ED 063 953

TITLE

INSTITUTION

NOTE

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

IDENTIFIERE

DOCUMENT RESUME

LI 003 707

Book Publishing in Asia; Report on tlie RegionalSeminar on 'Book Publishing (Singapore, 21-25 March1969).Franklin Book Programs, Inc., New York, N.Y.:Singapore Book Publishing Association-Jan /0

60p.; (0 References)

MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29*Books; Childrens Books; Conference Reports;Developing Nations; Marketing; ProfessionalAssociations; *Publishing Industry; Textbooks*Asia

ABSTRACTThe papers presented at a conference of book

publishers from Asia, Canada and the United States are contained inthis volume. The topics were: The Asian publisher: his problems andopportunities; The economic foundations of book publishing; The bookin the context of nation-building; Publishing books for children;Publishing textbooks for elementary and secondary schools; Publishingproblems needing the co-operation of government; Scholarlypublishing: West to East; Publishing translations and co-editions ofgeneral and relcrence books; Producing English-language reprints ofuniversity textbooks and reference .dooks; Publishing medical andscientific books; Successful book publishingediting problems inSingapore; Successful book publishingmanagement. The seminaragenda, list of participants, a summary of the seminar, and theresolutions adopted are included. (SJ)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,EDUCATION & WELFAREOFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN REPRO-DUCED EXA,CTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG!RATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN-ton Immo DO NOT' NICOSAPILYREPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU-CATION POSITION OR POLICY

BOOK PUBLESIIINReport on the Regional Seminar on Book Publishing)

held on 21-25 March, 1969

in Singapore

Sponsored jointly by Franklin Book Programs Inc. U.S.A.

and

SINGAPORE BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

Che;rmen:

DONALD MOORE

CURTIS C. BENJAMIN

Secretary:

N. T. S. CHOPRA

Published by N. T. S. CHOPRAfor

-The Franklin BOok -Programs inc. 1.1.S.A. --andThe Singapore Book Publishers Association

Copies can be had from:N. T. S. CHOPRAHort. Secretary,Singapore Book Publishers Association47, The Arcade,Raffles Place,Singapore-1.Tel: 74043

published January 1970,

Printers; Eurasia Press, Singapore,

1. Regional Seminar on Book Publishing Agenda -

2, List of Participants

3. The Asian Publisher: His Probiems and Opportunitiesby N. T. S. Chopra -

4. The Economic Foundations of Book Publishingby Curtis G. Benjamin

Page

5

7

. - 13

- 16

5. The Book in the Context of Nation-Buildingby George G. Thomson . 22

6. Publishing Books for Childrenby Henry Z. Walck . 25

7. Publishing Textbooks for Elementary and Secondary Schoolsby Kenneth W. Lund - 29

8. Publishing Problems needing the Co-operation of Governmentby Donald Moore - . a a 32

9. Scholarly Publishing: West to Eastby Chester Kerr - - 36

10, Publishing Translations and Co-editions of General andRcferenco Books

by Zachary P. Morfogen - - 41

11. Producing English-Le nguage Reprints of UniversityTextbooks and Reference Books

by Curtis G. Ben/min . . 44

12, Publishing Medical and Scientific Booksby Harry A. Most - - . MI - .. 46

13, Successful Book P iblishing "Editing Problems in Singapore"by B. E. Nicholas - - . . - - 49

14, Successful Book Publishing "Management"by P. &Iowa - . . . . . . - 50

16. Summary of The Seminarby Donald Moore . . . . .. - 53

16, Resolutions - - . . . . - 65

17. Seminar Photographs - . - a . 57

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REGIONAL SEMINAR ON BOOK PUBLISHING21-25 March, 1969

Sponsored jointly byFRANKLIN BOOK PROGRAMS INC., U.S.A.

ANDSINGAPORE BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

AGENDA

FRIDAY21st March, 1969

9.00 9.20 Welcome by Singapore host; response by U.S. co-host.9.20 9.30 Description of purpose and plan of Seminar.

(Mr. Donald Moore)9.30 10.30 "The Asian Publisher: His Problems and Opportunities".

Speaker: Mr. N.T.S. Chopra)10.30-10.45 Coffee Break10.45 12.00 "The Economic Foundations of Book Publishing".

(Speaker: Mr. Curtis G. Benjamin)15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.

12.15 2.00 Luncheon2.30 5.00 "The Book in the Context of Notion Building".

(Speaker: Mr. George Thomson)15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.3.15 3.30 Coffee Break.

SATURDAY

22nd March, 19699.00 10.16 "Books for Children".

(Speaker: Mr. Henry Z. Walck)15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.

10.15 10.30 Coffee Break10.30 12.00 "Publishing Textbooks on the Elementary and Secondary Level".

(Speaker: Mr. Kenneth W. Lund)15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.

12.15 2.00 Luncheon2.30 3.15 "Publishing Problems Needing Cooperation of Government".

(Speaker: Mr. Donald Moore)15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.

3.15 3.30 Coffee Break3,30 5,00 "Publishing Scholarly Books".

(Speaker: Mr. Chester Kerr)15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.

5

5

SUNDAY23rd March, 1969

9.00 10.30 "Book RezJ rs & Book Writers in a Developing Area".(Speaker: Atax Jasey)

15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.10.30 10.45 CoVee Break10.45 12.00 "Pubiishing Translations and Co-editions of General and Reference

Books".(Speaker: Mr. Zachary Morfogen)

15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.12.15 - 2.00 Luncheon2.30 - 3.30 "Publishing English-Language Reprints of University Textbooks and

Reference Books".(Speaker: Mr. Curtis G. Benjamin)

15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.3.30- 3.45 Coffee Break3.45 5.00 "The National and International Role of a Publishers Association".

(Speaker: Mr. Donald Moore)15 minute paper; balance, open discussion.

MONDAY

9.00- 10.30

10,30 - 10.4510.45 12.0012.00 1.301.30- 2.152.45 - 3.30

3.45 - 5.00

7.00

24th March, 1969"Educational Book Publishing in Southeast Asia".(Speaker: Mr. Cho Jock Kim)Coffee BreakVisit To Times PrintersVisit To McGraw-Hill Far Eastern Publishers (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Lunch (Jurong)"Publishing Scientific & Medical Books".(Speaker: Mr. Harry Most;

15 minute paper; balance, open discussion."Successful Book Publishing".Speakers:A. "Editing" 10 minute paper; balance, open discussion.

(Speaker: Mr. B. E. Nicholas)B. "Design and Production" 10 minute paper; balance, open dis-

cussion.(Speaker: Mr. Cho Jock Kim)

C. "Marketing and Distribution" 10 minute paper; balance, opendiscussion.(Speaker Mr. Donald Moore)

D. 'Management" 10 minute paper; balance, open discussion,(Speaker: Mr. Patrick Mowe)

Cocktails (Federal Publications) - "Adelphi".

TUESDAY25th March, 1969

9.00 10.30 A plenary session for discussion of general topics not fully coveredin previous sessions, such as: International copyright arrangements,Interdependence of the Government and Private Enterprise, Impactof the New Technology for Instruction and Information, Storage andRetrieval, Regional and Bilateral Schemes for Book DevelopmentPrograms.

10.30-10.45 Coffee Break10.46 12.00 Continuation of plenary session.12.30- 2.00 Luncheon2.00- 4.00 Rapporteurs' summary of seminar and discussion thereof and reso-

lutions - if any, to be adopted.7.45 Dinner (Singapore Book Publishers Association and Franklin Book

Programs Inc.) Greater Shanghai Restaurant.

6

6

THE SINGAPORE BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

47, THE ARCADE, RAFFLES PLACE,SINGAPORE 1.

REGIONAL SEMINAR ON BOOK PUBLISHING21-25 March, 1969

Sponsored jointly byFRANKLIN BOOK PROGRAMS INC., U.S.A.

ANDSINGAPORE BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

1. Chester Kerr

2. Zachary P. Morfogen

3. Harry R. Most

4. Henry Z. Walok

5. Curtis G. Benjamin

6. Kenneth W. Lund

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

AMERICA

11.

(/

Director, Yale University Press, 92-A YaleStation, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511,U.S.A.

Director of Marketing; Books, Arts, Record-ings Group, Time Inc., Time-Life Building,Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y.

President, W. B. Saunders Co., WashingtonSq., Phi la, Pa, U.S.A.

President, Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 19 UnionSquare West, New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

Chairman, Management Committee, Mc-Graw-Hill Book Co., 330 West 42nd Street,New York, 10036, U.S.A.

Senior Vice-President, Scott, Foresman &Co., 1900-E, Lake Avenue, Glenview,Illinois, 60025 U.S.A.

7. Michael Harris President, Franklin Book Piograms Inc., 432Park Avenue South, New York 10016.

INDONESIA

8. Ali Amran Manager, Publ. Dept. Gunung Agung Ltd.,Dtl. Kwitang No. 6, Djakarta, Indonesia.

9. Mrs. P. Rochmat SoemitroHaditjawka

10. Sunardjo Hadijaroko 1111

Director, ERESCO publishing House, 54-ARd. Sa leh, Djakarta.

Senior Official, Ministry of Education &Culture, DjI. Tji ltjap 4, Djakarta.

7

11. Hassan Shadily

12. Soetardjo

13. Marjorie Noble

14. Machmoed

15. Hazil

16. Drs. JoeharsonoTjokrodikidjojo

17. Soebagjo

18. Tunus

19. D. Susilaradeya

20. Miss Winarti Partaningat

-

-.1

.10.,

--

Director, Jayasan Danabuku Indonesia,Franklin Book Programs, Inc., Djl. Maluku,35, Djakarta.

Director, Tsrate Publisher, 26, Dj. Sumatra,Bandung.

Librarian, British Council, 57, Imam Bondsol,Djakarta, Indonesia.

Chairman, Indonesian Publishers Associa-tion, Pengaungan, 32, Djakarta.

Vice Chairman, lkapi, (Indon. PublishersAss.), Pengarengan, 32, Djakarta.

Director, Balai Pustaka, Djl. Wahidin 1/2,Djakarta, Indonesia.

Manager of Publishing Department, P. T.Kinta Publishers-Printers, 86-88, Dj. PintuBesar Selatau, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Vice Director, Al-Hidajah/lkapi Indonesia,Djalan Kebon Kosong F. 74, Djakarta,Indonesia.

Editor Christian Book Publisher, IndonesianAss. of Book Publishers, Kwitang 22,Djakarta.

Director Documentation Centre, IndonesianInstitute of Sciences, 43, Djalan Tjik diTito, Djakarta.

MALAYSIA

21. J. A. Nicholson Chief Editor, Oxford University Press, LokeYew Building, Kuala Lumpur.

22. Saudara Asraf Manager, Oxford University Press, LokeYew Building, Kuala Lumpur.

23. G. L. A. Scott Resident Manager, Grolier International Inc.,Kuala Lumpur.

24. Robert Pearce Library Adviser, British Council, Jalan Bluff,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

25. Ghazali Yunus President, Malaysian Book Publishers As-sociation, 276, Brickfield Road, KualaLumpur.

26. R. Ng iyan Menon Hon. Secretary, Malaysian Book PublishersAssociation, 276, Ja lan Brickfields, KualaLumpur.

27. Mahfudz bin H. A. Hamid Head of Production, Dewan Bahasa DanPustaka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

-

WIIM.

8

8

28. Abdul Aziz Mustapha Accountant, Dewan Bahasa Dan Pusteka,Jalan Lapangan Terbang Lama, KualaLumfaur, Malaysia.

29. M. Sockalingam Textbook & Library Officer, Ministry ofEducation, Kuala Lumpur, c/o FederalHouse, Kuala Lumpur.

30. Fadzil bin Mohamed Akib Jobbing Manager, Sharikat PerchetanUtusan Melayu Berhad, 46-M, Chan SowLin Road, Kuala Lumpur.

1011

.1

31. Kok Swee Hong Educational Manager, Federal PublicationsSdn. Bhd., 31, Jalan Riong, Kuala Lumpur.

32. Elmer A. Ordonez

PHILIPPINES

11.. Executive Director, University of the Philip-pines Press, University of the Philippines,Quezon City.

33. Mrs. Elenita S. Ordonez Instructor in Humanities, University of thePhilippines, Quezon City.

34. Luis Q. Abiva Jr. Vice-President, Abiva Publishing House,Inc., 942, Misericordia St., STA Cruz Manila,Philippines.

35. Ramon R. Echaus Director, Macaraig Publishing Company,inc.. 1144, J. Nakpil St., Paco, ManilaPhilippines.

36. Mrs. Gilda Macaraig Echaus Vice-President, Macaraig Publishing Com-pany Inc., 1144, J. Nakpil St., Paco, Manila,Philippines.

37. Mrs. Thelma G. Macaraeg Editorial Assistant, University of thePhilippines Press, Diliman, Quezon City,Philippines.

38. Manuel E. Valdehuesa Jr. Director, Publications Office, Ateneo deManila University, Manila, Philippines, P.O.Box 154.

39. Rafael N. Borromeo, S. J. Director of the Library, Vavier University,Cagayan De Oro City, Philippines.

40. Alejandro R. Races General Manager, Ginn and Company, 2021,M. H. del Pi far, Manila.

41. Francisco Sionil Jose Publisher, Solidaridad Publishing House, 531,Padre Faura, Ermita, Manila, Philippines.

42. Clark C. Bloom Representative, Ford Foundation, M.C.C.,P.O. Box 740, Makati, Rizah, Philippines.

43. Mrs. Chartdad Aura-Miranda Administrative Assistant, University of the

Philippines Press, University of the Philip-pines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

9

44. Vivencio F. Porto

45. Renato L. Correa

46. Cho Jock Kim

47. Joe Fernandez

48. Patrick Goh

49. Foo Kok Pheow

60. Loh Sian Yong

51. Koh Thong Ngee

NOMNII

Information Editor & Promotions OfficerUniversity of the Philippines Press, VillamorHall, Diliman, Quezon City, 0-505 Philip.pines.

Editorial Assistant, University of the Philip-pines Press, University of the Philippines,Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

SINGAPORE

MIMMIP

Managing Director, McGraw-Hill Far EasternPublishers (S) Pte. Ltd., Jurong, Singapore.

Manager, Stamford College Publishers, 72,The Arcade, Singapore 1.

Managing Director, Associated PublishersPte. Ltd., 67/67-A, Kanisha Marican Road,Singapore 9. 2

Assistant Librarian, Nanyang University,Jurong Road, Singapore 22.

Assistant Librarian, Nanyang UniversityLibrary, Jurong Road, Singapore 22.

Deputy Librarian, Nanyang UniversityLibrary, Nanyang University, Jurong Road,Singapore 22.

52. Michael Chan Tuck Wang Representative, Oxford University Press,28-A, Tang lin Halt Close, Singapore 3.

53. Shi Thian Lee

54. B. E. Nicholas

55. Trevor Rutter

56. N. D. Willimott

57. Loh Mun Wai

58. Haji S. S. Mubaruk

59. Noor Mohd.

11111.

.1

/MONO

..1

111

Dy. General Manager, MPH Ltd., 71-77,Stamford Road, Singapore.

Editor, Malaysia Publishing House Ltd.,71/77, Stamford Road, Singapore 6.

British Council Representative, British Coun-cil, 1-A, Orchard Road, Singapore.

Asst. Representative, British Council, 1-A,Orchard Road, Singapore 9.

