Scientific publishing is a rip-off. We fund the research – it should be free | George Monbiot

Those who take on the global industry that traps research behind paywalls are heroes, not thievesNever underestimate the power of one determined person. What Carole Cadwalladr has done to Facebook and big data, and Edward Snowden has done to the state security complex, Alexandra Elbakyan has done to the multibillion-dollar industry that traps knowledge behind paywalls. Sci-Hub, her pirate web scraper service, has done more than any government to tackle one of the biggest rip-offs of the modern era: the capture of publicly funded research that should belong to us all. Everyone should be free to learn; knowledge should be disseminated as widely as possible. No one would publicly disagree with these sentiments. Yet governments and universities have allowed the big academic publishers to deny these rights. Academic publishing might sound like an obscure and fusty affair, but it uses one of the most ruthless and profitable business models of any industry.The model was pioneered by the notorious conman Robert Maxwell. He realised that, because scientists need to be informed about all significant developments in their field, every journal that publishes academic papers can establish a monopoly and charge outrageous fees for the transmission of knowledge. He called his discovery “a perpetual financing machine”. He also realised that he could capture other people’s labour and resources for nothing. Governments funded the research published by his company, Pergamon, while... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #alexandra elbakyan #modern era #academic publishing #significant developments #technical term

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Up in smokes: Daily Tele’s taxpayer-funded ciggies help Labor minister destroy travel card | The Weekly Beast

News Corp reporter bought a pink doughnut, a soft drink and tobacco as part of a NSW government endorsed media stunt. Plus: cartoonists go their own wayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastWhat happens when... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-03 02:06:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #weekly beast #latest updatesget #free app #news corp


John Sargent on Adventures and Misadventures in Publishing

Roxanne Coady talks with John Sargent about his many adventures in book publishing at a time when the industry met many challenges and some of the authors and other characters he worked with along the way. Subscribe and download the episode, wherever you get your podcasts!... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-02 08:18:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john sargent #book publishing


How Has Big Publishing Changed American Fiction?

A new book argues that corporate publishing has transformed what it means to be an author. Continue reading at New Yorker

[ New Yorker | 2023-11-01 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book argues #corporate publishing #big publishing


Kindle Direct Publishing Will Beta Test Virtual Voice–Narrated Audiobooks

Amazon's self-publishing arm has begun a beta test on technology allowing KDP authors to produce audiobook versions of their e-books using virtual voice narration. The audiobooks will be available wherever Audible titles are sold. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Jordan Miller, Cofounder of Academy Chicago Publishers, Dies at 97

Miller, who, with his late wife, Anita Miller, founded Academy Chicago Publishers in 1975, died in Chicago on October 19. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Sharjah Publishers Conference Introduces New Format

The round-table workshops that proved highly successful in the Sharjah Bookseller Conference now are part of the Sharjah Publishers Conference. The post Sharjah Publishers Conference Introduces New Format appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-28 02:14:24 UTC ]
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Publishers Weekly Announces Their Best Books of 2023

Publishers Weekly has selected 150 books across a wide range of categories for their best books of 2023. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-27 14:36:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wide range #publishers weekly


Academic Publishing: Springer Nature Acquires Slimmer AI’s Science Division

The Dutch Slimmer AI's science division moves to Springer Nature in a partnership intended to support editors and research writers. The post Academic Publishing: Springer Nature Acquires Slimmer AI’s Science Division appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-27 11:34:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #academic publishing #research writers #springer nature


Strong Trade Publishing Sales Drive Six-Month Gains at Bloomsbury

Sales were up 11% and profits increased 8% in the first half of the U.K.-based publisher's fiscal year. Sales in the U.S. were about $76 million, accounting for 46% of total revenue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Pagan Parents Turn to Publishing for Kids

Mind-body-spirit houses are adding titles for children centered on earth-based spirituality, magic, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #adding titles


How web-based vertical video players can unlock new publisher revenue

Shachar Orren, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, EX.CO In recent years, Meta, TikTok, Twitch and even Pinterest have encouraged digital publishers to create vertical content to adhere to their platforms’ standards for engagement driven by our vertical mobile device screens. In response,... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-10-24 13:02:04 UTC ]
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From Asia to Latin America: Independent Comics Publishers in Frankfurt

A Frankfurt Book Fair panel on independent comics publishers highlighted the innovative ways publishers get their books to readers. The post From Asia to Latin America: Independent Comics Publishers in Frankfurt appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-24 11:10:56 UTC ]
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Why Toni Morrison Left Publishing

Commercial book publishing was (and is) unbearably white. In 1971, when Toni Morrison became a trade editor, about 95 percent of the fiction published by the big commercial houses was by white authors. By 2018, that number dropped only to 89 percent. One of the only other black women working as... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-24 08:50:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #toni morrison #fiction published #white authors #book publishing


20 spooky short stories you can read for free online.

The leaves are amassing, the skeletons are out, and enormous bags of candy fill the grocery store aisles and threaten to spill their chocolates right into your mouth, through absolutely no fault of your own. Yep, it’s officially spooky season. But if you still need some help getting into the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-23 16:13:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free online #short stories


All The Public Libraries Offering Free Access to Banned Books: A Comprehensive Guide

A comprehensive guide to the public libraries offering free access to banned books. Here's where and how. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-23 10:40:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #banned books #comprehensive guide #public libraries


Frankfurt: Swedish, Lithuanian Publishers See Booming Children’s Book Sales

Two publishers in Frankfurt are seeing success with up-and-coming children's book authors, both at home and through foreign rights deals. The post Frankfurt: Swedish, Lithuanian Publishers See Booming Children’s Book Sales appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-20 11:38:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post frankfurt #booming children #book sales #book authors #children's book #children’s book


To Write Her Debut Novel, Molly McGhee Had to Leave Publishing

On March 11, 2022, Molly McGhee shared a resignation letter on Twitter. She was quitting her job as an assistant editor at Tor, despite the fact that her first acquisition, The Atlas Six, had debuted at number three on the New York Times Bestseller List. She cited “systemwide prejudice against... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-20 11:03:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #assistant editor #electric literature #times bestseller


‘The potential to undermine democracy’: European publishing trade bodies call for action on generative AI

Three organisations argue that more transparency is needed after research found AI models have been trained using pirated works by authors such as Zadie Smith and Stephen KingThree major European publishing trade bodies have urged the EU to “act now” on transparency over artificial intelligence... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-19 13:53:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #generative ai #zadie smith #artificial intelligence #book chain #largest book #european publishing


News Publishers Welcome Tobacco Ads—Just Not for Cigarettes

In 1999, more than a dozen news publishers including The New York Times publicly pledged to ban cigarette advertisements. The move was part of a broader effort to curb the influence of an industry whose products were then--and remain now--the leading cause of preventable death in the United... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-10-19 06:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news publishers #broader effort #publishers including


Serena Williams to publish memoir about life ‘on and off the court’

The tennis champion has signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House, saying it will be the first time she has paused and reflected on her remarkable career Serena Williams is set to publish two books, the first of which, a memoir, will take an “intimate” look at her childhood and remarkable... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-18 14:56:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish memoir #serena williams #tennis champion #memoir