64-511: Future plc is a British publishing company . It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson . Among its titles are Country Life , Homes and Gardens , Kiplinger Personal Finance , Decanter , Marie Claire , and The Week . Zillah Byng-Thorne was chief executive officer from 2014 to 2023, when she was replaced by Jon Steinberg . The company was founded by Chris Anderson as Future Publishing in Somerton, Somerset , England, with
128-538: A management development department in 1965, to rationalise its holdings, so that its various subsidiaries would no longer be in competition with each other for the same markets. This led to a reorganisation of the Group, in 1968, into six divisions: All the divisions were headed by chairmen who originated in Mirror Group, except for Hamlyn, Quick and McIntosh. The turmoil at IPC in 1969 led to major consolidations in
192-540: A modern, large-scale industry disseminating all types of information. " Publisher " can refer to a publishing company, organization, or an individual who leads a publishing company, imprint , periodical , or newspaper. The publishing process covering most magazine , journal , and book publishers includes: (Different stages are applicable to different types of publishers) Newspapers or news websites are publications of current reports, articles , and features written by journalists . They are free, sometimes with
256-677: A particular field and often push the boundaries established in these fields. They usually have peer review processes before publishing to test the validity and quality of the content. A magazine is a periodical published at regular intervals. It features creative layouts, photography, and illustrations that cover a particular subject or interest. Magazines are available in print or digital formats and can be purchased on apps or websites like Readly or accessed free of charge on apps or websites like Issuu . The global book publishing industry consists of books categorized as fiction or non-fiction and print , e-book , or audiobook . The book market
320-400: A premium edition, or paid for, either individually or through a subscription . They are filled with photographs or other media and usually are subsidized with advertising . Typically, they cover local , national, and international news or feature a particular industry. Some organizations charge premium fees if they have the expertise and exclusive knowledge. The news industry is meant to serve
384-669: A profit warning in October 2011. It was noted that a re-structuring would be necessary as the company moved to a digital model. Future announced it would cut 55 jobs from its UK operation as part of a restructuring to adapt "more effectively to the company's rapid transition to a primarily digital business model." The company announced in March 2014 that it would close all of its U.S.-based print publications and shift U.S. print support functions such as consumer marketing, production and editorial leadership for Future's international print brands to
448-403: A registered ISBN to identify it. Directories contain searchable indexed data about businesses, products, and services. They were printed in the past but are now mostly online. Directories are available as searchable lists, on a map, as a sector-specific portal , as a review site (expert or consumer), or as a comparison site . Although some businesses may not consider themselves publishers,
512-435: A shop with a small margin (or none at all) compared to a website is very cost-effective because it acts as a huge billboard that offers a browsing experience that enables consumers to make purchasing decisions. It gives them a feel for the brand, has a presence in the community, and creates jobs. Also, using social media publishing to advertise has a good ROI if trending, high-quality content is created that reflects positively on
576-698: A single Time Inc. brand in both the US and UK. In April 2012, IPC Media won an award for Best Production Team of the Year at the Professional Publishers Association Production and Environment Awards 2012. On 26 February 2018, Meredith Corporation , who had completed its purchase of Time Inc. almost a month earlier, announced it was selling Time Inc. UK to a fund associated with British private equity firm Epiris . The transaction closed on 19 March of that year. In June 2018,
640-758: A single franchise, e.g., Ballantine Del Rey LucasBooks has the exclusive rights to Star Wars in the United States; Random House UK (Bertelsmann)/Century LucasBooks holds the same rights in the United Kingdom. The video game industry self-publishes through BL Publishing/ Black Library ( Warhammer ) and Wizards of the Coast ( Dragonlance , Forgotten Realms , etc.). The BBC has its own publishing division that does very well with long-running series such as Doctor Who . These multimedia works are cross-marketed aggressively, and sales frequently outperform
