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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Scientific publishing is a rip-off. We fund the research – it should be free | George Monbiot'


Publisher and Author Elizabeth Sherrill Dead at 95

Sherrill was a cofounder of Chosen Books and co-author of bestsellers such as 'The Hiding Place' with Corrie ten Bloom, who hid Jews during the Holocaust. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chosen books


US Book Publishing Revenues in 2022 Were $28 Billion: AAP StatShot

Still 8.6 percent above 2019's total revenues, the US market in 2022 was 2.6 percent below 2021's revenue level, the AAP reports. The post US Book Publishing Revenues in 2022 Were $28 Billion: AAP StatShot appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-05-31 20:54:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #$28 billion #aap statshot #total revenues #aap reports #book publishing


Publishing Sales Finished 2.6% Below 2021 Last Year

A 16% increase in sales in the pre-K–12 educational materials segment helped to counter declines in the other major categories, resulting in total publishing sales of $28.1 billion in 2022, the Association of American Publishers reported. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-31 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major categories


Turkish Publishers’ ‘Freedom of Thought and Expression’ Award

The Turkish Publishers Association honors a house fighting seven cases of effective bans on books considered 'harmful to minors.' The post Turkish Publishers’ ‘Freedom of Thought and Expression’ Award appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-05-27 03:41:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #award appeared #turkish publishers #publishers association


Publishing On and Off the Page: A Reading List of Books About Book People

Readers love to read about book people almost as much as writers love to write about them (I love to do both). My latest novel, On Fire Island, follows uber-talented young book editor, Julia Gold and literary wunderkind, Benjamin Morse, through their journeys on and off the page. Threaded in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-26 08:52:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #readers love #writers love #book people


Librarians, Publishers, Bookstores Join Lawsuit Over Arkansas Library ‘Obscenity’ Law

Book business advocacy organizations, including the Association of American Publishers, will join a federal lawsuit over a law recently signed into effect by Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders that exposes librarians in the state to criminal liability for making allegedly “obscene” books... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #american publishers #exposes librarians #federal lawsuit #criminal liability #book business


Rita Chang-Eppig on Researching Pirates for Her Debut Novel

This week on The Maris Review, Rita Chang-Eppig joins Maris Kreizman to discuss Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, out May 30 from Bloomsbury. Subscribe and download the episode, wherever you get your podcasts. * Maris Kreizman: Rita, your debut novel is not the typical debut novel that I usually... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-25 12:53:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rita chang-eppig #maris review #debut novel


A Bill in Connecticut Would Fund Sanctuary Libraries: Book Censorship News, May 19, 2023

A Connecticut bill would provide funding for sanctuary libraries across the state. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-05-19 10:40:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #libraries


Richard Charkin: ‘A Publishing House Is a Field’

'There can be little doubt that God or fate or luck play a significant part in the success of any publishing endeavor,' writes Richard Charkin. The post Richard Charkin: ‘A Publishing House Is a Field’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-05-19 06:40:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #richard charkin #significant part


Why the world's largest publisher found a book-ban lawsuit in Florida 'irresistible'

PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House filed a federal suit against Escambia County School District over its removal of books from school libraries. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-05-18 17:34:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pen america #federal suit #school libraries #publisher penguin


Little Free Library Announces 2023 Outstanding Achievement Awards

The five winners of this year's awards are individuals and organizations that "embody LFL’s mission to build community, inspire readers and expand book access for all." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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With Russia at war, fascism has taken hold of its young people, Canadian researcher finds

While his assessment has its detractors, Canadian author and Russia expert Ian Garner believes fascist views now permeate Russia's young people to such a degree that the chances of a lasting peace following the war in Ukraine are remote. ... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-05-15 08:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #canadian author


Publishing Industry Sales Inched Up in February

Gains in religious and higher educational publishing offset dips in the trade segments in February, resulting in a 0.2% sales gain for the 1,240 publishers that report sales to AAP's StatShot program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #trade segments #report sales


Christian Publisher Hugh Revell Barbour Has Died

Hugh Revell Barbour, a pioneer in Christian publishing as the head of the Fleming H. Revell Company and who was also a cofounder of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, died May 5. He was 93. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #christian publishing


Christian Publishers Measure a DEI Baseline

A first-time survey of the ethnic, racial, and gender makeup of Christian publishing shows the industry is overwhelmingly white and chiefly led by men. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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AAP Meeting Looks at Publishing During a 'Dicey Time'

Publishing is facing its severest set of challenges in a generation, experts noted at this year's AAP annual meeting: book bans, the lack of diversity, climate change, and “unrelenting” challenges to copyright. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book bans #climate change


Two novels share Pulitzer in fiction as 'His Name Is George Floyd' wins for nonfiction

Two novels, "Demon Copperhead" and "Trust," shared the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction while "His Name Is George Floyd" took home the nonfiction prize. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-05-08 21:55:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nonfiction prize #george floyd #demon copperhead #pulitzer prize


BISG Members Challenged to Rethink Publishing Supply Chain Strategies

The annual meeting, held on April 28 at the Harvard Club of New York, included a daylong program with panel discussions and presentations that highlighted accomplishments and key challenges facing BISG's members. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #annual meeting #harvard club #panel discussions


At IBPA PubU, Black Indie Publishers Call for Audacity and Advocacy

Founders of Third World Press, Black Classic Press, Africa World Press, and Just Us Books gathered for a May 6 keynote at IBPA's PubU. Plus, the IBPA announces its Innovative Voices Program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world press


'His Name Is George Floyd,' 'Demon Copperhead' Among 2023 Pulitzer Prize Winners

Novelists Barbara Kingsolver and Hernan Diaz tied for the Fiction prize, and 'Washington Post' journalists Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa's took home the Nonfiction prize at this year's Pulitzer Prize ceremony on May 8. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #george floyd #demon copperhead #fiction prize #toluse olorunnipa #nonfiction prize #novelists #pulitzer prize