Singapore Representative, Macmillan & Co.Ltd., 28-A, Tang lin Halt Close, Singapore 3,

Director, S. S. Mubaruk & Bros. Ltd., 63,Bras Basah Road, Singapore 7.

Managing Partner, Orient Associates CP.O. Box 3313, Singapore.

60. Mrs. Wang Chen Hsiu Chin Acting Librarian, University of Singapore,Singapore 10.

10

61. R. M. de Souza

62. James Villanueva

63. Miss Yolanda Bell

64. Alan Moller

65. Anthony Tham

66. R. B. Bunnet

67. Mrs. J. Theseira

68. Raymond Yuen

69. Patrick Mowe

70. Lim Hong Too

71. Mrs. Jenny Neo

72. Neoh Thiam Hock

73. Ken Cheo

74. Thomson George Gray

75. N. T. S. Chopra

76. Donald Moore

NIEM

.11INN

11

1

11.10.114

0.10

Branch Manager, Grolier International Inc.,International Building, Orchard Road, Sin-gapore 9.

Organiser Special Classes/Basic EducationClasses, Adult Education Board, 126, Cair-hill Road, Singapore 9.

Librarian and Head of Information Centre,Regional English Language Centre, 104,Watten Estate. Singapore 11.

Specialist in Instructional Materials, Region-al English Language Centre, 104, WattenEstate, Singapore 11.

Production Planner, Tien Wah Press Ltd.,23, Long Kee Road, Singapore 3.

Director, Longmans Of Malaysia Ltd., 67,Miri Road, Singapore.

Manager, Angus & Robertson (Pub) Pty,Ltd., 61-75, High Street, Singapore.

Asst. Manag3r, Eastern Universities PressLtd., 94), D'Almeida Street, Singapore 1.

Asst. Gen. Manager, Federal PublicationsSdn. Bhd. Times House, River Valley Road,Singapore 9.

Hon. Secretary, Persatuan PerpustakaanSingapura (Library Association of S'pore),c/o University of Singapore Library, S'pore10.

Vice-President, Persatuan PerpustakaanSingapura, (Library Association of S'pore),c/o Singapore Polytechnic Library, PrinceEdward Road, Singapore 2.

Manager, Anthonian Store Ltd., 18, EverittRoad, Singapore 15.

Educational Trade Representative, Heine-mann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd., 28,Tang lin Halt Close, Singapore 3.

Director, Political Study Centre, 4, Good-wood Hill, Singapore 10.

Proprietor, Chopmen Enterprises, 47, TheArcade, (2nd Floor), Raffles Place, S'pore 1;Hon. Secretary, Singapore Book PublishersAssociation.

Managing Director, Donald Moore PressLtd., Orchard Road, Singapore 9; President,Singapore Book Publishers Association.

11

11

77. Alex Josey

78. Miss D. Manecksha

79. Mrs. Hedwig Anuar

80. Ralph E. Harris

81. Seow Ban Yam

82. Gordon Steve

83. David Kelley

84. Philip Slew

85. F. V. Rajendra

86. Saravanan Gopinathan

87. Mrs. Rosemary D. Yeap

88. James D. Mc Hale

89, Chow Seck Chiew

90. Kamthon Sathirakul

91. Barry K. Smith

92. Robert Jacobs

93. B. F. Neary

1110,

/111TI

almIMM

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414111.m.

Writer ana free-lance journalist, 87, CathayBuilding, Singapore 9.

Manager, Donald Moore Press Ltd., OrchardRoad, Singapore 9.

Director, National Library, Stamford Road,Singapore 6.

Asia Foundation, 714, Shaw House, OrchardRoad, Singapore 9.

Managing Director, Beacon PublicationsLtd., Block 56, 451-453, Lengkok Bahru,Singapore 3.

Div. Manager, Grolier Intonational, R. K.3, 10th Floor, international Building OrchardRoad, Singapore.

Regional Manager, McGraw-Hill Book Co.,17, Singapura Mansions, Peck Hay Road,Singapore.

Senior Officer (Printing/Publishing), Eco-nomic Development Board, 2nd Floor,Fullerton Building, Singapore 1.

Malaysia Publishing House Ltd., 71/77Stamford Road, Singapore 6.

Ass. Editor, Oxford University Press, Crafts-man Press Building, Tang lin Halt Close,Singapore.

Librarian, Singapore Polytachnic Library,Prince Edward Road, Singapore 2.

Cultural Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy, 30,Hill Street, Singapore.

Journalist, Utusan Melayu Press Ltd., CecilStreet, Singapore.

THAILAND

..11

General Manager, Suksapan Panit, Mansion9, Rajadamnern Ave., Bangkok, Thailand.

Teacher of Theatre Arts, Khonkaen Univer-sity, Khonkaen University, Khonkaen, Thai-land.

Regional Education Adviser, Off. of Reg.Devel, U.S. Embassy, Bangkok.

CANADA

President, Science Research Associates,(Canada), 44, Prince Andrew Place, DonMills, Canada.

12

12

THE ASIAN PUBLISHER: HIS PROBLEMSAND OPPORTUNITIES

byN. T. S. CHOPRA

Proprietor: Chopmen EnterprisesHon. Secretary. Singapore Book Publishers Assocraton

Chairman: National Book Development Council of Singapore

Views expressed in this paper are ex-pressed in my personal capacity and notin the official capacity of any organisationI may be connected with.

A book publisher in the developingcountries of Asia, has numerous problemsas well as unlimited opportunities today.

The thirst for knowledge is continu-ously increasing in Asia as in other partsof the world. There is greater and greaterdemand every day for all kinds ol books.

Problems: To understand the problems ofan Asian Publisher, we have to examinethe background situation of Asia. Most ofthe countries in Asia have been under for--;ign rule for a long time before becomingIndependent in recent years. The educationsystems in these countries were ge'Ioad tothe requirements of the ruling pow. °s. Thebooks used in the schools and other educa-tional institutions were mainly the importedones. So the foreign publishers were ableto establish themselves well ard fully inthe Asian countries. It is only when theAsian countries became independent notlong ago, that an Asian publisher emerged.Infect it is merely the force of circumstanceswhich created an Asian Publisher.

As soon as the Asian countries becameIndependent, naturally the Governmentsbrought about revolutionary changes in theeducation policies and syllabuses to meetthe new needs of the societies. Suddenlyall kinds of new books were required. Thiswas the opportunity for the enterpreneursto enter the publishing field.

An Asian Book publisher publishesbooks suitable for home market onlywhich in many cases is not largeenough. As a result the first edition

13

is very small and the production is noteconomical.

Purchasing power of the Asians isgenerally low which affects the sale ofbooks.

No matter how big the Publisheris his finances always remain inade-quate and he cannot even hope to getfinancial help from banks and the Gov-ernment for he has only books to offeras security which are not consideredgood enough for obvious reasons.

The publishing industry is noteven considered an Industry in manyAsian countries, and as such the bene-fits which are offered to the industrial-ists by the Government are not extend-ed to a book publisher.

Good writers are not easily avail-able in some countries of Asia speciallyfor university books.

Generally there is less readingconsciousness and book mindednessin the Asians.

In some countries of Asia modernprinting facilities are not available.

Asian publishers in many casesattach little or no importance to dis-tribution of books with the result thatsome very well produced books do notsell.

There are not enough libraries insome Asian countries with obvious d;s-advantages to the Asian publisher,

There is unnecessary delay in col-!action of bills by publishers which de-ters expanded reproduction.

13

In some Asian countries, there isa language problem. There are toomany languages to be looked after.

In some countries in Asia theattitude of the Governments towardsthe publishing industry is quite indif-ferent, so to say. They, encouragethe use of books which are the cheap-est in price whether it is imported ornot. In other words no protection isgranted to the book industry, even ifthe general policy in the country maybe to protect the local industries.

School textbooks in some coun-tries of Asia are produced by the Gov-ernments or Government aided agen-cies which deter the expansion ofpublishing in the private sector.

There are too frequent changes inthe syllabuses.

Pi lacy is quite common in someof the Asian countries. Copyright lawsare not strong enough.

Of course there are many many moreproblems for an Asian publisher. Many ofthe factors which cause problems are theones which give rise to opportunities aswell.

Solutions and Opportunities:

Solutions may be suggested and op-portunities can exist only when the Gov-ernments in the Asian countries can realisethat even in the smallest of the Asiancountries, the book industry is a multi-million dollar industry which must be pro-tected and patronised like any other indus-try and which must be given a definite placein the overall economic planning of thecountry.

Many of the problems of the Asianpublisher will he automatically solved if theGovernments encourage private enterprisein book publishing and take necessarysteps to ensure the use of local bookswherever available as textbooks speciallyin the schools. By publishing books foruse in schools the Governments will dis-courage the enterpreneurs to invest in thepublishing industry.

There is a danger that the capital willfly to other industries. So solutions must

be found to all the problems of an Asianpublisher before it is too late. Sacrificehas to bs made, if necessary, by the nationif the books produced locally are not cheapenough or the quality is not 100% satis-factory in the beginning. Infect to bringabout national consciousness it is neces-sary that the schools use textbooks pro-duced by Asian publishers, written by localauthors with local content, and printed illAsia.

It is surprising that in some countriesno faith is shown in local books and foreignbooks are still given preference for myster-ious reasons. If Asian countries can co-operate among themselves, I believe, theycan be self sufficient almost instantly inbooks for schools at least up to the SchoolCertificate level.

Solutions to many problems also lie inextending the market for books producedin Asia. Common syllabuses which arepossible in many subjects, if introduced inthe schools and Universities of the Asiancountries which are represented here atleast, can help us to widen the scope ofour markets and increase the volume of ourfirst editions. As a result the quality ofbooks will improve, costs would go downand the books will be priced low.

Free movement of books within Asiashould be encouraged and all restrictionsand import duties wherever those existshould be removed.

The foreign publishers should earngoodwill by helping the Asian publisher toget established fast, for sooner or later hewill be, with or without their help. Theyshould encourage joint publications andAsian reprints and paper back editions ofpopular general and text books. An Asianpublisher has to widen his horizon and thinkof the world market as his market.

There is a need to strengthen the copy-right laws in many of the Asian countriesand those indulging in piracy and othersuch acts should be severely punished.

Seminars such as these should be heldmore frequently and on special problemsseparately such as only on distribution orfinancing or production.

In some of the Asian countries greatefforts are being made to encourage reading

14

14

consciousness and book mindedness. Na-tional Book Development Councils havebeen formed in a few Asian countries in-cluding Singapore, and Malaysia, which willhelp to solve some of the problems of theAsian publishers.

There are unlimited opportunities forthe publishers in Asia where literacy is in-creasing very very fast. Infect there is adanger that due to lack of enough readingmaterial, the new literates may relapse intoilliteracy again. Proper planning for pro-ducing enough reading materiel for all agegroups is required.

In Singapore we are very fortunate inmany respects as far as the book publishingindustry is concerned. All those concern-ed know that we have enough books pro-duced by local publishers cheap andgood for use in the six classes of thePrimary Schools. There is absolutely noneed to use any imported books for theseclasses. In fact before long we may beself sufficient for books up to the SchoolCertificate level.

15

15

There is no shortage of good writersin Singapore. Rather there is not enoughencouragement and patronage given tothem. Most of the publishers here canvery well manage the finance even.

In Singapore we have some of the bestmodern printing facilities even for colour

oduction, and the printing costs are cheap-er as compared to most of the other coun-tries with similar facilities. Your visit tothe Jurong Factory of the McGraw-Hill FarEastern Publishers (Singapore) Ne. Ltd. onMonday, will convince you of not only veryhigh printing standards of Singapore butalso the extent of the volume of work at avery fast speed which is made possible bythe modern equipment which I am told hasbeen installed or will be installed at a hugecost. Similarly on ihe same day you willbe visiting the Times Printers, which haveso far been one of the best printers in thisregion.

A little cooperation among the Asianpublishers themselves will help a great &alto solve many of their problems. Oppor-tunities are tremendous. Let us work to-gether for common good.

THE ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS OFBOOK PUBLISHING

By CURTIS G. BENJAMIN

Formerly President and ChairmanMcGraw-Hill Book Company

Not long ago a friend of mine, a wiseand knowledgeable man, remarked wistfully,"Of one thing I'm firmly convinced: Youcan't fill book gaps with books," As anofficer of a large international organization,he had had opportunities to observe a num-ber of book development programs in sev-eral parts of the world over a twenty-yearperiod. Hearing his enigmmic remark, I hadexpected my friend to go on and say that hehad found the book gaps of the world to beso wide and so deep as to preclude anyhope that enough books ever could be pro-duced to fill them. But this simple cliche,which one so often hears, was not the bur-den of his thought.

What the remark meant, he explained,was that in his observation far too manybook development programs had failed be-cause they had concentrated on productionand neglected distribution and utilization.In too many cases, after thousands of des-perately needed books had been produced,it was discovered that far too many wereleft sitting in warehouses that there wereno suitable mechanisms or facilities for ef-fective movement of the books into thegaps. Nor were the gaps adequately pre-pared to receive the books and to makeeffective and compensatory use of them.

What my friend really meant, of course,was that book gaps cannot be filled bybooks alone that the supply of books, nomatter how plentiful, will not fill a country'sneed unless adequate marketing mechan-isms and sufficient distribution chennelshave been provided, and unless rewardinguse of the books is assured in the end.

I have referred to my friend's remarksfor two reasons: First to put the subjectof publishing into a properly broad economicperspective; second, to suggest that publis-hers everywhere have the responsibility toremind, constantly and forcefully, the plan-ners and movers of book development pro-grams that there is much more to successfulpublishing than the mere production of need-

16

ed books in the largest quantities that canbe afforded.

Now, I shall go even further and saythat publishers everywhere have the obliga-tion to make clear to all concerned the truenature of book gaps in most of our count-ries. I say "in most of our countries" be-cause only a very few countries, if any, canclaim that they have no book gaps of onekind or another. (Certainly we have severalserious ones in the United States.) Inthinking about these book gaps and in at-tempting to deal with them, it is importantthat all concerned make a clear distinctionbetween the real need and the effectivedemand for books. To the intelligent butuninformed outsider (and, indeed, to someinsiders who should know better) the bookgap has seemed to be simply a shortage ofbooks. This conclusion often has led tonarrowly planned aid programs designedonly to increase the quantity of books inprint programs designed only to increasethe quantity of books in print programssuch as the ones my friend was sighingover. Most of these programs have failed,or are failing, because in fact tha gap is bet-ween the effective market demand and thereal need. To put it another way, the creat-ed market demand has come nowhere nearto matching the national need. In a goodnumber of countries that have serious bookgaps, the book industry has the capacityto produce very nearly as many books as areneeded. In those countries the real prob-!em is to stimulate the consumers govern-mental, institutional, and private to wantand to use more books and to allocate tothe purchase of books sufficient financialresources to create effective market de-mands. This developmental strategy ispossible only through broadly based pro-grams and methods that are not oftenenough associated with mere "gap-filling"book production. All of us know that pu-blishing skills, printing facilities ,and pro-duction materials are of little value if sup-porting markets for the published productare not readily accessible and favourably

conditioned. We must keep this basic eco-nomic fact ever before us; moreover, wemust strive to make it clearly understood byour book-minded friends and colleagues ineducation, government, international orga-nizations, and private philanthropy.