704-623: A subsidized income for publishers. If the advertising has a return on investment (ROI), the publisher can boost income exponentially by increasing the spending. An ROI of up to £10 per £1 invested is possible, as seen in the John Lewis & Partners Christmas campaigns . Likewise, any cost savings that harm the customer/consumer experience can impact a brand in the long term. Multichannel marketing can be more cost-effective in creating an immersive experience that cannot be replicated with one channel. For example, when considering marketing spend,
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#1732797216239768-459: A website, from which anyone can download and read it. An increasing number of authors are using niche marketing online to sell more books by engaging with their readers online. Refer to the ISO divisions of ICS 01.140.40 and 35.240.30 for further information. Publication is the distribution of copies or content to the public . The Berne Convention requires that this can only be done with
832-488: A £594m takeover of GoCo plc, known for its Gocompare.com price comparison website. In August 2021, it acquired another 12 magazines for £300 million. The company was criticised in February 2022 for the size of the remuneration package being offered to Zillah Byng-Thorne, the chief executive. It was noted that she could receive £40 million if the company performs well. Byng-Thorne resigned with effect from 3 April 2023 and
896-404: Is a modern term for publishing a book but printing so few copies or with such lack of marketing, advertising, or sales support that it effectively does not reach the public. The book, while nominally published, is almost impossible to obtain through normal channels such as bookshops, often cannot be ordered specially, and has a notable lack of support from its publisher, including refusal to reprint
960-421: Is also undertaken by governments, civil society, and private companies for administrative or compliance requirements, business, research, advocacy, or public interest objectives. This can include annual reports , research reports , market research , policy briefings, and technical reports . Self-publishing has become very common. Publishing has evolved from a small, ancient form limited by law or religion to
1024-448: Is an academic publisher run by a university. Oxford University Press is the largest in the world and specializes in research, education, and English language teaching internationally. A catalog is a visual directory or list of a large range of products that allow you to browse and buy from a particular company. In print, this is usually in the format of a softback book or directory. Smaller visual catalogs can be known as brochures. With
1088-421: Is huge, with around 1.5 billion people speaking English. Translation services are also available to make these texts accessible in other languages. Self-publishing makes publishing widely accessible through small print-run digital printing or online self-publishing platforms. E-reader screen technology continues to improve with increased contrast and resolution making them more comfortable to read. Each book has
1152-491: The Harry Potter and James Bond franchises. The publishing landscape is continually evolving. Currently there are four major types of publishers in book publishing: These companies traditionally produce hardcopy books in large print runs. They have established networks which distribute those books to bricks-and-mortar stores and libraries. When a mainstream publisher accepts a book for publication, they require
1216-739: The Sunday Pictorial (now the Sunday Mirror ), together with provincial chain West of England Newspapers, made an offer for Amalgamated Press . The offer was accepted, and in January 1959 he was appointed its chairman. Within a few months he changed its name to Fleetway Publications, Ltd. after the name of its headquarters, Fleetway House in London's Farringdon Street. Shortly thereafter, Odhams Press absorbed both George Newnes and
1280-589: The development of books . The Chinese inventor Bi Sheng made a movable type of earthenware c. 1045 , but there are no known surviving examples of his work. The Korean civil servant Ch'oe Yun-ŭi , who lived during the Goryeo Dynasty, invented the first metal moveable type in 1234–1250 AD. In what is commonly regarded as an independent invention, Johannes Gutenberg developed movable type in Europe around 1450, along with innovations in casting
1344-495: The Department of Justice, filing a permanent injunction on the merger. Although newspaper and magazine companies still often own printing presses and binderies, book publishers rarely do. Similarly, the trade usually sells the finished products through a distributor who stores and distributes the publisher's wares for a percentage fee or sells on a sale or return basis. Some major publishers have entire divisions devoted to
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#17327972162391408-708: The Hulton Press. King saw an opportunity in this to rationalise the overcrowded women's magazine market, in which Fleetway and Newnes were the major competitors, and made a bid for Odhams on behalf of Fleetway that was too attractive to ignore. Fleetway took over Odhams in the month of March 1961. In consequence, King controlled publishing interests which included two national daily and two national Sunday newspapers (the newspaper interests being informally tagged The Mirror Group ), along with almost one hundred consumer magazines, more than two hundred trade and technical periodicals, and interests in book publishing. This included
