Understanding the Basics of Publishing

Abstract

Publishing is a field of study, a business, a vocation, a profession and a tool for national and international development. As a field of study, publishing is a key component of the curriculum of information schools for the education and training of future publishers. As a business, it is an entrepreneurial opportunity which provides avenue for individual to establish publishing houses and firms as publishers, and render fee-based service to the public. This may be established as sole proprietorship, partnership/joint venture, private limited liability companies, or public limited liability companies. As a vocation, individuals work in publishing firms as graphic designers, editorial assistants, editors, copyedictors, proof-reading assistant, printers, indexers, and marketers/distributors. Others are cost accountant, marketing representative, imprint manager, production editor, proofreading, picture researchers, pate-up artists. Plant supervisor, telemarketer, bindery supervisor, letterer, layout artist, human recourses director, traffic controller, freelance writer, technical editor, promotion manager, and design supervisor. As a profession, publishing organization owned by publishers have registered association with approved laws and regulations that protect the interests of their members, and society at large. As an instrument of development, the impact of publishing cuts across educational, political, social, economic, and other area of human endeavor at both national and international levels in fact, publishing contributed strategically to development through facilitating access to the intellectual ideas and insight of individuals, creation of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, documentation and preservation of culture and traditions, elongation of the history of societies, aids research and education development, facilitate entertainment such as establishment of paper mills, implementation of bibliotherapy, and the likes. Publishing involves producing literacy and information available for utility by the individuals in the society. It cuts across all containers of information in different format and media, including print, textual, graphical, audio, audio-visual and digital platforms. Before now, emphasis of publishing has been mainly on books, thereby neglecting other nature of information schools across the universe. Be that at it may, this introductory chapter examines the concept of publishing, book publishing, stages associated with publishing, the publisher and others.