Editorial: Post-Pandemic-Era: Another Crossroad for the Book Industry?

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This article looks at small independent publishers in the UK and explores whether there is room for them in the overcrowded UK publishing scene. The literature review considers contradictory press reports about the health of the UK publishing industry during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire allowing in-depth responses was sent to six micro-publishers and four independent bookshops. The responses were analyzed and supplemented with publicly available interviews with the publishers and personal conversations with the booksellers. A case study of the recently founded publisher of translated crime fiction Corylus Books confirms many of the issues reported by the surveyed micro-publishers. This research offers an inside look at the UK micro-publishers’ challenges and creative approaches, providing practical and applicable insights not only for the UK market but also for small publishers in other countries, especially agents or publishers looking to sell rights to those markets.
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Overcrowded Market or a Chance to Be Different? Micro Independent Presses in the UK

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Book publishing companies navigate the interplay between localization and globalization seamlessly, yet the cadence at which global dynamics infiltrate local markets unfolds at different rhythms. Using publicly available data about the performance of Romanian book publishers, this paper explores the local market and its dynamics from 2018 to 2021. The results indicate "an inactivity trend" among enterprises: more than 40% of companies could not generate a net profit, and more than 50% had no employees. The prevalence of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) over big companies is an intrinsic characteristic of the Romanian market. Although compared to bigger companies, SMEs manage to translate sales into profitability, over 70% of small and medium-sized companies have a turnover below 60,000 Euros. The paper concludes by highlighting growth opportunities, such as tapping into the Romanian diaspora and exploring the correlation between book sales, university locations, and the role of academic institutions in shaping reading habits.
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cecilia.ciocirlan@facultateademanagement.ro

Turning Pages, Facing Challenges: Unveiling Business Inactivity and SMEs' Challenges in Romania's Book Publishing Market

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Society has always relied on education for the building of progress ever since the dawn of history, and books have always been strong agents of change no matter the shape they came in (papyrus, codex, handwritten manuscripts, printed books, digital books, etc.). For this reason, analyzing the interplay between education and books is valuable and necessary if we wish to get a better sense of society at any moment. This paper explores how education and the book industry intersect in today's Romanian society. However, it also proposes a possible solution for strengthening their relationship and opening new horizons for culture and research. More specifically, my analysis focuses on children's literature since children's education is considered an investment into the future of society in modern democratic states. In the case of Romania, it is unfortunate that this type of literature is somewhat neglected compared to other countries, but this should never be a good enough reason for not trying to create more creative contexts to improve the situation. Drawing inspiration from what other countries are doing to develop bridges between education and the children's book market, but at the same time highlighting essential initiatives in Romania that can become reliable engines of change, I strongly advocate for the necessity and possibility of creating a Romanian House of Children's Literature, open to supporting researchers, professionals, and families in their shared mission to ensure quality development of children.
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Education and the Children's Book Market at the Crossroads: the Foundations for Creating a Romanian House of Children's Literature

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In recent years, customer experience and satisfaction have become more critical than ever before. Companies focus on these two elements to retain and acquire customers in a highly competitive environment. The relationship between authors and publishers has always been complex, with dynamics deeply rooted in the social and cultural environment. At the same time, the success of their collaboration significantly impacts the local creative and sociocultural landscape. It is essential to understand the factors that determine author satisfaction and ease of collaboration, both generally and industry-specific, to support the growth and development of the book sector. This paper analyzes the collaborative dynamics between authors and publishers using the Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Customer Effort Score (CES) metrics based on a survey of 133 authors from various literary fields and geographic areas in Romania. The research findings provide insight into the key drivers behind authors' satisfaction and ease of collaboration with publishers. Moreover, we suggest practical recommendations from authors to publishers that can improve their collaborative processes, enhancing positive experiences for authors and potentially improving the overall quality of published works. This study's insights shall benefit authors, publishing houses, various organizations operating in the publishing field, policymakers, and regulatory bodies.
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osadci.ana-maria@student.facultateademanagement.ro

alexandra.zbuchea@facultateademanagement.ro

National University of Political Studies and Public Administration

National University of Political Studies and Public Admisnitration

Beyond the Manuscript: Unraveling Author-Publisher Dynamics

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The following article explores a proposed educational programme premised on writing for utopias. Specifically, through facilitated dialogue, participants would collectively engage in creative writing as a mechanism for envisioning alternative futures grown out of divergent political ideologies or social norms to those they experience today. Participants are encouraged to question their current mentality, reflect on why society operates as it does today, and consider what changes they would want to bear witness to. The contribution outlines core concepts for the programme, whilst offering a sample twelve-session guide with suggestions on how to adapt it based on previous knowledge or the participants' ambitions. The ambition of such an undertaking is that students are supported - and support each other - to break with traditional formulaic tasks and, instead, develop their creativity and vision. Their works then serve as a starting point for further tasks predicated on critical dialogue over why they hold particular beliefs, rely on their stated visions to be utopian, and, ultimately, what steps are required to build towards the society they wish to see. The premise is non-prescriptive to enable writers to take their narratives in whichever directions they see fit - for example, whilst science fiction permits us to consider far flung futures, and fantasy enables perspectives to emerge from any source (flora, fauna, or otherwise), historical fiction enables us to revisit significant moments in time to ask what could have been had different choices been made. Throughout the submission, several literary and cinematic fiction examples are drawn upon to help demonstrate the relevant points.
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Write Like You’re Living in a Better World: Creative Writing as a Means for Building the Societies We Wish to See

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Photojournalism as an industry has experienced a highly dynamic development in recent years. The present study aims to provide an encompassing image of this industry and its emergence, as well as its challenges in the current context. The cultural dimension of this sector, as well as its prevalent connection to the book industry, constitute two of the main perspectives elaborated in this study. Lastly, an entrepreneurial perspective on photojournalism as a profession is adopted, while a detailed DESTEP analysis is provided further to illustrate the practical implications of this field of work.
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Photojournalism. Between Industry and Culture

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Volume 3 (2023): Issue 2 (December 2023) The Dynamics of Books - Writing, Publishing, Reading

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Volume 2 (2022): Issue 2 (December 2022) Museums. Communities, and Society

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Volume 1 (2021): Issue 2 (December 2021) Special issue affiliated to the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, 2021 | UNCTAD

Volume 1 (2021): Issue 1 (June 2021)

Culture. Society. Economy. Politics

Call for papers December 2023 Deadline extension to November 1, 2023  One cannot study Culture without exploring its interdependent and intersecting social, economic and political ecosystems. For culture encourages both inter- and trans-disciplinary studies, contributing not only to the better understanding of the phenomena investigated, but also proposing approaches leading to the development of cultural and creative sectors and of contemporary society itself.  Among the main lines of exploration we encourage are:   the development of the cultural sector, stressing the current challenges and trends;  the cultural dimension of humans, communities and societies;  the sociology of culture and knowledge;  the economic dimension of culture and its role in sustainable development;  culture and wellbeing;  the management of cultural organizations;  the cultural dimension of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations;  the politics of culture, as well as the use of culture in political contexts.   We welcome other lines of investigation as well, as long as they are in align with the main scope of the magazine.  The journal has a practical focus, encouraging submissions to be practice-oriented and relevant for the contemporary world. Not only academics, but also practitioners are invited to submit, as well as to analyze the specific situation and successful initiatives in emerging countries.  Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 

Volume 3 (2023): Issue 2 (December 2023) - The Dynamics of Books - Writing, Publishing, Reading

Culture. Society. Economy. Politics

Volume 3 (2023): Issue 2 (December 2023)

The Dynamics of Books - Writing, Publishing, Reading