1472-468: The Internet, they have evolved into searchable databases of products known under the term e-commerce . Interactive catalogs and brochures like IKEA and Avon allow customers to browse a full range if they have not decided on their purchase. Responsive web and app design will allow further integration between interactive catalog visuals and searchable product databases. Until recently, physical books were
1536-466: The U.S. consumer music magazines to Future, with the exception of Revolver which had been sold to Project Group M LLC in 2017. It bought the Purch Group for $ 132m by September 2018, and in February 2019 bought Mobile Nations including Android Central, iMore, Windows Central and Thrifter for $ 115 million. Future also acquired Procycling and Cyclingnews.com from Immediate Media . In July 2019
1600-750: The UK. Later in 2014, Future sold its sport and craft titles to Immediate Media , and its auto titles to Kelsey Media. In April 2014 Zillah Byng-Thorne , then finance director, was appointed chief executive, replacing Mark Wood, who had been in the position since 2011. In 2018, Future made further major acquisitions. It bought the What Hi-Fi? , FourFourTwo , Practical Caravan and Practical Motorhome brands from Haymarket and it acquired NewBay Media , publisher of numerous broadcast, professional video, and systems integration trade titles, as well as several consumer music magazines. This acquisition returned most of
1664-612: The World Wide Web in 1989 soon propelled the website into a dominant publishing medium. Wikis and blogs soon developed, followed by online books , online newspapers , and online magazines . This also facilitated the technological convergence of commercial and self-published content and the convergence of publishing and production into online production through the development of multimedia content. A U.S.-based study in 2016 that surveyed 34 publishers found that straight, able-bodied, white females overwhelmingly represent
1728-496: The Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) have called for reform of the paid-for publishing sector. These unions, representing 14,800 authors, jointly published a report to expose widespread bad practices among companies that charge writers to publish their work while taking away their rights. When an author self-publishes a book, they retain all rights and assume responsibility for all stages of preparing, publishing and distributing
1792-584: The author must cover all the costs of publication, surrender some rights to the publisher, and pay royalties on sales. Vanity presses often engage in deceptive practices or offer costly, poor-quality services with limited recourse available to the writer. In the US, these practices have been cited by the Better Business Bureau as unfavorable reports by consumers. Given the bad reputation of vanity publishing, many vanity presses brand themselves as hybrid publishers. The Society of Authors (SoA) and
1856-633: The author to sign a contract surrendering some rights to the publisher. In exchange, the publisher will take care of all aspects of publishing the book at the publisher's cost. They rely entirely on sales of the book to recoup those costs and make a profit. The author receives a royalty on each sale (and sometimes an advance on royalties when the book is accepted ). Because of the financial risk , mainstream publishers are extremely selective in what they will publish, and reject most manuscripts submitted to them. In 2013, Penguin (owned by Pearson ) and Random House (owned by Bertelsmann ) merged, narrowing
1920-510: The average stand-alone published work, making them a focus of corporate interest. The advent of the Internet has provided an alternative mode of book distribution and most mainstream publishers also offer their books in ebook format. Preparing a book for e-book publication is the same as print publication, with only minor variations in the process to account for the different publishing mediums; E-book publication also eliminates some costs like
1984-614: The book. The author may hire professionals on a fee-for-service basis as needed, (e.g. an editor, cover designer, proofreader) or engage a company to provide an integrated package. Accessible publishing uses the digitization of books to mark them up into XML and produce multiple formats to sell to customers, often targeting those who experience difficulty reading. Formats include a variety of larger print sizes, specialized print formats for dyslexia , eye tracking problems, and macular degeneration , as well as Braille , DAISY , audiobooks , and e-books . Green publishing means adapting