Now, how does a nation create an ef-fective market demand for books? Howdoes it sustain the demand at a level thatwill support a viable book industry? In shorthow does it go about the task of reducingthe gap between the often seeminglylimitless national need for books and thelimited actual market for them?

In seeking the answers to these ques-tions, let us consider separately the severalmajor markets that form the economic foun-dation of the book industry in every nationof the world.

First and by far the most important, ofcourse ,is the education market the mar-ket for textbooks, reference books, and re-lated printed materials. Since others willlater discuss educational publishing in somedetail, I shall here confine myself to a fewpoints of economic relevance.

As we all know, the education marketusually is not only the largest but also themost profitable of all for indigenous bookindustries. Hence the development of thismarket is of primary importance in the de-velopment of a book industry that will ade-quately serve a nation's needs. In orderto develop an effective market demand, theeducational system must, of course, be or-ganized to encourage the use of books asbasic tools of instruction and to instill life-time reading habits in students. Further,as noted earlier, sufficient financial resourcesmust be allocated for the purchc__ of booksfor at least minimal use by all students,not just those of rich families. This meansthat the book component must be plannedand built in as a carefully integrated partof the total eeucational system. All toooften this is not done. All too often booksare presumed to be a basic educational ne-cessity, yet unlike other basics, their pur-chase is not adequately provided for.

It is hard to explain this neglect be-cause even in countries where educationalbooks are plentifully provided, their cost isonly a small fraction of the total cost ofthe educational system. Assuming your

forgiveness of my doing so, I shall cite therelative cost in my own country. In theUnited States in 1967, approximately $48.5billion was spent on education, includingboth public and private institutions fromkindergarten through the university graduatelevel. The expenditure for books and otherprinted educational materials, including lab-oratory manuals, workbooks, tests, etc.,was about $952 million. (Public, institu-tional, and private purchases of all kinds, in-cluding school and college library purchases,are counted in this total.) Thus the costof books was slightly less then 2 percentof the total expenditure on education forthe year.

The smallness of this fraction surprisesmany people both at home and abroad. Infact, some find it hard to believe. I ventureto say, however, that if the facts wereknown, the fraction would be even smallerin most other industrially developed coun-tries. Hence I am led to suggest that pub-lishers everywhere should emphasize thefact that in the economy of education thecost of books is actually a low factorvery low, certainly, in relation to the educa-tive value of books.

On the subject of educational costs,you as publishers may be interested inknowing that of the total cost of educationalbooks purchased in my country in 1967,only one-tenth represented the cost of copy-rights. This means that the copyright pro-prietors of all the books bought for educa-tional use received only two-tenths of 1

percent of the total education expenditure.The smallness of this fraction should becarefully pondered by educators, govern-ment officials, and all others in developingcountries who think that low-cost accessto copyrights will go a long way towardsolving their problems with education bud-gets. Surely, these people are closing theireyes to some hard economic facts of bothpublishing and education.

In final reference to the economic im-portance of the educational book market,I want to make an observation that is ad-mittedly both doctrinaire and debatable.This has to do with the nationalization oftextbook production in certain developingcountries. It seems plain that any sub-stantial engagement of a government aspublisher is bound to have a repressive in-fluence on the development of a private-

enterprise book industry. As noted above,in almost all developed countries the pro-duction of educational books is the main-stay of the publishing industry. I suggest,then, that wherever this economically im-portant area is preempted by the govern-ment, it will be very difficult for private in-dustry to serve adequately the nation's needfor other :f qssential books.

In making this statement, I know thatgovernmental production is the only way inwhich even minimal needs for textbookscan be met at present in certain developingcountries. But even in such cases, I stillwould support the validity of my point asan important consideration in a nation'stotal developmental plan.

In all the major publishing countries ofthe world, the library market ranks next tothe edwation market in economic impor-tance. It provides basic support for thepublication of many categories of essentialbooks, such as professional treatises,scholarly monographs, historical series, andseveral kinds of reference books, includingspecialized encyclopedias and dictionaries,bibliographies, indexes, glossaries, directo-ries, and statistical guides. Without a sub-stantial library market, many importantworks of such character cannot be publish-ed. Thus it follows that the economic via-bility of a large sector of a nation's bookindustry (a large section of the hidden partof the iceberg) depends directly upon thesize and purchasing power of the libraries.

Nowhere has the economic importanceof this relationship been more amply de-monstrated than in the United States.Therefore, I shall again ask your indulgenceof my citing our own experience. As every-one here must know, the sales of our bookindustry have soared and profits have in-creased substantially in the psst decade.(Indeed, for the first time in our history,book publishing has come to be lookedupon as an attractive commercial industryand not a form of gambling like horse rac-ing.) Much of the reason for this salutorychange lies in the greatly increased affluenceof U.S. libraries. The record speaks for it-self: In 1959 our library purchases of bookstotaled approximately $94 million; in 1968the total was approximately $392 milliona fourfold increase! A large part of thisincrease was in federal (i.e. central) govern-ment expenditures, many of which had to

be matched by local expenditures. Thefederal government's aid to nonfederal lib-raries for the purchase of books and otherprinted materials was increased in the de-cade from $2.3 million to approximately$200 million annually. This great increasereflected a most welcome change in publicpolicy, something which came with a rushin the second half of the decade. (As anaside, I can say as one who was involvedin its genesis that this change in govern-mental policy was not come by easily.)

In this connection you may be interest-ed to note in passing that our "NationalLibrary Week" is widely credited for stimu-lating the increased governmental supportof our library systems. As many of youknow, this highly successful annual pro-gram for the promotion of the high value ofbooks and reading is jointly sponsored bythe American Library Association and ourbook industry trade associations. Whatsome of you may not know is that the ideaof a national library week was originallyconceivee and successfully promoted by oneof our great book publishers, the late HaroldGinzberg.

In a broader view, I want here to notethat the cultural, educational, and ecnnomicdevelopment of any country goes hand inhand with the development of adequate lib-rary services to the population at large. WRhave already noted that library purchasesare basic to the development of an eco-nomically viable book industry. Here pub-lic-service and commercial interests areclosely interlocked and interdependent; one6lement cannot thrive without the other. I

recommend, therefore, that this conferenceembrace the proposition that the welfare oflibraries and of the book industry are iden-tical and mutually supportable, and that lib-rarians and book publishers should workclosely together at all times and in all things.

A third book market of major economicimportance is that for practical books andmanuals for workers and trainees in agri-culture, commerce, industry, and govern-ment service. Though substantial in mostcountries, this market is highly fragmented,is difficult to measure, and is somewhatdifficult to reach. Usually it must be soldby newspaper, magazine, and direct-maadvertising, plus personal selling throughformal training programs, plus promotionthrough specialized booksellers. This area

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Is

of publishing is, of course, of critical im-portance to the economic development ofany nation.

A fourth important market is generatedby myriad individual purchases of generalreference books for everyday use en-cyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, almanacs,and the like. As all publishers know, suchworks are sold in astonishing numbers inmany of the less as well as all of the moreeconomically affluent countries of the world.This extensive market usually is reached bydoor-to-door selling on subscription and in-stallment payment plans. It is an impor-tant factor, of course, in supplying a pop-ulation with informa educational and infor-mational tools.

A fifth book market of some economicimportance is that for literary works fic-tion and nonfiction, produced for the generalpublic and read for their recreational, cul-tural, intellectual, and spiritual values. Itrepresents the publicly visible part of thebook-industry iceberg, and as such it holdsthe spotlight of public attention. Yet itusually is the least profitable sector of thebook industry. Its nature is somewhatamorphous and shifting; thus it is difficultto fix and measure. It is supported largelyby sales through booksellers, book clubs,and lending libraries. Everywhere its eco-nomic health is dependent, of course, uponthe educational level of the population.

In many countries still another majormarket is created by effective demands forchildren's books. These demands usuallyare !elated to educational efforts; thus child-ren's books represent a substantial com-ponent of educational book requirements.In some countries school libraries providethe basic support of children's books.Everywhere bookshops, newsstands, andgift shops provide general access to themarket. In all parts of the world children'sbooks are of national importance in foster-ing literacy and the priceless habit of read-ing not to mention the beautiful joy theygive the young.

Returning now to my purpose in des-cribing the major book markets, I want tosuggest that any country with a serious in-terest in developing a nationally serviceablebook industry should study the economicsof each market area separately. In each,close attention should be given to the reali-

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ties of potential supply and effective de-mand. Only thus can the requirements ofeach area be grasped and measured. Andthus it becomes possible to put together anational synthesis, and then to assign actionpriorities based on needs balanced by eco-nomic feasibility.

This kind of economic analysis andplanning, to be sure, requires a large na-tional effort. It can best be done, I sug-gest, as a joint effort between governmentand private-sector interests, with educators,librarians, and other professional peoplehaving a large part in the undertaking. Inmany cases the finest result of such na-tional planning would be the blocking ofextravagently conceived and economicallyimpossible programs for filling book gapsthat cannot be filled with books alone.

So much perhaps too much forthe basic importance of the economy ofmarkets. Let us next consider a few otheraspects of publishing economy that are toooften overlooked in planning book develop-ment programs.

First in logical order comes the eco-nomy of manufacture. Here it is of primaryimportance to note that the factor of mate-rials usually is more critical than machineryor labor. Paper, inks, and binding mate-rials usually are in short supply and haveto be heavily imported by developing coun-tries. This involves problems of cost andforeign-currency exchange, with which allof us are painfully familiar. Often importduties are also imposed. Many nations thatdesperately need low-priced books have im-posed substantial import duties on bookmanufacturing materials, yet have allowedduty-free import of manufactured books.Clearly, this senseless behavior not onlyhandicaps indigenous publishing and print-ing, it also broadly hinders educational andeconomic development.

Here it may be useful to touch on an-other germane point of manufacturing eco-nomy, namely, the frequent exaggeration ofthe economies of scale in book production.Around the world far too many uninformedpeople have been led to believe that bookscan be manufactured dirt-cheap if onlyenough copies can be printed at a time.Everyone here knows that this simply isnot so, that actually the point of diminishedsavings is quickly reached in scaled-up pint-

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ings. We know that certain fixed costsper copy are the same, no matter whether1,000 or 100,000 copies are printed; thatfor the average book, savings in unit costquickly diminish for printings beyond 10,000copies. Hence, we publishers have an ob-ligation, I think, to impress upon public offi-cials, educators, and all others interested inbook development programs the plain factthat no economic miracles are possible here.I myself never miss an opportunity to sur-prise interested persons by stating the sizeof the median printing of McGraw-Hill books.Last year it was less than 4,000 copies forhard-bound titles and we printed morethan 18 million copies of hard-bound booksduring the year.

Next comes the economy of distribu-tion, about which I shall first remark theobvious: that no book publishing industryanywhere can adequately serve a nation'sneeds without the support of a sound andefficient network of competent wholesalersand retailers. Yet in most countries littleattention is given even by publishersto the economic welfare of such a distribu-tion system. Far too often publishers andbooksellers alike are guilty of irregular trad-ing practices that create havoc in the mar-ketplace practices that cause hostilityand distrust where harmony and mutualhelp should be the rule. Disrupted and un-economic distribution is hurtful, obviously,to the public interest as well as to the bookindust y. It seems, then, that publisherseverywhere (with only a few countries ex-cepted) have a special obligation to workmuch harder at the elimination of unfair,disruptive, and hurtful trade practices.

Next, and closely related to distribution,comes the economy of transport. This isfar more important to the book industrythan the casual observer might think. In-deed, the foregoing proposition can be ex-tended by saying that no book distributionsystem anywhere can function well with-out fast, safe, and low-cost shipping faci-lities. Governments that want more booksat lower costs made readily available tothe total population can help with this prob-lem by providing preferred postal rates andsubsidized freightage; also, by protectingagainst pilferage and other dishonest andunlawful occurrences in transport. In manya country the lack of economic and depend-able transport has by itself confined bookmarkets to one or two large metropolitancenters. What a pityl

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Now a few words about the economicsof working capital. I have saved this untilthe last because in many countries it pre-sents the most important, yet the leastrecognized, problem of the book publishingindustry. It is especially, acute, of course,in developing countries where owned capitalis scarce and borrowed capital is hard tocome by even at the highest rates of in-terest.

Everywhere in the world, even in themost affluent countries, most book pub-lishers have to go to their bankers at leastonce or twice a year. Often it is a year-around, never-ending visit. And almosteverywhere bankers look upon publishingloans with eyes that are colder than usual,and publishers have to pay higher than usualinterest rates. Unfortunately, in most coun-tries of the world book publishing is notlooked upon as a prime business risk. Incertain developing countries, publishers payrates as high as 20 to 40 percent on fullysecured shorl-term commercial loans.

The chief cause of this financial stressis, of course, the slowness in turnover ofthe publisher's working capital. Undereven the most favorable conditions, pre-publication investments (largely editorialexpense) turn over about once in two years,inventory investments about once a year,and receivables about four times a year.(In the United States the major item, in-ventories, presently turns over 1.3 timesper year; in the major European countriesthe rate is considerably lower.)

Naturally, borrowing capita; to financethis kind of business operation puts a hurt-ful squeeze on publishers throughout theworld. The squeeze is especially hurtfulin developing countries, where it has severalgrievous effects, some of which are readilyobsbrvable and some not.

First, the squeeze causes short-runprintings, which result, of course, in higherunit costs and higher consumer prices. Toooften books must be produced and pricedfor quick get-out on one printing only, andthus the price and profit advantages of low-cost second printings are lost. And thus,also, many a good book is lost to continu-ing public use.

Second, for time-money savings, manybooks are sent to press before they are

ready. Thus editorial quality is sacrificed.This is especially lamentaNe in the produc-tion of textbooks.

Third, funds for announcement and pro-motion expense following publication areoften curtailed. This is hurtful to desiredpublic awareness as well as sales.

Fourth, the need to turn slow-movinginventory into catth often prompts unsoundbusiness practices, such as special dis-counts and dumping in bargain markets,which are demoralizing to the book tradeas a whole.

Fifth, publishers are motivated to filltheir lists with "quickie" sensational booksand to forgo more solid and more badlyneeded books that require larger and longer-term capital investment,

In view of all these hurtful conse-

quences of high-cost working capital, itseems that all governments of developingcountries and all interested internationalorganizations and public-interest foundationsshoule pay much more attention to thefinancial need of indigenous book publish-ing enterprises. A curing of this basiceconomic debility would quickly cure manyof the related secondary ailments that havereceived to date much more attention. Itis encouraging, however, to observe thatseveral influential and resourceful organiza-tions are now expressing knowledgeableinterest in the problem. They includeUNESCO, the World Bank's !nternationalFinance Corporation, and a number of re-gional and national developmental banks.Now we can hope that these organizationsare at last beginning to see that every developing country is as much in need of low-cost capital for its book industry as for itshydraulic dams, its highways and railroads,and its industrial pipots - including evenits paper mills and plinting plants.

