while the share of digital income comprised 66%. Digital survival has become the principal. Third, the pattern of knowledge production and dissemination has changed. In the past, after a book or periodical is produced, it is disseminated by means of purchases at book stores and postal subscription. Now, one may log on to the internet via a single payment or publicly obtain free information. This trend is still developing and free information is becoming increasingly prevalent. Fourth, the cost of the dissemination of knowledge production has fallen sharply. In 2000, the annual subscription fee of core overseas periodicals was Rmb2,500 per unit; this has since fallen to less than Rmb1,700 per unit, while a single dissertation has fallen from US$14 to US$3.80 in 2005; today, the price of a single dissertation has fallen to US$0.75. Large volumes of information have become increasingly cheaper. Fifth, the amount of knowledge production has increased by leaps and bound, and the dissemination philosophy of knowledge production has changed. As regards the definition of the functions of publishing, in the last three years, a number of major international technology companies have already carried out significant changes. Advanced publishers in the world have proposed to become professional information and knowledge solution providers. Indeed, knowledge production and dissemination are already deeply integrated with scientific research, economic growth and lifestyle.
Second, the significance of publishing and distribution work must be positioned in a country's development. The State Council recently published a series of "Internet+" documents. In this series of documents, a range of guidelines on the significance of information, and the integration of information and industry were proposed, but the relevant definition of publishing was not found. Therefore, how to clearly expound the significant effect of publishing on society, the central government and other relevant areas so as to gain greater attention from society has become critically important. If we do not properly establish a position for publishing work in the overall national scheme, the outcome would be unimaginable. At this time, given that knowledge and information have become increasingly important in social development, how to combine publishing and information is an issue that should be considered by the entire industry. Publishing work is a resource-oriented output, and publishing has a significant effect on scientific research, the economy and society. It is an important resource and important work, and deserves great attention from the entire industry.
What exactly can the publishing industry do? The key is to raise the quality of published material. The reason publishing has become an important resource and important work in human society is because the publishing industry lies in the fact that the publishing industry has registered and recorded thought innovation, scientific discoveries, technological development, management experience and literature and the arts. Knowledge that has been published and distributed is reliable fact that has been disseminated through scientific methods. At the same time, publishing work has invented an important method, i.e., by way of copyright protection, the spiritual rights and the property rights of the author are registered by means of the publishing of books, articles and periodicals so that the place of the author in socio-cultural history and technology history is confirmed. In addition, professional labor that has been published is processed and arranged based on methods easily acceptable by the author and the reader, and would gradually become the norm. Publishing has also disseminated knowledge and information widely, driving societal improvement, lifting the accomplishments of readers, and passing on knowledge and information to current and future generations so that humanity may use them in perpetuity.
Third, one should be fully aware of the impact of IT and the internet on the publishing industry. Going forward, four areas in which IT will help raise the level of publishing work deserves attention: First, digitization is fundamental. IT advances are built on the development of computer technology and communication technology. As regards the publishing industry, that which is the most fundamental is to rapidly retrieve, build and transmit all types of printed information by way of computer technology. Digitization is the IT basis for accelerated dissemination of knowledge. China's publishing industry needs to further conform to international practices in terms of digitization. Next, instrumentalization. On the basis of digitization, the cost and method of processing of publishers have undergone revolutionary changes. Increasingly, a large number of tools have been integrated into each segment of publishing. Every advancement in scientific research can be rapidly supplied to publishers. The key to competition among overseas publishing entities is the number of exclusive publishing tools. The use of tools has made the volume of published information larger and more professional. Third, platforms. Platforms are built on digitization and instrumentalization. Today, the author and the publisher are both on the same platform, and information symmetry can be achieved. In the last two years, relevant platforms in China have been increasing rapidly; for instance, Chinese children reading established by 21st Century Publishing Group has been promoted on the cloud platform of "Aitongshu", among others. These platforms will result in challenges for the distribution industry, but very good integration between distributors and publishers can drive growth in the publishing industry. Fourth, synergies. IT advances have meant that the search, use and dissemination of information requires synergized development in all areas.
Fourth, the station of book intelligence work will be further manifested. In May 2015, in his congratulatory letter to the International Conference on ICT and Post-2015 Education, General Secretary Xi Jinping indicated that, "in the world today, technology is advancing and changing rapidly. The internet, big data, cloud computing and other types of information technology have indelibly changed the thinking, production, lifestyle and learning methods of human beings." Therefore, a more extensive and deeper integration of book intelligence into scientific research, economic growth, and civil life is an inevitable trend in upgrading the status and impact of book publishing work while raising service standards. How should this be upgraded? First, professional publishing should be conscientiously carried out around major national economic and technological strategic deployment. Second, advantageous industries and technological areas in China should be selected as breakthrough points for professional publishing. Third, centered on the advantageous sectors of China's economic development, conscientiously performing relevant IT services is another key area in professional publishing. In the process of realizing the great renaissance of the Chinese nation, diligently raising the level of China's knowledge production and dissemination is the responsibility of the knowledge and publishing circles. It is also a self-development requirement, and furthermore, a contribution toward world civilization.
WU SHULIN(邬书林) will be speaking at the StoryDrive Conference in Beijing (29 -30 May 2016).
Translation: Cheang Yee