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2048-566: The brand. Film, television, radio, and advertisements publish information to their audiences. Computer games, streaming apps, and social media publish content in various ways that can keep audiences more engaged. Marketing additional products closely related to a major film, such as Star Wars , is an example of tie-in publishing. These products include but are not limited to spin-off books, graphic novels, soundtrack albums, computer games, models and toys, social media posts, and promotional publications. Examples of tie-in publishing based on books are
2112-576: The combined business interests of Fleetway, Odhams, and Newnes. All of the companies involved had been acquired without any significant change in management, save for the appointment of Mirror Group directors as chairmen. In 1963 all the companies were combined by the creation of a parent (or "holding") company called the International Publishing Company (known informally as IPC ). All of the existing companies would continue to exist, but as IPC subsidiaries. IPC then set up
2176-579: The company bought SmartBrief, a digital media publisher, for an initial sum of $ 45 million. In November 2019 the company bought Barcroft Studios for £23.5 million in a combination of cash and shares. It renamed it Future Studios and announced the launch of "Future Originals", an anthology gaming series, a factual series focusing on the paranormal, and a new true crime show, in partnership with Marie Claire . In April 2020 it acquired TI Media , with 41 brands for £140 million, and, in November 2020, it agreed
2240-541: The company was accused of corruption when it published positive reviews for the video game Driver 3 in two of its owned magazines, Xbox World and PSM2 . Future published the official magazines for the consoles of all three major games console manufacturers ( Microsoft , Nintendo , and Sony ); however PlayStation: The Official Magazine ceased publishing in November 2012, and Official Nintendo Magazine ceased publishing in October 2014. The chief executive and finance director both resigned at short notice after
2304-443: The company was renamed TI Media. In September 2018, TI Media sold its library of pre-1970 IPC Comics titles to Rebellion Developments. In 2019, TI Media sold its music magazines to BandLab Technologies. TI Media was acquired by Future plc on 21 April 2020 following shareholder and Competition and Markets Authority approval. Future subsequently divested Amateur Photographer , Trusted Reviews , and World Soccer and absorbed
2368-547: The consent of the copyright holder, which initially is always the author. In the Universal Copyright Convention , "publication" is defined in Article VI as "the reproduction in tangible form and the general distribution to the public of copies of a work from which it can be read or otherwise visually perceived." Privishing ( priv ate publ ishing , but not to be confused with self-publishing )
2432-422: The discount given to retailers (usually around 45 percent). Small publishers, also called independent or indie publishers, operate on a traditional model (i.e. the author surrenders some rights in exchange for the publisher bearing all costs of publishing), but their precise terms can vary greatly. Often, they do not pay an advance on royalties. A hybrid publisher shares the costs of publication (and therefore
2496-431: The early 1990s IPC launched Loaded , which began a wave of " lad's mags ". In 1992, following a merger with Dutch science publisher Elsevier NV , Reed International underwent a further name change, becoming Reed Elsevier (now RELX Group ). In 1987, part of the comics holdings of IPC Magazines Ltd (comprising those comics and characters created after 1 January 1970, plus 26 specified characters from Buster , which
2560-511: The joint comics publishing divisions, IPC Magazines Ltd., which was under the responsibility of Jack Legrand, formerly the Managing Editor of Fleetway's juvenile publications. Odhams' Power Comics line of titles were cancelled, as was Hulton Press 's long-running adventure comic Eagle (merging with Fleetway's Lion from 2 May 1969). The humour comic Giggle , aimed at the slightly younger market dominated by Fleetway's Buster ,
2624-576: The mainstream publishing industry to a handful of big publishers as it adapted to digital media. The merger created the largest consumer book publisher globally, with a global market share of more than 25 percent. As of 2022 , approximately 80% percent of the United States trade market for books was controlled by the " Big Five " publishing houses: Penguin Random House , Hachette , HarperCollins , Simon & Schuster , and Macmillan . In November 2020, ViacomCBS agreed to sell Simon & Schuster,
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2688-621: The merged title Multichannel News dating from 1980. In October 2024, the company closed a number of consumer titles in the United Kingdom, including Play , All About Space , Total 911 and 3D World , with the monthly movie magazine Total Film ceasing publication after 27 years. In addition to media and magazines, the company has two other businesses: Future's portfolio of brands includes TechRadar , PC Gamer , Tom's Guide , Tom's Hardware , Marie Claire , GamesRadar+ , How it Works , CinemaBlend , Android Central , IT Pro , BikePerfect , Windows Central , Chat and
