Business Model Sustainability in Book Publishing

Abstract

In an earlier paper (Tian and Martin in Publ Res Q 27(3):230–246, 2011) we identified ongoing developments in business models for book publishing consequent upon changes in such areas as those of organizational structure and culture, technology, publishing and the marketplace. However, it was already clear that book publishing, like every other industry would have to face up to the incipient challenges posed by the growing global phenomena of organizational sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Clearly this would require a response of a different order than before, not least in view of the greatly expanded range of potential factors involved. Our treatment of sustainability addresses two main themes: sustainability in the context of global concerns about resource depletion and destruction of the biosphere, and organizational sustainability in the at times adversarial relationship between profit seeking and good corporate citizenship. This paper begins with a look at some of the key terminology around sustainability in order to reinforce its relevance and applicability to the publishing industry. This necessarily limited treatment is confined to four key concepts namely: corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and corporate measurement and reporting. We then present some evidence for industry response to the principles and practical challenges of sustainability and relate these to implications for the design of appropriate business models. Finally we model the ongoing process of business model innovation for sustainability in book publishing.