Academic publishers are publishing more titles now than in the early 2000s, though there may be a slight decline in opportunities for new authors. While some new titles are reprints or ebooks, academic publishers have generally stayed focused on their niche subject markets rather than pursuing more popular topics. Overall, the data presented does not suggest that digital disruption has significantly changed academic publishers' strategies for the kinds of books and authors they invest in.

1. IS IT HARDER TO PUBLISH
ACADEMIC BOOKS IN THE
DIGITALAGE?
Dana Beth Weinberg, PhD
Professor of Sociology and Director of the MA Program in Data Analytics and Applied
Social Research
Queens College-CUNY
http://danabethweinberg.com
Eastern Sociological Society Digital Mini Conference
March 17, 2016

2. Scholarly Needs and Publishers’
Decision-Making
• How has the book
market and digital
disruption affected
academic publishers’
decisions about the
kinds of books and
authors in which to
invest?

3. Academic Publishing and Academic Jobs
• Hiring, tenure, and promotion
• Dissemination of scholarship
• Peer review publication outlet

4. Academic Publishing and the Book
Industry
• Niche books with relatively small audiences
• Reputation for intellectual quality
• Potential competition from trade publishers for more
popular types of titles

5. Major Changes in Publishing from
Digitization
• Ebooks, reprints, and print on demand (POD)
• Indie publishers and indie authors
• Distribution
• Retailers
• Electronic journals, archives, and changing role of the
college library
• Discoverability of books

6. The Book Explosion
Bowker’s Books in Print (ISBNs)

7. Original Titles 2002-2012
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
20022003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Titles in Print
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
20022003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Titles in Ebook Only
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
All Titles
B5 Publisher Large Publisher
University or Academic Press Institutional Publisher
Traditional Audiobook Publisher
Self-Published Author Unmatched

8. BUT Some Things Have Changed Less

9. Academic and University Press Titles
9,377 9,353 10,184 10,349 11,657 10,643 11,589
18,987
15,409
13,987 13,088
2,018 2,427
2,312
3,574
3,068
2,846
3,100
3,529
5,399
4,034
3,594
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Titles Published 2002-2012
Print Ebook Only

10. Pursuing more popular topics?
• Analysis of trends in academic publishers’ titles by BISAC
heading showed no steady trend changes by subject.

11. Academic and University Presses
4,718
5,402
5,960
6,910 7,032 7,056
6,232 6,467
13,187
8,539
6,992
6,055
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Titles by Seasoned and Debut Authors 2007-2012
seasoned author debut author
*With the data starting in 2002, debut authors are defined starting in 2007 as
having their first book published in the reporting year.

12. Conclusions
• Academic publishers are publishing more titles now than
in the early 2000s. Some of these new titles may be
reprints or ebook versions of previously published works.
• They are publishing steadily in the same subject areas,
suggesting that they are staying to their established niche
markets rather than pursuing more popular subjects.
• There may be a slight decline both proportionately and
overall in opportunities for new authors to publish. This is
a trend to watch.