2752-611: The mid-1950s was dominated by a handful of companies, principally the Associated Newspapers (founded by Lord Harmsworth in 1890), Odhams Press Ltd , Newnes / Pearson , and the Hulton Press , which fought each other for market share in a highly competitive marketplace. In 1958 Cecil Harmsworth King , chairman of the newspaper group, The Daily Mirror Newspapers Limited which included the Daily Mirror and
2816-527: The other comics characters and titles, i.e. those created before 1970 (except the 26 characters from Buster ), including Sexton Blake , The Steel Claw , and Battler Britton . One character, Dan Dare , was sold separately and is currently owned by the Dan Dare Corporation. In 2016 and 2018, Egmont sold its remaining library of IPC/Fleetway to Rebellion Developments , who had previously acquired 2000 AD in 2000. In 1998, IPC Magazines Ltd
2880-573: The primary source of recording knowledge. For accessibility and global reach, this content can be repurposed for the web. The British Library , for example, holds more than 170 million items with 3 million new additions each year. With consent, content can be published online through e-books, audio books, CMS -based websites, online learning platforms, videos, or mobile apps. On the Internet, writers and copy editors are known as content writers and content editors, although their roles vary from their print-based counterparts. Advertising can provide income or
2944-489: The public interest, hold people and businesses to account, and promote freedom of information and expression. Editors manage the tone of voice of their publication; for example, negative versus positive articles can affect the reader's perspective. A journal is an academic or technical publication also available in digital and(or) print format, containing articles written by researchers, professors, and individuals with professional expertise. These publications are specific to
3008-457: The publishing industry in the US. Salon described the situation as a "lack of diversity behind the scenes in book world." A survey in 2020 by the same group found there has been no significant statistical change in the lack of diversity since the 2016 survey. Lack of diversity in the American publishing industry has been an issue for years. Within the industry, the least amount of diversity
3072-519: The publishing interests of Reed International were separated into IPC Magazines Ltd (comprising the magazine and comics holdings) and Mirror Group Newspapers (comprising the newspaper holdings). The latter was sold to Pergamon Holdings Ltd, a private company owned by Robert Maxwell , in 1984. In 1988, IPC acquired Family Circle from the International Thomson Organization . In 1989, IPC acquired TVTimes . In
3136-410: The publishing process to minimize environmental impact. One example is the concept of on-demand printing, using digital or print-on-demand technology. This cuts down the need to ship books since they are manufactured close to the customer on a just-in-time basis. A further development is the growth of online publishing, where no physical books are produced. The author creates an e-book and uploads it to
3200-442: The risks) with the author. Because of this financial risk, they are selective in what they publish. The contract varies according to what is negotiated between author and company, but will always include the surrender of some rights to the publisher. Hybrid publishing is the source of debate in the publishing industry, due to the tendency of vanity presses to masquerade as hybrids. A vanity press will publish any book. In return,
3264-555: The scope has expanded to include digital publishing such as e-books , digital magazines , websites , social media , music , and video game publishing . The commercial publishing industry ranges from large multinational conglomerates such as News Corp , Pearson , Penguin Random House , and Thomson Reuters to major retail brands and thousands of small independent publishers. It has various divisions such as trade/retail publishing of fiction and non-fiction, educational publishing, and academic and scientific publishing . Publishing
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#17327972162393328-483: The scribes of Europe had produced since Constantine founded his city in A.D. 330." The history of modern newspaper publishing started in Germany in 1609, with the publication of magazines following in 1663. Missionaries brought printing presses to sub-Saharan Africa in the mid-18th century. Historically, publishing has been handled by publishers , although some authors self-published. The establishment of
3392-497: The sole magazine Amstrad Action in 1985. An early innovation was the inclusion of free software on magazine covers. It acquired GP Publications and established what would become Future US in 1994. Anderson sold the company to Pearson plc for £52.7m in 1994, but bought it back in 1998, for £142 million. The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1999. Anderson left the company in 2001. In 2004