STATISTICAL INFORMATION

U.S. Library Expenditures for Books(In millions of U.S. dollars - estimated)

Library Classification 1968 1965 1963 1961 1959Public $ 91.1 $ 73.6 $ 54.9 $ 44.0 $ 34.0College and University 125.5 76.9 51.8 37.9 24.0Special Purpose 20.3 17.3 13.0 13.2 11.5School 155.0 93.3 69.5 41.0 24.3

Totals $391.9 $261.1 $189.2 $136.1 $ 93.8

(Source: The Bowker Annual)

U.S. Federal Govarnment Expenditures for Books(In millions of U.S. dollars - estimated)

1968 1965 1963 1961 1959$200.0 $ 27.0 $ 15.0 $ 14.0 $ 2.3

(Source: U.S. Office of Education)

Financial and Operating Ratios(Annual statistical reports of 58-70 U.S. publishers)

1967 1966 1965 1964 1963

Net Sales - % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0Gross Margin on Sales % 50.0 50.0 49.3 48.4 47.4Operating Expense - % 43.4 41.2 421 41.9 41.6Profit Taxes - % 5.2 6.3 5.8 5.2 4.3afterSales per $ of Investment $1.70 $2.06 $1.72 $1.82 $1.78% Return on Investment 9.8 12.4 9.1 7.8 7.4

March 1969

21

THE BOOK IN THE CONTEXT OF NATION-BUILDINGby

GEORGE G. THOMSON

Director, Political Study Centre, Singapore

May I first of all say what a greatpleasure it is to see s.h a crowded roomconcentrating on the inanimate cause ofanimate thinking, namely the book. I havealways felt in Singapore that the book hasbeen a much under-rated, a much under-used and a much under-produced article.In fact, the first thing to which family plan.fling seems to apply in Singapore is to thechildren of the mind rather than the childrenof the body. Now that you are assembledas an anti family planning group for thechildren of the mind, I am indeed happy tohave accepted this invitation, though re-cently-given, and to come and speak toyou, and I note that although you are de-votees of the word, you only expect 15minutes of words from me; and in a truedemocratic context, have arranged for dis-cussion to be quite as long as the presen-tation. This I happily accept, but yourSecretary, Mr. Chopra has been pointing outto me that whereas I had thought you brokeoff at 3.30 this afternoon, you are here infact until 5.00 p.m., and I am therefore theprisoner of your brain-picking aptitude thiswhole afternoon. As a sacrificial vitcim forthat length of time, may I again say thatI am happy to be here.

To talk on such a wide theme in sucha short time is indeed difficult, particularlywhen it is a subject so congenial and somuch to one's heart, but as there is plentytime for discussion, let me paint with verybroad lines and leave you either to alterthe main lines or fill in the details accordingto your inclinations.

It is in the context of nation-building,that the book should come alive. If na-tion-building needs more thinking, moreanalysis, more exposition, the book mustplay its part. I want in the first part tosay what the problem is; and only secondlyto volunteer I come to the diminuendobecause you are experts on the booksome reasons why the book rather thanthe radio and television and other means

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of communications must play a predominantpart. Let me start very broadly by sayingquite bluntly if not originally that we are inan age of revolution, an age of change, anage when men's minds cannot be the crea-tures of habit. You can't live by old habitsin a new world, and it is basically in thiscontext, it seems to me, tnat this worldrevolution is set. Remember that we inAsia are experiencing simultaneous revolu-tions. The history of the West has beena history of revolutions, but taken in easystrides, its political revolution, then its in-dustrial revolution, its social revolution andthen its technological revolution. All thesefour revolutions have rushed into Asia since1947 to be used by new hands in newcircumstances with new urgencies and fornew purposes. So it is the simultaneityof these rlvolutions that is distinctive.Secondly, it is the fundamental nature ofthe revolutions. The great agony of Asiansocieties today is to unveil, to define self-consciously what is distinctive in their tra-ditional souls and preserve what is ancientand stable within them, in the new thrustingand ever changing world which has comewith the technological revolution. They aremultiple revolutions and they are simul.taneous revolutions and they are inevitablerevolutions. They are not revolutions ofchoice. They are not revolutions that menhaw.; tiken voluntarily. It is the process ofhistory, a process of God, a process of na-ture don't let me get theological at thisstage. But it is a process. If it is a pro-cess of God, I always remember what apawky Scotsman once said, 'If it is a pro-cess, if God's will must be done, then letus help him all we can.'

What is it that we are concerned within the age of nation-building? Yesterdaymorning after a lecture, I was asked thequestion 'what is it that inhibits nation-building in Singapore?'; as if it was some .thing which others had already done, some-thing which we have already done andtherefore, what we could easily repeatedly

do, but for some reason, defect of will orof intelligence, it was not being done.Remember this is something new: Asia, andthe new countries with which we are con-cerned in this conference are concernedwith three things: first self analysis. Wehave got to realise the fundamentals of ourproblems. It is only when things change,that one challenges them and analyses them.Secondly, there must be self-expression.What is this Asian soul? What is a Malay-sian soul? What is a Singapore personal-ity? Things never defined before have nowto be defined; and you can see the role thatthe book plays in this. Having expressedthe self, the self must be organised; thatis a two way process, one of self discovery,self expression of setting the pattern; andthen the pattern having been set, commu-nication of it in terms of democracy. Asiais not exchanging one elite for another. TheAsian people have been brought on to thestage as the revolutionary chorus and refuseto be pushed off again without education,without health, without security and withoutpower. They have been brought on thestage to stay: and therefore the greatestproblem of mass literacy the world has everseen has arisen since 1947.

The nation is the natural group in thenew pattern of the world. I leave that witha full stop, because otherwise I give you sixleci:ures; and there isn't time for that. Letme briefly make the categorical assertion,that the nation is a group of common 'n-terests and with a common way of life. I

think the best way I can illustrate this prob-lem is to go to that greatest of all bookwriters, that man who has created moreprofits for more book publishers for morecenturies than any other, the gentleman ofStraford-on-avon William Shakespeare; (orperhaps the claim should be made for 'Bib lelThe anonymous). But William Shakespearehas a name. He said that 'all the world'sa stage and all the men and women merelyplayers.' This is what it seems to me ishappening in the world today. New peoplehave got new roles on new stages, writingnew plays and with new vocabularies, andit seems to me that it is in this setting thatthe book has to play its part. You maysay why do I put it so melodramatically?But we all in society have a role: the bookpublisher has his image of himself that hetries to live up to, the soldier, the sailor,the politician, the artist each have theirown image, each have their role to play, and

so when we think today in these terms, itseems to me here again the book comesplum into the picture in creating this formof personality in the perpetual human dramaof human history. Let me just give you twoexamples quickly; for after all in 15 minutesyou cannot expect much but generalisation;you must provide the details for yourselvesor draw them out of me. One new image wehave got in Singapore is the patriot. Youcan't have a patriot until you have a nation.Once you have a nation, the nation is some-thing to fight, something to die for if neces-sary, and therefore patriot, a proud wordin the English language, has got to buildits own association, not an airy insubstan-tially nothing, but that for which a man putshis own life at stake in the interest of hiscountry. In terms of this imagination, wecan help ourselves actively by learning fromother nations. It is the essence of com-munication that we have to drawn on theexperience of others, but not to an extentwhich drowns our own experience, or soinhibit us from expressing ourselves becausewe cast the mind and match against themight and majesty and mass of learningwhich has gone before.

A second example we in Singapore areconcerned with our problem of urban re-newal, rebuilding a city in the shape of aFlorence or a Venice, to make Singapore aplace of beauty visually, a place of whichpeople are proud, in which people are proudto live, a place to which tourists are proudto come; and having come as to Rome orFlorence, Agra or a Peking, will rememberwith delight their days with us, and takeaway with delight their recollections in orderto share them with others.

If we see nation-building not as some-thing completely new, not as something tobe taken off the shelf of an emporium andmake in another country, then it seems tome the self-expression in the book, thecommunication of the book, the disciplinewhich comes through the reading of thebook and accepting the logic and purposesof the book, play an essential part in thisclimate of nation-building. When we talkof nation-building in the singular, let usremember nation-building in the plural.There are 126 nations in the United Nationstoday, each has its own state, its own lan-guage, setting its own role for the future;yet we must not impinge on each other,otherwise national confusions will frustrate

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national construction. And here I thinkthat in the lack of a universal language,although English is slowly moving into thatrole, one of the major functions of the bookin the world of democracy in which eachman is largely the prisoner of the countryof his birth, is to get into communicationwith others. You cannot buy in Singaporean anthology which will let us into the mindsof the people of Burma: you cannot buy inSingapore, an anthology which will let Eng-lish-speaking people into the minds of theThai. This is the essence of translationagainst the arrogance of those who write inone language and do not encourage trans-lation. This is a field it seems to me inwhich you have an essential roie. Wheredoes the book fit into this as a preferablemethod, not the only method, because I

always ask when I hear of audio visual aids,who aids who? Is the audio-visual aidingthe book or has the book merely in theage MacLuhan become the passive servant-in-aid to the audio-visual medium, the bookof the play, the book of the film, the bookof th,. television programme, the book which,when all else fails, one picks up as a lastresort, I think we have got to keep theprimacy of the book, otherwise the onlydifference between us and the ancientEgyptian is that the ancient Egyptian hadstatic hieroglyphics, and we have animatedhieroglyphics and the book in neither canplay its essential role. But the essence ofthe book it seems to me lies in threechoices. First the choice of speed. For allthat the educators and the mass mediumtries to strike the happy medium of thepace of absorption, each of us have a diffe-rent rate of absorption. The book ideallysuited to the level of intelligence, to thespeed of adoption of each individual. Apartfrom the speed, there is the time of adop-tion. It is learning immediately available.The second which come into focus is thatthe book has an element of choice. In this

age of universal knowledge, all man cannotknow all things of all themes, and yet wedon't want people to follow experts on aprefabricated and pre-built road. Men doesnot want to be a bus, or a tram; he mustbe a camel wandering as widely as possiblewherever his inclination leads him. Andthis is v.that the book with its infinite varietycompared with the time table limitations ofthe radio, or television or any other of themediums can give: it gives man the basicfreedom of choice. There is truth still inthe old Victorian belief that you look at aman's library and you read his interests,you read his character, you read the depthof intelligence, from the books that you sawon his shelf. The third choice that we haveis the choice of expression. How many ofus can get on to T.V.? How many of usget on to the radio? How many of us canfill a hall and get the audience there? butone pen, one paper, one typewriter, thenwe can express ourselves without the diffi-culties of learning another medium. Andas the book is essentially a duality of ex-perience a two-way traffic, it seems to methat the book has its crucial role in thedemocratic multilogue.

have not spoken to you about theproblems of mass literacy and the like.This I am sure you all have and they wouldnot be new to you, but if we see a worldengaged on the largest exercise in self dis-covery, self expression and self-organisation,then you who are concerned with the accessto the mind of the men and women of thisnew world, the world at its most disturbed,the world at its most turbulent, the worldat its most democratic, the world at itsgreatest potential in the technological age,you can really feel that if you are not thepriests of the modern work, at least youare the prayer book publishers of the mod-ern world. Let us then have more prayerbooks for a confident future.

PUBLISHING BOOKS FOR CHILDRENby

HENRY Z. WALCK

PresidentHenry Z. Walck Inc.

This paper will be limited to a descrip-tion of juvenile book publishing in theUnited States and, for the most part, to theareas that are different from other publish-ing specialties. Statistics will be takenfrom reports compiled for the AmericanBook Publishers' Council and for the Ameri-can Educational Publishers' Institute, TheBowker Annual of Library and Book In-formation or from estimates prepared bythe statistician for The American BookPublishers' Council. Opinions will be myown and I take sole responsibility for them.

In our country, children's books areconsidered essential supplements to text-books. Learning to read is a prerequisiteof all formal learning. The textbook is thetool for teaching the basic reading skill.Children's books provide additional readingmaterial for practice and for enjoyment. Amajor purpose of juvenile books is to helpthe child discover that reading is fun.

Children's books supplement textbooksin many ways. Picture books stimulateinterest in art and creativity. My own com-pany publishes several books without anytext but with the story clearly told in pic-tures. They are intended for use by pre-school children but they have also beenused to teach creative writing in the thirdgrade mostly nine-year-old children.

Some books are to be read in advanceof formal study in order to create motivat-ing interest in the subject For example,one of our own books called LINES ANDSHAPES starts with familiar sights like rain-bows, tabletops, bridges etc., and providesan exciting introduction to the concepts ofgeometry. Children enjoy reading it a fewyears before beginning the study of geome-try.

Easy-to-read, high-interest-level booksare for the below-average reader who mightbe discouraged and refuse to read the "chil-

dish" stories of his reading level. Alsothere are books at a higher-than-averagereading level to stimulate and challengemore capable children.

Children's book publishers must keepalert to educational needs. These needshave been changing rapidly in the past fewdecades. The use of machinery to replaceunskilled labor means that all children mustreceive more than the old-time minimumeducation. The rapid increase in totalavailable knowledge means that the childhas more to learn during his schoo! years.The ease and speed with which peoplemove about the world requires a broaderknowledge of other peoples and other partsof the world. My house is particularly in-terested in such books and over 40% of thebooks on our list are of foreign authorship.

You will agree, I am sure, that mostof the work and responsibilities of children'sbook editors is quite similar to that ofadult trade book editors. Encouraging andworking with the authors steering themtoward saleable projects seeing that theauthors maintain a high standard of writingand so on are as important in juvenile de-partments as in trade.

There are also editorial matters moreor less peculiar to children's books. Thewriting must show that the author reallyknows children and their interests, and hemust be able to reach children with hiswords.

When considering a new author, it isimportant to feel convinced that the authorwill be able to continue writing books ofequal or better quality. If children like abook, they want to read others by the sameauthor 10 a greater extent than adults do.

It is necessary that the subject matterof the book be suitable for the age groupand of interest to that group. An attempt

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to have a book fit in several age groupsrisks being of interest to none of them.

In books of fiction we want to be surethat the characters are credible and thatthe hero's reactions are genuine and under-standable. The reader should be able toidentify himself with the hero.

Outside editorial judgement by expertsin the field is often obtained for non-fictionmanuscripts. Frequently this will coverillustrations as well as text. Age-level isparticularly important in non-fiction books.The subject must be suitable for the age-level for which it is written but the materialmust not be over-simplified for that level.It must, of course, be unbiased and up-to-date.

No doubt you as well as we considerthat the illustrations and the design of thebook are of utmost importance in juveniles.In our country, fe-r the very lowest age-levelbooks the author and illustrator are fre-quently the same person or a husband-wifeteam. There have, however, been happycollaborations between author and artist,previously unknown to each other,

The size and shape of the book canvary greatly within a maximum dictatedby library shelving and fl minimum whichgoes into a shoplifter's pocket too easily. Insome publishing houses the Editor-in-Chiefis also the Art Director. In my opinion, aseparate Art Director should be under thesupervision of the Editor-in-Chief who hasoverall responsibility for each book publish-ed.

The size of type and the leading arepossibly more important in the UnitedStates than in some other countries, Wefeel that books for the very young needlarge type on a short line and with amplewhite space between the lines. Books forthe older age-level should approach adultbooks in appearance, but we min use ampleleading to provide good separation betweenthe line. The book should look appealingand pleasant to read. We never "bulk"a book to make it look like more for themoney. Some children look for a thin bookwith the feeling that it will not take toolong to read it.

In our country most children obtaintheir books from libraries, and we estimate

that libraries account for 85-90% of thejuvenile books sold. As recently as tenyew :~o, Sic then one out of three pri-r ,lementary schools had libraries,

libraries had full responsibili-f, Jing books for the school's

, system was less efficient thanhave been. Different locations

u.o-operation between teachers andlibrarians difficult and reduced the child'senthusiasm for seekirg the extra readingmaterial. Also, under local laws, schoolfunds and library funds usually came fromdifferent budgets and sometimes from adifferent form of taxation. It was not al-ways easy to co-ordinate programs so thatthe library books were available to supple-ment the formal teaching program. Mastimportant of all, there were not encughpublic libraries and their collections weranot large enough.

