Is the staggeringly profitable business of scientific publishing bad for science?

It is an industry like no other, with profit margins to rival Google – and it was created by one of Britain’s most notorious tycoons: Robert Maxwell. By Stephen BuranyiIn 2011, Claudio Aspesi, a senior investment analyst at Bernstein Research in London, made a bet that the dominant firm in one of the most lucrative industries in the world was headed for a crash. Reed-Elsevier, a multinational publishing giant with annual revenues exceeding £6bn, was an investor’s darling. It was one of the few publishers that had successfully managed the transition to the internet, and a recent company report was predicting yet another year of growth. Aspesi, though, had reason to believe that that prediction – along with those of every other major financial analyst – was wrong.The core of Elsevier’s operation is in scientific journals, the weekly or monthly publications in which scientists share their results. Despite the narrow audience, scientific publishing is a remarkably big business. With total global revenues of more than £19bn, it weighs in somewhere between the recording and the film industries in size, but it is far more profitable. In 2010, Elsevier’s scientific publishing arm reported profits of £724m on just over £2bn in revenue. It was a 36% margin – higher than Apple, Google, or Amazon posted that year. Related: The high-tech war on science fraud Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #scientific journals #scientific publishing #amazon posted

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Is the staggeringly profitable business of scientific publishing bad for science?'


Thomson Reuters to sell IP and Science business

Thomson Reuters is “exploring strategic options” for its Intellectual Property & Science business. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #thomson reuters


Business-Focused 417 Magazine Spin-Off Publishes First Issue

The new bimonthly magazine seeks to provide Southwest Missouri with "networking in print." The post Business-Focused 417 Magazine Spin-Off Publishes First Issue appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


How Apple's Ad-blocking Software Could Put Small Publishers Out Of Business

With an iOS update expanding ad-blocking's reach, experts say smaller publishers and bloggers have fewer means of survival.As the debate over online ad blocking heats up with the arrival of iOS 9, experts say the biggest casualties of the online ad war may be small publishers and bloggers with... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ad-blocking software #smaller publishers #small publishers


The Profit of Publishing with Purpose

When book publishers must compete with other media for readers' attention, publishers should have a clear vision for their business and titles. The post The Profit of Publishing with Purpose appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishers #clear vision


Marie Claire and NME publisher Time Inc UK boosts profits to £23m

Company reports 6% rise in pre-tax profits as top executives paid more than £5mMarie Claire and NME publisher Time Inc UK boosted profits to almost £23m last year while paying out more than £5m to staff and top executives at the magazine company.Time Inc UK reported a 6% rise in pre-tax profits... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #marie claire #pre-tax profits #top executives #magazine company #6% rise


Cosmopolitan and Men's Health publisher sees profits fall by more than 30%

Hearst UK reports fall in pre-tax profits from £12.7m to £8.7mHearst UK, the publisher of titles including Men’s Health, Esquire and Cosmopolitan, saw pre-tax profits fall by more than 30% last year.Hearst UK reported a 31.5% fall in pre-tax profits from £12.7m to £8.7m in 2014. Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pre-tax profits #5% fall


Milton to lead expanded Harlequin publishing business

Lisa Milton is to join HarperCollins as executive publisher of its Harlequin UK publishing division, with Tim Cooper, UK managing director, departing. The development follows the relocation of the company from its Richmond base to HarperCollins’ office at London Bridge over the summer with the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lisa milton #join harpercollins #executive publisher #tim cooper #london bridge


Business Insider Publishes on Social Sites with New ‘Insider’ Project

Online publishers are increasingly experimenting with “distributed” publishing models, whereby they post content directly to social sites, messaging apps and other platforms instead of driving users back to their ow ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social sites #messaging apps


Restless Books’ Publisher Searches for Cuban Science Fiction

As the USA and Cuba reestablish diplomatic relations, literary relations are also flourishing: Restless Books will release a series of Cuban sci-fi books. The post Restless Books’ Publisher Searches for Cuban Science Fiction appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #restless books #literary relations


Apple Watch Creates Wrist-y Business for Publishers, Advertisers

The Apple Watch is officially out today, but the so-called wearable has already sparked an arms race among media companies vying for attention on your wrist.(Does that make it a wrist race?)Newspapers, TV news networks, magazine publishers and radio stations have introduced apps for the Watch.... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple watch #magazine publishers #arms race #radio stations


Report Looks at New Publishing Business Models

Spain-based Dosdoce.com this week released an English language version of its 2014 report “New Business Models in the Digital Age.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #spain-based dosdoce #business models #digital age


2014 profit drop for Lagardere Publishing

Hachette UK’s parent company Lagardere has released its results for 2014, showing that profits at Lagardere Publishing, which includes Hachette UK as well as other publishing divisions across the world, were €197m, down by 12% or €26m year-on-year. Sales for 2014 came to €2,004m, down 4.5% from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lagardere publishing #hachette uk #publishing divisions #publishing division #general literature #english-speaking countries


Profits Fell 12% at Lagardere Publishing in 2014

Profits at Lagardere Publishing, parent company of Hachette Book Group, fell to 197 million euros in 2014 from 223 million euros in 2013. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lagardere publishing


Orion to publish Breaking Bad's Cranston

Orion Books is to publish the autobiography of “Breaking Bad” actor Bryan Cranston. Amanda Harris, deputy publisher, Non-fiction at Orion Books bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, in Say My Name, from Julian Alexander of Lucas Alexander Whitley. 58-year-old Cranston is best... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #orion books #amanda harris #deputy publisher #julian alexander #drama series


Newsonomics: Tribune Publishing is Busy Playing Catch-Up

Throughout this morning’s earnings call, the thought reoccurred: Jack Griffin’s new Tribune Publishing Company is playing catch-up. Then, toward the end of the call, one a little more informative than average, the CEO said it plai ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #earnings call #tribune publishing #playing catch-


How Independent Publishers Can Stay Profitable

The CEO of Australia's Hardie Grant Publishing urges independent publishers to embrace “transformational solutions” to stay profitable in the years to come. The post How Independent Publishers Can Stay Profitable appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent publishers


Customer-Management Survey: Existing Business Is Top Priority for Publishers

[Sponsored Content] Boosting retention and revenue are on the front burner. The post Customer-Management Survey: Existing Business Is Top Priority for Publishers appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers appeared #top priority


Why Writers Need to Know the Publishing Business

Publisher Deborah Emin argues that as publishing professionals, we should want writers to understand each stage of the process: how they are acquired, marketed and sold. The post Why Writers Need to Know the Publishing Business appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing business #publishing professionals


Gift Books Are Big Business for Christian Publishers

A number of publishers in the religion category offer gift books with spiritual or religious themes, and while many publish only a few gift titles per year, others are in the gift book business in a major way, with entire imprints devoted to gifts and robust product lines. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #christian publishers #gift books #big business #religious themes #gift titles


Mackenzie: Publishers don't take 'disproportionate profit'

Publishers are not taking a disproportionate amount of profit from book sales, Little, Brown’s c.e.o. Ursula Mackenzie has said, and it is important that they remain healthy. Speaking at a Society of Authors (SoA) panel on hybrid authors, Mackenzie defended publishers from criticism by audience... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers don #book sales #ursula mackenzie #hybrid authors #audience members #make money