3456-497: The third largest book publisher in the United States, to Penguin Random House in a deal that, if it had gone through, would have formed the largest publishing company in the world. On November 2, 2021, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit (U.S. v. Bertelsmann SE & CO. KGaA, et al.) to block the merger on antitrust grounds, and on October 31, 2022, the D.C. District Court ruled in favor of
3520-540: The title. A book that is privished may be referred to as "killed." Depending on the motivation, privishing may constitute a breach of contract , censorship , or good business practice (e.g., not printing more books than the publisher believes will sell in a reasonable length of time). Publishing became possible with the invention of writing and became more practical upon the introduction of printing . Before printing, distributed works were copied manually by scribes . Due to printing, publishing progressed hand-in-hand with
3584-469: The type based on a matrix and hand mould . The invention of the printing press gradually made books less expensive to produce and more widely available. Early printed books, single sheets, and images created before 1501 in Europe are known as incunables or incunabula . "A man born in 1453, the year of the fall of Constantinople , could look back from his fiftieth year on a lifetime in which about eight million books had been printed, more perhaps than all
3648-453: The way the data is displayed is published. A textbook is an educational book, or e-book, that contains information on a particular subject and is used by people studying that subject. The need for textbook publishing continues due to the global need for education. Textbooks from major publishers are being integrated with online learning platforms for expert knowledge and access to a library of books with digital content. A university press
3712-401: The website goodtoknow.co.uk . Publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software, and other content available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works , such as books , comic books , newspapers , and magazines . With the advent of digital information systems,
3776-414: Was also dropped, being merged into Buster in the spring of 1969. Buster , like Odhams' Smash! , also now became a publication of IPC Magazines Ltd. (IPC Magazines also took over another UK publisher, City Magazines , around this time.) In May 1968, a boardroom coup had replaced Cecil King with his deputy chairman, Hugh Cudlipp , a former newspaper editor. Cudlipp had no interest in management, and
3840-523: Was in higher-level editorial positions. Publishing on specific contexts Publishing tools TI Media TI Media Ltd. (formerly International Publishing Company , IPC Magazines Ltd , IPC Media and Time Inc. UK ) was a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom , with a portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year. Most of its titles now belong to Future plc . The British magazine publishing industry in
3904-425: Was replaced as chief executive by Jon Steinberg . In April 2023, the company sold its shooting magazines including Shooting Times and Sporting Gun to Fieldsports Press. In August 2024, the company announced that its American trade papers Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News would be closing after more than 90 years, with the main title Broadcasting having been first published in 1931 and
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#17327972162393968-513: Was subject to a management buyout financed by Cinven , a venture capital group, and the company was renamed IPC Media. Cinven then sold the company to Time Inc. , then the magazine publishing subsidiary of Time Warner (now Warner Bros. Discovery ), in 2001. In January 2009, Evelyn Webster became the company's chief executive, replacing Sylvia Auton who had run it since 2001 IPC Media formally became Time Inc. UK in September 2014, creating
4032-561: Was then still being published) were placed in a separate company, Fleetway Publications , which was sold to Pergamon Holdings. In 1991, Egmont UK purchased Fleetway from Pergamon, merging it with their own comics publishing operation, London Editions, to form Fleetway Editions . The latter was absorbed into the main Egmont brand by 2000, having sold off the continuing titles (such as 2000 AD ), and continued with only reprint and licensed titles (e.g. Sonic The Comic ). IPC had retained
4096-540: Was uneasy both with his new role and with IPC's diversification into computerised publication and other new technology. In 1969, Cudlipp proposed to former Mirror Group director Don Ryder — who was then chairman of the Reed Group, in which IPC had a 30% shareholding — to mount a reverse takeover of IPC by Reed. IPC-Mirror Group was thus itself taken over in 1970, by the paper-making company Albert E Reed , which then renamed itself Reed International . In 1974, part of
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