Our educators now consider it essen-tial that every school from first year uphave a library, and librarians have set aminimum standard for such libraries of tenbooks per child, Some of our schools havenot yet reached this standard, but we aremaking progress. Major obstacles toachievement are continuing shortages ofboth librarians and funds.

Starting in 1965, the federal govern-ment has made funds available for educa-tion, with library books included. This hasspeeded up the development of schoollibraries and permitted most to increase thesize of their collections. School librariesare now the largest consumer of children'sbooks and probably buy 65% or more ofthe total, We estimate public libraries buyan additonal 20-25% of children's bookssold.

This shift to school libraries as themajor market has brought changes in thepromotion advertising and selling of chil-dren's books. There are fewer than 1,000bookstores in the U.S. selling higher-pricedchildren's books. There are fewer than10,000 public libraries, but more than 100,-000 schools.

Most school and public libraries pur-chase children's books from whole-salers.Some purchase direct from publishers anda few buy from bookstores. Bookstoresbuy mostly from publishers and very littlefrom wholesalers. But regardless of the

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channel through which the books move tothe consumer, the publisher must createthe demand.

Space advertising of children's booksis not very important. Most publishers ad-vertise the spring books, and again theautumn books, in single list advertisements.Advertisements covering a single title or afew closely related titles are often placedin magazines like the School Library Journalbut they are rare indeed in newspapers.Juvenile book departments spend about23% of their advertising and promotionbudgets for space advertising, but adulttrade departments use 52% for such ad-vertising.

Samples are an important factor in ajuvenile publisher's promotion and an aver-age of six to seven hundred copies peititle are used this way. Reviewers fornewspapers, magazines and radio stationsreceive copies, but from 85-9070 of thesamples are examination copies for schoolsand libraries. Some states have committeesexamine all books E ubm itted and preparereports on them or, in some cases, an ap-proved list is issuod. Large cities preparelists for their uwn use. Recently somesmaller communities have been developingregional library systems to perform thisst rvice,

There are many varieties of schemesfor exarlining hooks and publisher mustsend axamination copies to each agencyor committee.

Recommendations by cevioin journalsand non-commarcial organizations ifelp in-fluence librarians in their purchasing. Ajoint committee of the American LibraryAssociation and The Children's Book Coun-cil has chosen the most important agenciesend assigned standard one or two lettercodes to them. For example. WC = Wil-son Children's Catalogue U SchoolLibrary Journal BE = ALA Basic BookCollection for Elementary Grades. It is use-ful to print these codes for each book listedin catalogues and circulars. A title with along list of recommendation codes is almostcertain to be successful.

Circulars and catalogues are the mostimportant way of promoting children'sbooks. Some publishers mail circulars eachmonth of the school year but frequently limit

the mailing to large schools. I prefer to mailabout foJr circulars during the school yearto more schools. Our mailing list nowhas over 80,000 names. Catalogues andcirculars may vary in amount of descriptiongiven to each title but certain vital informa-tion should always be shown. The author,title and price should appear, f course, andalso, the year of U.S. publication, the pagesize and number of pages, and the codeletters indicating recommendations for thatbook. Juvenile publishers spend 42% oftheir promotion and advertising budgets forcirculars and catalogues but adult tradepublishers use only 17% of their budgetsfor this purpose.

Generally the catalogues and circularswill be "graded". Titles are grouped insections. Kindergarten through Third Grade;Fourth through Sixth Grade; Sevenththrough Ninth Grade and Tenth throughTwelfth Grade, to correspond to schoolgrades. My firm issues such a catalogue,and in addition we include a symbol to in-dicate those titles that are also suitable forthe grade immediately above the one inwhich the book is listed.

A substantial amount of the publicizingand promotion of children's books is doneby The Children's Book Council, which is anon-profit trade association with 89 pub-lisher members. Its activities are support-ed by membership dues and the sale ofmaterials on a non-profit basis. Its functionis to encourage the reading and enjoymentof children's books.

One important activity of The Chil-dren's Book Council is to promote andsupervise National Children's Book Weekusually the first week in November eachyear. Newspapers issue special Children'sBook Supplements reviewing new autumnbooks. Some radio coverage is obtainedand most libraries and schools have someform of Book Week program. The Councilproduces and sells attractive Book Weekmaterials such as posters, mobiles, etc.

In the late spring The Children's BookCouncil produces special posters and othermaterial to encourage children to read dur-ing the summer school vacation. In the au-tumn it assists various communities aroundthe country in holding book fairs. Fourtimes a year it publishes the CBC Calendar,giving news about books and reading. I

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have samples of some of these materialswith me for you to examine, if you like.If any of you are interested in receivingnew material issued by the Council I canarrange to have your name put on its list.

Books On Exhibit is a commercial or-ganization which provides standard exhibitsof new books, from many different publish-ers, for schools. A small school may havean exhibit for about two weeks but largeones may kerp it for several months. Teach-ers and pupils as well as parents are en-couraged to examine books in the exhibit.The publisher pays a fee for each title in-cluded and supplies enough free copies forall exhibits. Each school pays the cost ofshipping the exhibit to the next school.

You may be interested in some furtherstatistics on U.S. children's book publish-ing. In 1958 there were 70 member firmsin The Children's Book Council now thereare 89 members an increase of 27%.Ten years ago, 1,522 new children's bookswere published. In 1967, 2,711 new titlescame out an increase of 78%. In 1958children's book sales were estimated at$54,100,000. In 1967, estimated sales were$169,000,000. an increase of 212%.

Juvenile books have a long life andrelatively large sale. 20% of the averagejuvenile department sales are of books pub-lished during the current year and SO% aresales of older titles. For adult trade de-partments the ratios are 55% for new booksand only 45% for older titles.

Plant costs of juvenile books are high,particularly for multi-color books, but whenspread over the total copies ultimately sold,the plant cost averages a smaller percent-age of sales than for adult trade books4.4% against 6.3% of sales,

On the other hand, production costs(paper, presswork and binding) are nothelped much by the larger total sale be-cause this sale is obtained over a longperiod of time. Storage costs, interest andinsurance expense soon exceed the savingthat could be obtained from running largerquantities. Also color printing and thesturdy bindings raquired by libraries add tocosts. Total production costs averageabout 36% of sales for juvenile and 32%for adult trade books.

Royalty costs are considerably lower-- 11.2% against 17.6% of sales for adult

ade books.

Subsidiary rights income on children'sbooks is low 2.6% of sales compared to10.5% of sales for adult trade books. Per-haps this helps explain the royalty expenseon adult trade books. There may be atendency to overpay authors of books withhigh potential for subsidiary rights income.

Editorial and manufacturing overheadsfor children's books take 4.8% of the salesdollar which is considerably less thn the8.0% for adult trade books. This is a directresult of the fact that children's books livelonger and on the average sell more copiesper title. It is not necessary to publish asmany new books to obtain a given volume

' of sales.

There is also a big difference in adver-tising, promotion and publicity expenses:juvenile 6.9% of sales, and adult trade12.6%. The larger subsidiary-rights incomeof adult trade departments may be a factorhere, too. A large advertising campaign tomake a book popular can be uneconomicalfrom a strictly publishing standpoint butprofitable if the boor sold to a movieproducer.

During 1967 the average juvenile de-partment earned 6.8% of sales, net profitafter taxes, but the average adult trade de-partment earned only 2.9% net. Elementaryand secondary textbook publishers made anaverage net profit of 7.3%.

To simmarize: In the United States,children's books are educational books butnot textbooks. Children's book departmentsare similar to adult trade departments inmany respects but are also closely relatedto textbook departments and largely de-pendent upon school budgets for their in-come. Children's books promotion andmarketing is quite different from either text-books or adult trade books. And last butnot least children's book publishing is moreprofitable than adult trade and nearly asprofitable as textbook publishing.

Thank you very much.

PUBLISHING TEXTBOOKS FOR ELEMENTARY ANDSECONDARY SCHOOLS

byKENNETH W. LUND, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President and Editor-in-ChiefScott, Foresman and Company

The commitment to providing educa-tional opportunity for all children is one ofthe cornerstones of our current nationalpurpose. In sheer numbers we seem to bemaking remarkable progress toward thatgoal with some 60 million students andteachers (30% of our population) engagedin formal education. To accomplish thistask we spend some 50 billion dollars, usinglocal, state and federal tax resources. Inaddition, we use private resources to edu-cate about 8 million students in private andparochial elementary and secondary schools,and we have a substantial portion of ourcollege and university enrolment in non-public institutions financed in large part bytuition payments from parents.

Yet it is safe to say that the educationalsystem in our country is under attack frommany directions as it strains to keep pacewith the changing needs of our society, andto remove the glaring inequities as one sec-tion of our country suffers in contrast withanother section. In one generation we haveraised the median number of years of edu-cation of our citizens some four years (nowapproximately eleven years of schooling)and in thirty years our college enrolmentshave risen some seven times (from 1 to 7millions).

But in candor we cannot say that wehave raised the satisfaction level of studentsor teachers, because the explosion of know-ledge, the increasing industrialization of oureconomy, and the confrontations of newgigantic organizations with the personalneeds and value systems of individuals hascreated a general concern for the relevanceof education for developing the full capa-cities of our people. Perhaps this is thenatural state of a volatile, dynamic society,where competition for advancement is keen,and educational credentials are highly ratedin rewarding individuals with promotionalopportunities.

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I chose this method of introducing mypaper today because educational publishingin the United States must be understoodagainst the background of the educationalenterprise it serves. We have no singlesystem of education, and only in the lastdecade have we begun to use federal fundsto support programs in the elementary andsecondary schools. Traditionally our schoolshave been organised under the direction oflocal citizen boards of education.. with taxingpower, usually a levy on real estate, provid-ing most of the funds. The fifty stateshave varying programs of contributing funds,ranging from 5% to 80% of the cost ofeducating a child. The publishing industryhas historically attempted to serve thisdiversified market with series of books thatwill be acceptable in all areas, although thismarket includes affluent areas and cityslums, as well as contrasting geographic,political and religious values in the back-grounds of the students. In the last fewyears we have begun to develop specialregional editions in some subject areas torespond to local needs and wishes. Aseducation has been controversial in ourcountry, the educational publisher has notbeen spared, and often many of the ills ofeducation have been blamed on the pub-lisher. Perhaps to the publisher this seemsstrange, as only 1% of the educational bud-get is spent on textbooks, and many otherfactors seem to be more significant in con-trolling the Quality of education. However,it is certainly true that all publishers areaggressively developing programs to meetthese new challenges.

If I have sufficiently described the com-plexities of the American educational scene,may I now turn to the process of develop-ing books and series of books for elementaryor secondary school use. In a real sensethis is a description of the roies of editors,authors and consultants whose special con-tributions are blended into a sequential,structured teaching system that may pro-

29

vide the content and method guidelines forsix or eight years of instruction in a parti-cular subject area.

It all begins with a wise and perceptiveeditor capable of recognising or formulatingthe great ideas that every successful pub-lishing venture must have. The editor mustbe a scholar, capable of walking with thegreat scholars in his field, and able to seethe implications of concepts for curriculumplanning at a level of learner maturity farremoved from the scene of the original re-search. For example, in the social studiesfield he must be able to think intelligentlyabout the work of economists, sociologists,historians, geographers, anthropologists, po-litical scientists and psychologists. Fromtheir professional writings, in conferencesand public statements, he must be able toextract from those complex statements thekey concepts which must be reflected inthe new textbooks. Specialization has beengrowing so fast in these learned disciplinesthat it is increasingly difficult to keep thedialogue going and to achieve commonagreements as to appropriate placing andemphasis of content in the total program.

It is apparent that no one man canhave all these talents in such a broad spec-trum of knowledge. This means the pub-lisher must establish liaison with scholarswho will give some significant time andattention to the problem of curriculum atthe elementary and secondary school level.If they have the interest and ability to serveas authors, so much the better. In anyevent, they can be retained as consultantsto guide planning and to assess the qualityof the manuscript produced. It is becomingclear that an excellent textbook in thisperiod of increasing specialization and evolv-ing disciplines and concepts must of neces-sity be a team product with full represen-tation of scholars from several disciplines,teachers, writers and editors, as well aspersonnel to be needed research on perti-nent issues.

Perhaps by now the editor has iden-tified one or more persons who can serveas authors on the project as now broadlydefined. Unquestionably, author selectionranks in importance with a sound conceptualframework for the success of the project.Great writing does not come readily and thistalent must be continuously hunted and dis-covered. The sales force and the entire

staff of the company must be involved inthis process, as the dearth of this talentplagues all publishers.

As early as possible, the entire groupinvolved in the project should be broughttogether to evolve the conceptional frame-work. Working drafts on the broad out-lines and objectives are prepared and aftermuch interaction, the editor, with assistance,drafts the guidelines for the authors, con-sultants, researchers, artists and allied per-sonnel. This step is essential if the mate-rial is to have the internal consistency neces-sary while drawing on the separate effortsof each specialist. It is frequently wise tocheck this statement against existing prac-tices and trends, usually by consultingacknowledged expert teachers in recognized"lighthouse" schools where frontier think-ing and practices are usually found. Thisprovides some guarantee against one per-suasive member of the original conferencehaving dominated the thinking of the group.And, of course, there is continuous inter-action between the editors and authors atevery stage of the project. By reading andinteracting to the material chapter by chap-ter, by conference and correspondence, theeditor encourages productivity and creativityand guard against diversion of effort ordelay. The process is far more complexthan I have described here, as the editormust guarantee that the master design doesfind representation in the creative efforts ofthe author. To forfeit the design or tostifle the creative thrust of the author wouldbe disastrous.

By this time the editor neecs help, andarranges for a critical evaluation oT the manu-script from experts in the disciplines forcorrectness and scholarly worth, and bycreative teachers to guarantee that thematerial will have in the hands of effectiveteachers at the appropriate grade level.These are thorough and critical reviews andvital if major error or misdirection of effortare to be avoided. If the material is radi-cally different in concept and requires newclassroom practices, it may be necessaryto field test the material under carefullycontrolled conditions. Usually this is donein part by members of the original team,but often it is wise to enlist the efforts ofsomeonl who has no bias from originalinvolgOnt and can offer a fresh evaluation.

30

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Although this story by now is a lengthyone, it is by no means complete. I havenot discussed the role of the designers andartists who have been at work since thebeginning of the project. Increasingly pub-lishing projects involve allied materials,equipment, films, tapes, workbooks, exer-cises, tests, bibliographies, charts, maps,and other items that contribute to instruc-tional excellence. It is apparent that noneof these can be a solo venture and endlesshours of conferring and coordinating arenecessary if quality is to be guaranteed. Inaddition after all of these efforts are com-pleted, many months will be required to sailthe project through the book productionwaters and ultimately on to the publicationdate. These contributions are vital andtime-consuming, but have also been respon-sible for contributing a technical excellenceto textbook publishing that is widely recog-nized.

When the series is complete, it is nowthe responsibility of the sales staff to pre-sent the program to the school districts oradoption committees. In approximately halfof our states there is a regular schedule ofadoptions and the opportunity to presentmaterial in a particular field may come onlyonce every five years. Perhaps as manyas ten or fifteen publishers may presentprograms, and the committee may select asmany as five as suitable. This permits thepublisher to present the approved program

s,

AL

to the local school committee where ulti-mately one out of five may survive. Inessence, this describes the intense com-petitiveness that exists in educational pub-lishing in our country, and describes theprocess whereby the teachers are able toselect the program best suited to their in-structional plan. As our schools are govern-ed by many different regulations, it is appa-rent that a large sales staff is necessary,and each year presents many opportunitiesfor victories and defeats.

Some ninety different publishers areengaged in selling educational materials toschools and colleges. The competition isso keen that the eight largest publishershave less than fifty percent of the business,and often publishers have different areas ofstrength and weakness in terms of differentsubject-matter areas. In this sense pub-lishing is described as a high risk businessventure and requires a substantial amountof investment over a period of years, with-out guarantee that the program will pleasethose who must decide.

This is a cursory treatment of educa-tional publishing in our company. At bestI have only described an overview of avery complex process. Perhaps I can beof more help in answering your questionsor describing some aspects of publishing inmore detail. I will welcome this opportunityto discuss this with you further.

v.%

PUBLISHING PROBLEMS NEEDING THE COOPERATIONOF GOVERNMENT

by

DONALD MOORE

President Singapore Book Publishers AssociationManaging Director: Donald Moore Organisation Ltd.

I hope I may be forgiven this afternoonif I relate what I say specifically to the Sin-gapore scene. In the first place, it is thatwhich I know something about and I hopeI may be forgiven also for, mildly, at anyrate, using the Seminar to put forward someof the views of the Singapore Publishers'Association. These views are concernedspecifically with the relationship betweenbook publishers and what they are doing andtrying to do on the one hand and Govern-ment and the needs of Government on theother. But perhaps first I should sketch invery, very briefly something of the historyof Singapore and the reason for doing thiswill become apparent as we go along.

Singapore, as I told you yesterday, wasfounded 150 years ago, having been forcenturies before that a virtually unoccupiedtropical island. But almost immediatelyafter its founding, it became very closelyconnected with the Malay Peninsula, whichalso became subject to British influence,and the whole economy of Singapore grewup comprised of two main components.One was its entrepot trade, which broughtinto South-East Asia the manufactured prod-ucts of the West and sent out the localproduce. The other was that it acted asthe port of entry and exit for Malaya, or, asit then was, the Federated Malay Statesand the Unfederated Malay States. It waswhen the Federated Malay States were firstformed that the separation of Malaya andSingapore really began, but because bothareas were under British rule, they workedin co-operation and their economies deve-loped together. But once the separationhad taken root, it tended to be perpetuatedinto the days of independence. So thatMalaya and Singapore became two quiteseparate entities, each going its own way,and this became such a cause for concernthat the Federation of Malaysia, of whichSingapore formed a component part, wasborn. But, for all sorts of reasons which

32

there is no virtue in going into now, it cameto an end, and Singapore, for the first timein its life, found itself without an assuredhinterland, and possessing no raw-materialsof any kind, possessing, in fact, nothing butsome very hard-working people and a stra-tegic position on the map.

When considering assistance to orparticipation in industry Government's solecriterion is whether their assistance is goingto help Singapore to survive as a separateentity, and the Singapore Government is un-likely to listen to any proposals of publisherswhich are merely good or desirable: it will,however, listen very attentively to any pro-posals which are likely to enhance the pos-sibility of our survival. This has led towhat is still an absolutely socialist govern-ment coming to terms with capitalism.There were no natural resources to na-tionalise. There was nothing we could doexcept produce that climate which wouldbe most conducive to foreign investmentAll this has tended to result today in aneconomy in which there is a growing publicsector, not simply in the sense of powerstations and railways and airports andthings of that nature for many of thesethings were already there, but within theprivate sector's traditional area. You willfind Government with investment in privateenterprises, you will find Government mak-ing loans to orivate enterprise, all of it aid-ing in the fight for survival. So, in dis-cussing publishing in this context, there arethree kinds of publishing propositions inwhich Government is likely to be interested.

Government might well support a pub-lishing endeavour where it contributeddirectly to a particular government policy.It might well therefore assist in the pro-duction of school textbooks where they arelikely to help in raising educational stan-dards. Government will assist also in anyendeavour which will increase employment

32

opportunities. The creation of employmentis a fundamental problem, the crux of every-thing in fact, for if we cannot fill the gapbetween jobs and the people seeking themwe cannot survive at all. The Governmentof this country came to power, we are fondof telling people, on the back of the tigerand it is the only government in recordedhistory to gLA off its back intact, but if wecannot fill this employment gap, there isno hope of any kind. So Government willsupport almost anything which creates em-ployment. The third question they will askis, can the product be exported? Can weby this means reach a wider market findmore people who will buy things made inSingapore? These three factors are crucialin any approach for government help, gov-ernment assistance, government involve-ment in publishing. Once survival has beenensured, then I think, its co-operation mayextend to fields which are not related directlyto these three factors.

Now, concerning the first, that is tosay, Government assistance in the publish-ing of educational textbooks. Here wehave a profoundly important task for thePublishers' Association to deal with. Itseems to me that the publishing industryshould be recognized as playing an absolute-ly integral part in the provision of education.I think that we should have a constantdialogue going on with the Ministry of Edu-cation. I think that the Ministry of Educa-tion should tell us precisely what they wantand then help us to produce it by meansof a closer, more meaningful dialogue wnichshould be going on all the time. Insteadof this, however, when a delegation of thePublishers' Association called on the Minis-try of Education and protested, very mildly,I thought, about the fact that if a publisherwishes to produce a series of books in aparticular subject, which will be usedthroughout the primary or secondary school,he must produce three books of the seriesbefore the Ministry will even consider thepossibility of the series being put on thelist of recommended textbooks withoutwhich the publisher has no hope of sellingso much as a single copy. The Ministrydefined this hazardous enterprise as a nor-mal business risk, but it is hardly the bestway to obtain the best possible books forthe children of Singapore.

I now come to the second factor in-fluencing Government participation: the crea-

tion of employment. Again, we come upagainst this problem which we discussedyesterday how to educate people tounderstand what publishing is and what itinvolves. When the Government thinks otthe creation of employment by publishing itthinks mainly, I fancy, in terms of printing,of machines, factories, and indeed, in largemeasure it is correct in doing so since theprinting of the books the publisher producesdoes entail the employment of skilled labour.But we have so far had great difficulty ingetting understanding and acceptance of thefact that the work of the publisher himselfentails the employment of possibly morepeople than that of the printer, since hecannot use machines for his editorial work,his production and art work, his proof-read-ing, and so on.

We come thirdly to the question ofwhether the product can be exported, andhere again there is, I believe, confusion asto the function of the publisher. The print-ing industry can seek orders overseas forprinting anything from labels to books, butthis is not publishing, nor is it helping thepublishing industry here. If we are to con-tribute meaningfully to Singapore's survival,we have somehow to bring about a com-plete revolution in our thinking and I thinkperhaps it should take the form that theoutlook of publishers in the West does.We cannot go on turning in on ourselvesand producing yet another set of schoolreaders for Singapore primary schools. Wehave to think instead of sending things outinto the world from here. Very recently,there was an article in "The Bookseller" bya British publisher who pointed out thatwere it not for the robustness of the Britishpublishing trade, books would be flowing in-to England instead of out, just as they flowinto Australia and not out. Somehow im-plied in this attitude was the notion thatwhat was not good for the Britain wassomehow good for Australia. I do not thinkthat we want to see the number of bookscoming in to Singapore decrease, but wedo want to see the number of books goingout increase and I think that this principleprobably applies also to other countriesrepresented here today. We have a num-ber of distinct advantages in the South-East Asia, but let me speak simply of Sin-gapore.

We have, first of all, the advantage ofa command of the most widely used Ian-

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guage in the world. We do not have tofight our way out from behind a languagebarrier. We have a situation of completestability, and this includes wages. We donot have labour unrest. Wages, I think,will remain stable for some time, so thatwe have here between five and ten yearsin which to produce books of a very highquality and at a rather lower price thananywhere else in the world. Thirdly, be-cause we have political stability, we canattract money and plant here, and have abetter climate for investment than almostanywhere else in Asia today. Fourthly, weenjoy a geographical position which greatlyfacilitates the distribution of whatever wemake.

Now I think that Government can beinduced to help if we can convince themthat we are worth helping. I think theycan be induced to help in producing seriesof books which will assist in nation build-ing. I think they can be induced to helpwith all the children's books we have beentalking about this morning. I think theycan be induced to help in the production ofbooks which will go out from here: booksabout this area there are hundreds ofbooks about Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore,Indonesia, in four or five European langu-ages, which ha\de never been reprinted sincethey went out of print as much as a hundredyears ago. Almost all the European literatureabout Asia still exists only in the Europeanlanguage in which it was first published.There are German books, French books,Dutch books, all kinds of books written inEurope on this area which have never been

translated, and which will perhaps never beworth a British or American publisher'swhile due to his high costs translatingand republishing, but it could perhaps beworth our while and to our benefit. I donot know how easy it is for a school-teacherin America, say, to explain to the childrenhe or she teaches what life is like in South-East Asia, in Cambodia, or Indonesia. Weourselves certainly have done nothing toproduce material which could be used inschools in the West material which couldbe used, for example, in schools in Australiawhere there is a growing interest in South-East Asia; yet we provide Australia withpractically nothing in the way of booksabout this area for use in schools or uni-versities. Now I think we can get Gove,n-ment to help in this. I think we have gotto get them to help with finance, to helpin persuading overseas publishers to comehere and indeed this has already begun.And in the case of publications which areintended for this area, school books, forexample, we need to get them to buy theproduct as long as it is what they wanted.

In talking on these lines, I hope thatout of this seminar can come some approachtowards a regional attitude. The nearer wecan get to a regional concept in everythingwe do, but particularly in publishing, the bet-ter it will be for all of us, and I think if wepursue this line with the Government here,we shall eventually be successful: but pri-marily it is a matter of propaganda and edu-cation in what publishing is, what it cando, and the unlimited extent of the oppor-tunities with which it is presented today.

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"lye

SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING: WEST TO EASTby

CHESTER KERR

Director, Yale University Press and former President,Association of American University Presses

We now come in this Seminar to aspecial branch of book publishing onewhich is comparatively new in my countryand relatively underdeveloped in yours.Some years ago, I described university presspublishing as madness, saying, "We publishthe smallest editions at the greatest cost,and on these we place the highest price,and then we try to market them to peoplewho can least afford them. "When an-other writer on scholarly publishing quotedme recently, he was kind enough to softenmy wryness with an aphorism from MaximGorky: "The madness of the brave is thewisdom of life."

Perhaps my latest act of bravery wasto join this Seminar.

The decision to add an American Uni-versity press representative to the programwas not made until the final stage of plan-ning and then, it should be said, notwithout misgiving. Some Americans feltthat the primary purpose of the Seminarwould be reduced by a discussion ofscholarly publishing When Asia's mainconcern at this time necessarily bears onpublishing at lower and more practical leversin the educational process. One of my uni-versity press colleagues put it this way:"The other American publishers will be dis-cussing problems the solution of which isreasonably vital and urgent. From Asia willcome people from publishing, education, andgovernment who feel strongly the pressureto solve these problems. To include anAmerican scholarly publisher to talk to thesepeople about a matter less urgent and vitalat the moment could be quite incongruous."

Yet we decided to send such a repre-sentative, for it seemed to enough of usthat no opportunity should be lost to con-tinue the Asian-American dialogue on thishighly specialized branch of publishing, evenif the immediate results should be limited.After all, it is certain that as soon as Asianscience and technology places men and

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machines in orbit they will wish to journeyto the moon.

I said a moment ago "to continue theAsian-American dialogue on this highlyspecialized branch of publishing." As someof you may recall, this dialogue was begunten years ago with a paper delivered inBangkok by Datus C. Smith, former directorof the Princeton University Press and direc-tor of Franklin Publications. Later cameThomas J. Wilson, then director of the Har-vard University Press, and Carroll G. Bowenof Chicago and M.I.T. In 1962 at Hawaiithere occurred the symposium on Trens-Pacific Scholarly Publishing which broughtanother half-dozen of us into direct contactwith our Asian counterparts. Eighteenmonths later the Association of AmericanUniversity Presses dispatched Leon Seltzerof Stanford and Harold Ingle of Johns Hop-kins to nine Asiatic countries on an ex-change-of-information mission which includ-ed a special conference at the University ofDelhi. In 1965 the AAUP brought severalAsiatic scholarly publishers to its annualmeeting in the USA and to a round of visitsto selected American University Presses. SoI am walking in distinguished footsteps.

Yet the wonder to me is that therehave not been more of us American scholar-ly publishers among you and more of youamong us. The gain from such exchangesseems obvious, for while we American uni-versity presses may have reached a stageof development well in advance of yours,we have only done so comparatively recent-ly. The memory of our growing pains isstill strong enough to enable us to sharethe experiences.

Like you, we have learned from theillustrious examples of Oxford and Cam-bridge, but these world-famous enterprisesare now so sizable and strong that it isscarcely possible any longer for you and usto identify our experiences with theirs. AtCornell next June, when the American uni-

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versity presses gather for their annual con-ference, references will be made to a 100thanniversary and indeed 1859 may be takenas the founding date of the first organisa-tion to call itself an American universitypress. But as a more realistic student ofAmerican scholarly publishing am Wilyaware that only in the last fifty "ears havewe begun to render any significant serviceto American scholarship and only in thelast twenty have our accomplishments, sue,as they may be, aceieved any world breadth.

So I insist to you that we do havemore in common, in youth and in vigourand in potential development, than may becommonly supposed and that we have onlyto solve the main problem besetting anycountries with differing histories, languages,and wisdoms the problem of communica-tion to benefit from each other's com-pany. I desire to benefit from your corn-pany at this Seminar and if we who maybe interested in scholarly publishing findourselves talking in too rarefied a mannerthe group at large will forgive us, I am sure.

Let me begin by picturing for youAmerican university presses as they pre-pare to enter the 1970's.

There are now seventy of us, scatteredacross the U.S.A. from coast to coast andfrom border to border all kinds, all sizes.Some of us are attached to private insti-tutions, some to state universities. Wehave only one federal organization. the uni-que East-West Centre press in Honolulu,The oldest true presses were establishedin the later 19th century at the private uni-versities where the German model of highereducation had been adopted at JohnHopkins, at Chicago, at Columbia. ThenPrinceton, Yale, Harvard, and Stanford fol-lowed suit in the first decades of the 20thcentury, with the large emeraing state in-stitutions coming on strong after that: Cali-fornia, North Carolina, Minnesota, Pennsyl-vania, Texas.

All together we now publish 8% ofthe annual output of new American titles

meaning that one out of every twelvenew books emanating from the U.S.A. bearsa university imprint, or to offer a mors im-portant statistic, one out of every seventitles now in print in our country comes froma university publishing house. Of course,our total dollar sales volume is a much

smaller fraction of the sales revenue corningin to the American book industry yet ittotalled approximately $25,000,000 in 1968,or five times what it was twenty yearsago when I eompleted a study of some 35presses, the number of members in theAssociation of American University Pressesat that time. The number of new univer-sity press titles published annually has risenin that same period from 725 to 2500.

I do not wish to suggest that then ornow we are the sole publishers of all thescholarship which results from the researchcarried on at our institutions of higher learn-ing or comes to us from abroad. Ourbrethren in commerce, as my colleagues onthe Seminar team can assure you, do a fairshare of it; our scholarly societies do some;and our government, it must be said, doesa bit: although not much, because of ourstaunch national view of the prerogativesof the "private-sector" of publishing. Yetit is true, I think, that the bulk of responsiblescholarly publishing ir now performed inour country at our universities, exceptingonly the hard sciences whose scholars sooften turn to journals as the logical vehiclesfor their briefer publication requirementsand excepting much technical informationwhich is in the hands of such competentfirms as McGraw-Hill, and Wiley, and VanNostraud. It is comprehended, I am surethat we do not publish textbooks exceptwhere some experimentation at our parentinstitutions may justify doing so, and thatexcept for regional interests we tend toleave fiction and poetry to those betterequipped to judge contetnporary literatureand to support those judgments.

We do publish paperbacks. Over halfof the American university presses nowissue many of their backlist titles in theseless expensive editions and even publishnow titles simultaneously with or soon afterclothbound publication.

This has not only made our publicationsmore widely available to scholars and stu-dents and in foreign markets where lowerprices are especially appealing, but it hasmade it possible for many works of scholar-ship to enjoy auxiliary text distribution.Classroom use in America now often in-volves paperbacks and these assignmentsoccasionally include the works of scholar-ship put out by university presses.

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In his paper ten years ago, Datus Smithdescribed the purposes of a university pressin language which can scarcely be improved.He listed four services to society that canbe rendered by a university press.

(1) To serve scholarship in the localcountry by making the results of researchcoherently available for the use of us all;by providing scholars in the local countrywith an outlet fc r their work (which is littlemore than an intellectual exercise like achess game unless it can be carried throughto the final stage of publication); by sub-jecting research to public criticism.

(2) To stimulate and vitalize research,or at least to assist and encourage authorsin finding the best form into which to casttheir work for publication in order to makeit meaningfay accessible to the world.This function cannot be overemphasized,even though it is sometimes hard to defineor identify. It is a clear fact, however, thata university press can be a strong creativeforce in mechanism. Even its part in sub-jecting proffered manuscripts to rigorousobjective criticism before accepting them forpublication is of high creative value.

(3) To serve as a connecting linkwith the world community of scholarsthrough informing other countries of theresults of research undertaken and (in caseswhere this is appropriate and feasible)through informing local scholars of worlddevelopments in their field through republi-cation, in the original language or in trans-lation, of selected scholarly works fromabroad.

(4) To exhibit standards of book-publishing that rnay help raise the generallevel of performance of the book industryin the local country in intellectual inte-grity, business ethics, soundness of designand manufacture of the books, and an in-defensible determination to put books intothe hands of as many as possible of thepotentially interested readers.

A brief description of just how Ameri-can university publishers perform their tasksmay interest you.

We find our manuscripts not only atour own universities but at the other in-stitutions of higher learning in the U.S.A.or abroad. Only 40% of our lists are made

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up of works by scholars from our ownuniversities. They are free to take theirmanuscripts to other presses or to com-mercial publishers, which they often preferto do, and we are free to reject their sub-missions, which we sometimes prefer to do

We do not have numbers of editorsor salesmen patrolling the corridor of everymajor university but many of us have alertand informed editors who follow scholarlydevelopments and can often nose out adesirable manuscript or a potential univer-sity author. Each is usually an expert in agiven area of scholarship the hardsciences, humanities or social sciencesand each has usually done post-graduatestudy to some extent. The decision ofwhat a university press will publish iscustomarily made by these editors sup-ported by local or outside expert readersand approved by a local faculty advisorygroup. Once his manuscript is acceptedan author is offered normal royalties andother terms and his manuscript is revisedand/or copy edited, as the need may be,and otherwise made ready for the printerwith his concurrence.

We are publishers, essentially, ratherthan printers, although about fifteen Ameri-can university presses still have their ownprinting plants which originally came intoexistence to meet the university's othergeneral printing needs bulletins, bro-chures, catalogues, announcements, sta-tionery, etc. but which seldom printsall the books for the press. Outside print-ers do the bulk of the work under the usualterms. Good design customarily warrantsspecial attention from university presses, aspart of their special obligation to set stan-dards of excellence, and most presses in-vest substantially, although not extrava-gantly, in this aspect of their work, as therecord of annual awards from the AmericanInstitute of Graphic Arts bears witness.

We send our review copies and pro-motion copies. We advertise, most parti-cularly in the scholarly journals, althoughfrequently in the New York Times, NewYork Review of Books, Saturday Review,and other general book media. We domuch direct mail, trying to locate the smallspecialized market for each of our specia-lised publications. We exhibit at all meet-ings of professional societies and associa-tions of scholars. In short, we spend about

the same effort and money, relatively speak-ing, in promotion of our books as do mostAmerican publishers and indeed we bor-rowed heavily from their experiences andtechniques in perfecting our skills. We usesalesmen to visit jobbers and retail outlets,although often we combine with other pres-sures to do so. It's a large country andStanford can sell Yale's books on the WestCoast while Yale sells theirs in the EasternUnited States.

We have the same warehousing andshipping and accounting problems as doesany publisher, although always on a smallerand particularized scale. Many of us keepour records and manage our business func-tions with a desirable degree of indepen-dence from the bureaucracy of our parentinstitutions. But each of us is integratedclosely with the administrative apparatus ofthose institutions whose names we areprivileged to bear and each of us is con-scious of that extra responsibility to per-form in accordance with the value and re-putation of that name.

No university press can exist withoutfinancial help. It is simply not possible topublish works of scholarship in small edi-tions at today's high manufacturing andoperating costs and to recover enough fromsales revenue to break even. Our subsidiescome in all forms and sizes. Some are out-right university budget appropriations: theUniversity of California currently appro-priates $200,000 per year to support itspress; Wisconsin puts out $100,000. TheJohn Hopkins Press needs help from its uni-versity in the form of an extended workingcapital loan currently several hundredthousand dollars. Harvard has a drawingaccount from the university of up to a mil-lion dollars and needs it. We all go tofoundations and other donors for aid forspecific projects; on occasion our federaland state Governments have rendered suchaid but I believe these to be surprisinglyfew. The burden falls largely on our parentinstitutions, which is where, in my judge-ment, it belongs (if a university wants apress, it must pay for it). This usuallymeans it rests on the ingenuity and acumenof its press director.

As far back as 1938, the Americanuniversity presses began to exchange "how-to" information with each other. This ledto cooperative endeavours, such as a cen-

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tralized and detailed mailing list of AmericanScholars, libraries, and institutions, a jointprogram of exhibits, and finally to a periodicbibliography. In 1958, we put these pro-jects into the hands of a paid secretariatin a New York office. The Association ofAmerican University Presses is now anactive and respected group enterprise inthe American publishing scene.

Let me make the foregoing generalpicture more specific for you by supplyingsome information about my own Press.

Yale is not the oldest nor the largestuniversity press in the United States ofAmerica, but by any measurement we rankin the top dozen. We were founded in1908, celebrating our diamond jubilee lastyear. Since then we have published some3000 titles, of which 800 are still in print

plus 200 paperbacks. We now bringout 75 new titles each year, plus 15-20paperbound reprints from our own list. Welike this size and do not plan to increase itbut instead to find a better 75 manuscriptseach year.

We are strong in the humanities, as isour University, but we are lately venturingfarther into science again reflecting anincreasing strength at our University. Be-cause Yale has a remarkable library withmany remarkable holdings, we reflect theseinterests, too for instance in our publi-cations in 18th century studies and docu-ments (Walpole, Johnson, Jonathan Ed-wards, and Benjamin Franklin) or the his-tory of the American West (the Lewis andClark Journals). We have at ieast six out-standing lecture series at Yale which oftenprovide the Press with manuscripts fromfamous scholars not ordinarily within ourreach (Commager, Frorm, Dobjhansky,Chandrasekar). Or a scholar may come toYale for a year or two to perform a specialpiece of study (which is how we securedour most extraordinary bestseller, DavidRiesman's THE LONELY CROWD).

To attract and handle these manu-scripts, we have twelve editors (out of atotal of 45 publishing employees). Sevenof these procure end judge manuscriptsand guide the authors to improvements,while the other five do copy-editing withassistance from free-lancer outsiders. Ourchief editors meet every month with outfaculty of advisors to approve or disapprove.

manuscripts. The committee's favourableaction is needed for publication.

We design our books with care andskill, taking advantage of Yale's talent andreputation in the teaching of the graphicarts and we are consistently represented inthe yearly fifty books Show of the AIGA.We believe this attracts authors as muchas it pleases readers.

We print all our paperbacks and halfour clothbounds in our own plant a smalloffset shop which also does the University'sprinting. We've done that for fifty yearsand we are glad and so is the University.We have 35 plant employees making 100in all at the Press. We pay all 100 moreor less competitive wages and salaries.They enjoy certain university fringe bene-fits, a lower cost of living than in New York,and the dignity and enjoyment of life in anacademic community,

Yale books are sold all over the U.S.A.and all over the world. At home we useour own salesmen (both of them) or thesalesmen of other presses in other parts ofthe country. In Canada the McGill Univer-sity Press sells our books. In Mexico andSouth American our books are handledby a university press thus called the Cen-tro Interarnericann de Libros Academicos(CILA). Seven years ago we ended ourlong-standing (and much-valued) sales re-lationship with Oxford and joint.ld up withtwo other American presses to set up asmall London office from which we seil inthe U.K., in Europe, in some Asian coun-tries, and in Africa, We have recently con-tracted with an Australian stockist and Iam on my way to Tokyo to make a similararrangement. Last year we sold over$100,000 of Yale Books in Asia, exclusiveof what American or London Exporters sentin. We also sold a dozen reprint rights.

Our overall sales break down roughlyas follows:

GO% to domestic jobbers and book-stores(largely college bookstores);

15% direct to libraries;

5% to other institutions;

5% to individuals (we are trying toreduce this to zero by demanding

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cash and making bookstore refer-ials); and 15% overseas.

Our sales revenue is currently $2,000,-000 from publishing and $1,000,000 fromprinting. We have no annual financial aidfrom the University. (We even paid forour own building and we meet all its ope-rating and maintenance costs) but we doenjoy $90,000 a year in special income fromcapital gifts made specifically to the Pressover the years by individual donors. Inaddition, I must find approximately another$90,000 each year in special subsides tosupport specific publications such as anexpensive work of art history published forthe Pierpout Morgan Library in New York.Like our parent University, we pay no taxes.We have no stock-holders and need notmake profits. Our goal is to break eveneach year. Usually we just squeak through.But to support slow-moving inventory andrising costs. We often feel the cash pros-si.re and in the past eight years have bor-rowed up to $50,000 from the Universitywhich gives us a very reasonable interestrate.

Our median first printing is 2300 copies(5000 for paperbacks). Our average listprice has risen to $7.9 ($1.95 for paper-backs). We keep a book in print until itsannual sales drop below 200 (1000 forpaperbacks).

There you have an account of univer-sity publishing as it is currently practicedin my country, in general and at Yale. Itis for you to say whether this is recogniz-able or useful information for your countryat this time. Speaking for my country, inparticular for the Association of AmericanUniversity Presses and most especially forthe Yale University Press, we are ready toadd to that information in any way youdesire and even to offer any assistance with-in our power to your developing scholarlypublishing needs. We went on record tothat effect seven years ago at the conferenceheld in Hawaii and five years ago at theConference held at the University of Delhiand I repeat the offer today. It is you, ofcourse, who must decide just what you wishto do about scholarly publishing in Asiaand just what outside guidance or assistanceyou need.

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Is a scholarly publishing apparatusworth the effort and money? Daniel CoitGilman, a Yale Graduate who became thefirst President of John Hopkins and foundedits press in 1878, thought so. "It is one ofthe noblest duties of a university" said Gil-man, "to advance knowledge, and to diffuseit not merely among those who can attendthe daily lecture but far and wide," Ifyou believe that, as I do, then we can talktogether and learn from each other forthose who have something in common maycommunicate if they wish.

What do we have in common? Thinkback, if you will, to that moment in Decem-ber, when three men for the first time camefrom behind the moon and looked MAOmiles away "to see", said the Americanpoet, Archibald Macheish, "the Earth as ittruly is small and blue and beautiful inthat eternal silence where it floats; to seeourselves as riders on the Earth together

brothers on that bright loveliness in theeternal cold; brothers who know now tha;they are truly brothers."

NOTES:-

1) A complete description of Ameri-can University Press publishing may befound in the Hawes Handbook publishedrecently by the Association of AmericanUniversity Presses, One Park Avenue, NewYork, N.Y. If any Seminar participantwishes to write for a complimentary copy,he may mention Chester Kerr and he willreceive it. Anyone else may buy It for$1.95 plus postage direct or through yourbookseller.

2) Scholarly Books in America is a

quarterly publication listing all new titles ofall American university presses. You mayadd your name to the free mailing list bywriting to the Association as above.

PUBLISHING TRANSLATIONS AND COEDITIONSOF GENERAL AND REFERENCE BOOKS

byZACHARY P. MORFOGEN

Director of MarketingBooks, Arts, Recordings Group, Time Inc.

In my discussion of the subject oftranslations and coeditions of general andreference books I will concentrate on a re-cent specific example from my own experi-ence because I hope it will serve to bestillustrate the quite simple conclusion that I

have arrived at in thinking about the titleof this paper coeditions offer a greatopportunity for the vital exchange of ideasand knowledge to a fast-developing world-wide book audience. Allow me to elabo-rate on this conclusion after giving thedetails of the coedition (show example) ofa pocketbook science library series whichwill retail for approximately $1.50 U.S., andwhich is based on the hard cover series of27 titles originally published in the U.S. asthe TIME-LIFE Science Library (show ex-ample), and which is still selling at over $5per copy.

As an adventure in international pub-lishing this coedition is breaking new groundand has presented some interesting prob-lems which have probably never beforebeen encountered on the same scale any-where. This is far from being a straightforward co-publishing venture in which agiven book or set of books is translated,adapted, printed and bound by another pub-lisher in a different country from the oneof origin. This is a publishing experimentwith editorial and publishing characteristicsall its own.

Editorially it is a curious hybrid sort ofchallenge. The books exist, written, edited,illustrated, printed and bound and even intranslation (the U.S. hardcover series hasbeen published in its original format in over10 languages) Rowohlt Verlag in Germanydecided to publish the series as a pocket-book edition for the German market. Theproblem faced wes to reduce all volumesto a format approximately half their originalsize and still retain the vitality and viabilityof the original. The text had to be preserv-ed. The form of the illustrative materialhad to change a re-engraving of color

pictures in a smaller size was impossiblefor economic reasons, and yet, the illus-trations had to retain their original functionof complementing and explaining the text.New covers had to be designed to fit thepocketbook format and make the books dis-tinctive on their own merits. Appendixes,picture credits, indexes all these had tobe redone, familiar problems of the sortnormally handled by a large and profession-al staff, but in this case by a small andexperimental one.

From a publishing point of view, thechallenge was great. Co-publishers wereessential, but equally important was a con-sortium printing and binding program, tokeep costs as low as possible.

Participating in the coedition on con-sortium, which is now in full operation andpreparing for a mid 1969 release, are ofcourse Rowohlt for the German edition,Editions, Robert Laffont for the French,TIME-LIFE Libros-Mexico for the Spanishand TIME-LIFE Books-Amsterdam and Syd-ney for the English-English edition. Theinitial print order for all languages in theconsortium is over 150,000 copies. Joiningin the coedition, but not in the consortiumprinting, are Academic Books in lndis, HetParool in the Netherlands, Bonniers in Swe-den and TIME-LIFE Books-USA; and soonat least three or four others who are in-terested in taking advantage of the oppor-tunity for heavily illustrated, rich in color,popularly accepted boo!:s at a low pricethat should attract a broad audience. Theinitial print orders for these co-publishereditions can run as low as 5000 copies andstill be viable.

One basic model shapes the entireprogram; the editorial and production dum-my prepared by Rowohlt into which text,illustrations and all other editorial materialmust be fitted. Originating in Reinbek,Germany many of these dummies musteventually come back to Reinbek, complete

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with all typeset material properly alignedon film or reproduction proffs. The morepublishers who can do this, the higher theconsortium print order and the lower thecosts but not all can. In India, AcademicBooks are preparing and producing theirown books in several Indian Languages.They run their own independent scheduleworking from zeroxed dummies, and de-tailed instructions regarding new text andnew pictures; while in Mexico, Libros TIME-LIFE, working with the Rowohlt dummies,typeset and pull reproduction proofs whichgo back to Reinbek to meet the hard andfast schedule of the consortium printing.

Obviously one of the basic problemsin setting up the coedition was coordina-tion. The following is the basic procedurethat was organized at the start of theproject

1) Rowohlt, Germany makes the basicdummy for the pocketbook edition. Anyeditorial problems arising are handledthrough the TIME-LIFE books editor inParis, who also has the right of approvalof the dumny on behalf of the original NewYork editors. The Paris editorial office alsoacts as a clearing house on editorial queriesand questions of pictures and picture rights.

2) When finished the dummy is re-produced and sent to co-publishers the pre-cise dummy (photostated) is necessary foreach language edition for precise position-ing of typeset material and type mechani-cals, and each co-publisher also needs twozeroxed dummies for editorial work).

3) A Central production office in Parishandles all production questions includingschedules.

Now, with these three points establish-ed as the basic procedures, what were thereal editorial and production problems asthey developed in the course of preparing'Mathematics' the first pocketbook title inthe series.

In the beginning, Rowohlt made it apractice to send out all of their edited Ger-man text in zeroxed form. Basically, thisfell into three parts:

1. Fitting the running text turned out,in general, to be less difficult than was atfirst anticipated. Rowohlt having specifiedtype size, column and half-column width,

and having indicated the number of linesper page, it proved, in the course of doingthe first title, to be possible to simply pasteup type from the original books, compensa-ting for half-column widths where neces-sary. Generally speaking, Rowohlt was ableto keep 90% of the original text.

2. New text made up from the text-blocks in the former picture essays was atougher problem. In the Rowohlt dummythis was usually inserted between chaptersand dealt with some particular aspects ofthe subject. At first translations were madein the Paris office and were sent to all co-publishers which was slow, difficult andcumbersome. With increasing experienceit was discovered that it was possible tohave the new texts written by the Time-LifeEditor in Paris, using original material fromthe picture essays which dealt with thepicture used, and this method was provedquite satisfactory.

3. Original New Text written byRowohit will be a continuing problem moreor less difficult to handle, with each title.Not everything that Rowohit feels is neces-sary for a German edition is necessary oreven desirable for other language editions

the section on Statistics in 'Mathema-tics' for example was left out entirely in theother editions. The new Rowohlt text onthe New Math was entirely oriented towarda German curriculum, so the other languageeditions elected to stay with the originaltext.

On the production side, probably themost difficult problem was co-ordination ofschedules between Rowohlt and all of theco-publishers involved in the consortiumbe ready for printing in Reinbek in the sameform and at the same time. The printing, ofcourse, had also to be fitted into the overallRowohlt printing schedule. All of thismeant that lateness on the part of any onepublisher could jeopardize the entire pro-gram. In addition, the production scheduleof the publishers involved in the coeditionsbut not in the consortium had to be met.

But before any printing on "Mathema-tics" could start at all, TIME-LIFE had tosupply Rowohlt with duplicate film for illus-trations. This had to be secured from theoriginal printers of the hard cover TIME-LIFE series, and sent to Reinbek sufficientlyahead of time so that the pictures could beedited, cropped, re-arranged and engraved.

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Unexpected problems arose at everyturn.

The mails to Mexico for example arevery uncertain and it became a necessityto send dummies and also all editorial ma-terial by air-freight.

Indexes had to be started in each lan-guage all over again now a master indexon file cards is being built.

Pictures in new positions and replacedpictures had to be checked against the ori-ginal an unexpected process that tookseveral days.

Obviously the technical control in thisrather complex undertaking ranging fromAsia to America, throughout Europe andinto Latin America demanded a co-ordina-tion through intelligent organization andplanning this developed in prepirring thisfirst title because of the full co-operation ofall publishers involved, and the result ishighly promotable series at a low cost fora world wide market.

The fact that a large picture, croppeddown to a significant detail can be as effec-tive within a small framework as was thelarge original in its own format opens newprospects for pocketbook publishing every-where.

But the most exciting conclusion fromthis experience that I draw, and that is mostpertinent here in our discussions, is thatcoeditions like this one offer publishers notonly here in Asia as Academic Booksrealize but also publishers in the U.SLatin America, Europe and throughout theworld, the opportunity for publishing booksadapted to their local needs that should at-tract a new market. This new potential canbe developed not only because of the factthat the coedition helps create a low saleprice, but perhaps more importantly, thatthe books are a tremendous buy at that lowprice because of the richness of the re-search, color, illustrations and international

knowledge that the finished product offersin whatever language edition. Books likethese should attract a new book readingand buying market perhaps students withlimited spending power in Germany andthe U.S., as well as people in developingcountries with small incomes who are justbeginning to taste books. I believe thatbooks like these will have appetite as wellas pocket book appeal.

Another example of creating appealingbooks through coeditions in a manner thatattracts a buyer of limited income is partor fasicle publications. TIME-LIFE Books-Amsterdam is co-publishing with Lyceumin Greek, Turceman in Turkish and PressCo-operative in Arabic by taking the regularhard cover TIME-LIFE Books and publishingthem in weekly installments (show exam-ple) for 12 weeks and at the end of theperiod binding the individually purchasedparts into a finished book. This techniqueof publishing is a most promising way tofind access to potential readers and tocreate a fascination for books and thus amarket. This way of publishing expensivebooks has not only been experienced indeveloping countries, such as Greece, it isalso a way of reaching the reader in coun-tries with an existing market who otherwisewould not be able to afford expensivebooks. In France, England and in Italy,where I believe it originated this methodhas become more and more important. Thistechnique deserves careful consideration be-cause it gives more easily developed andinitial production investment for the pub-lisher is low.

I believe that the exchange of ideasbetween publishers that can occur at se-minars, such as this one, and at Book Fairssuch as at Frankfurt, as well as throughtraining and other technical assistance isthe way to develop viable coeditions for allthe publishers concerned. General and re-ference book publishers have a great op-portunity to complement the vital role ofeducational and text book publishersthrough the development of coeditions.

PRODUCING ENGLISH-LANGUAGE REPRINTS OFUNIVERSITY TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCE BOOKS

byCURTIS G. BENJAMIN

Formerly President and ChairmanMcGraw-Hill Book Company

This brief paper will be limited to adescription of one wellknown reprint pro-gram followed by a few generalized obser-vations based on one publisher's experiencewith that particular program. The programis, of course, the Kogakusha and McGraw-Hill International Student Editions, printedin Japan. The generalized observations,prudently, will be solely my own. MyKogakusha colleagues cannot be associatedwith this statement because their viewsmay differ from mine on certain matters.Further, I must frankly say that not all myMcGraw-Hill colleagues agree with all myviews. Indeed, I myself do here and nowreserve the right to disagree with myselfat some later time. All this is to suggest,of course, that we do not yet know asmuch as we would like to know about thisreprint program, which was started sometwelve years ago as the pioneering interna-tional partnership of its kind.

You know, of course, that this reprintseries was initially produced for Asian mar-kets alone. You may not know that it wasundertaken by McGraw-Hill with some cau-tion and with two uncertainties in mind:Could it be made profitable enough for bothpartners? How much would it adverselyaffect the sale of our original editions andthereby hurt our ability to publish certainimportant books that depend on exportmarkets for their viability?

These uncertainties were offset by ourstrong desire to make our books availableto Asian students and professional peopleat prices which more of them could afford.This we wanted to do as a service to theeducational and developmental programs ofseveral Asian nations where our texts andreference books were desperately neededin larger numbers.

I can now report, happily, that the twouncertainties were resolved in time withreasonable satisfaction. Also, the programhas succeeded in making hundreds ofthousands of low-priced texts and referencebooks available to students not only in

Asia but in all other continents except NorthAmerica. As we grew in experience withselling and distribution problems, marketareas were extended, first to the MiddleEast, then to Africa and Latin America, thento Europe, and finally to Australia and NewZealand.

Now, a few basic facts about the pro-gram:

rMI

.=e

am11111

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Some 500 titles have been reprintedin over 5 million copies. The medianprinting through the years has beenabout 4,000 copies the smallest2,000, the largest 50,000. All but afew titles are paperbound. Almost allprintings are from offset plates madefrom copies of original editions.Titles are selected and printing quan-tities determined by mutual agreementof the partners. Quality specificationsare decided likewise.Reprints usually appear from eighteenmonths to two years after original pub-lication.Kogakusha list prices are about 35%of U.S. list prices. After markup, booksare sold in export markets at retailprices that average about 50% of U.S.list prices.Kogakusha sells the Japanese market,McGraw-Hill sells all others. At firstJapanese sales were about 40% of theannual total; now they are about 16%.Sales through McGraw-Hill subsidiariesin England, Australia, South Africa,Mexico and Panama now account forabout 35% of the annual total.The average sale of 386 active titlesin 1968 was about 3,000 copies.Kogakusha has proprietary responsibili-ty far inventory, billing and shipping,credit and collection.Kogakusha provides all the workingcapital and assumes all the businessrisks.Kogakusha pays McGraw-Hill a speci-fied rate of royalty on all sales, from

which McGraw-Hill must recover itsauthor-royalty costs, meet its sales andpromotion expense, and then look foi-a modest profit.

Next, a few remarks about our Inter-national Student Editions as a publishingenterprise. (Most of these will, I think, fitany reprint program of a similar nature.)

These reprint editions enjoy severalrather obvious built-in advantages:

They are published under an imprintthat is well known throughout theworld.

They are selected from a large list oftextbooks of proven quality and sala-bility, and by a consensus of salesmanagers who have thorough knowl-edge of world markets.

They enjoy "free rides" on the reviews,advertising, and promotion of the ori-ginal editions.

They are sold by salesmen who alreadyknow them as successful products.

In production they do not bear anyof the editorial and plant costs thatburden original editions.

The quality of their manufacture is highin relation to their costs and prices.

Offsetting these substantial advantagesare a few serious disadvantages. (EveryEden must have its serpent, it seems.)These disadvantages are:

The editions are sold largely in widelydispersed, low-income markets whichare costly to reach and hard to sell andservice.

Shipping and related costs are high,and transport often is slow and un-certain

Exchange and credit also are often dif-ficult and uncertain.

There is little economy of scale inlarger printings because plate costs aresuch a small part of total manufactur-ing costs. The per-copy cost of a

10,000 or 20,000 printing is only slight-ly less than that of a 5,000 printing.

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On balance this program has been suc-cessful, but not as successful as we hadhoped. Sales per title have not been ashigh nor as sustained as we had expected.Profits have been only moderate, yet goodenough to keep both partners interested.But certainly the venture has performed aworthwhile international service to highereducation.

Now, finally, a few generalized obser-vations all of which are here offeredsubjectively and with due recognition ofthe limitations of my experience with onlyone reprint series of substantial size.

Hrst, titles for reprint should be drawnlargely from lists of well-established text-books that are suitable for university adop-tions.

Second, production and order fulfill-ment should be located in a large nationalor regional market. This is needed forsubsistential support.

Third, the support of a national salesorganization is necessary, and the addition-al support of export sales organization de-sirable. (In this connection it should benoted that even with the support of some50 McGraw-Hill export salesmen covering82 countries, over 40% of the active list ofInternational Student Editions in 1968 soldfewer than 1,000 copies.)

Fourth, for production, it is essentialto have modern offset presses, low-costskilled labor, and a ready supply of fairlygood but low-cost book paper. Paper sup-ply is an especially critical factor becauseuniversity texts cannot be printed on cheap,unfinished stocks.

Fifth, adequate working capital is need-ed to finance slow-turning inventory andlong-term export receivables. Investedcapital can be turned over no faster thanonce a year.

In conclusion, let me emphasize twocautionary points. First, no one shouldexpect a reprint program to effect miracul-ous reductions of manufacture, marketing,and distribution costs. Second, no oneinterested in undertaking a reprint programshould confuse needs for low-cost text-books with effective market demands forthem. Either mistake could lead to a dis-astrous experience.

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PUBLISHING MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC BOOKSby

HARRY R. MOST

President

W. B. Saunders Co.

Of the mal-.inci of scientific and medicalbooks many thir,gt- can be said and volumeswritten. In this ,..:def paper I shall try totouch only on those aspects of this branchof publishing which seem to me to be ger-mane within the context of the purpose ofthese seminars.

First, I should like to make some gen-eralizations about scientific and medical pub-lishing which may seem to a sophisticatedaudience both trite and obvious but whichnevertheless need be said to lay the ground-work for a later discussion of the specifics.It goes without saying that in all nations,new or old, developing or established, thereis a great and continuing and growing needfor these kinds of books for they play agreat role in educational development and,thereby, in improving the health and welfareof the community. If they do this well,then they contribute increasingly to thatcommunity's industrial growth and its even-tual economic well-being. As the book re-mains the basic and long enduring tool ofpedagogy, so does the scientirc and me-dical book continue to be, th: )ugh everyperiod of a country's economic develop-ment, a guilding and assisting mechanismtoward the ultimate goal of man's improve-ment.

Secondly, it should be realised that inthe whole world market for books, theportion occupied by the scientific and me-dical book is a relatively smaH and specia-lized one. And that small market is greatlyfragmented by the variety and number ofscientific disciplines and the intense degreeof specialization within these areas. This inturn, leads increasingly to the producton ofmonographic literature; monographic on theone hand for th(- professional specialist andresearch person; monographic on the otherhand even for the textbook which servesthese specialized markets. In the mostcommercial aspects of publishing and thebook trade this means, of course, that toprofitably market our product we must have

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not only a well organized and efficientlyoperated book store system, but to reachthe ultimate consumer the individual bookbuyer whether he be a professional, a stu-dent, a researcher, a library we mustindulge in ever more expensive methods ofadvertising and promotion.

Thirdly, from what has been said thusfer, it becomes very apparent that the pub-lishing of scientific and medical books re-quires a substantial amount of capital in-vestment at the beginning, with the expecta-tion of a relatively slow turnover of inven-tory and a resulting longer period beforeultimate profit is realized on investment.Which may explain in part, why relativelyfew new scientific publishing firms adornthe publishing scene, and the publishing ofthis kind of book remains very largelyspeaking, in the hands of a few old-timers;companies firmly entrenched with the re-quisite funds and expertise to guarantee aneventual reasonable profit.

Finally, I think i should be remiss wereI not to touch on, however briefly, one lastfactor which increasingly intrudes itself onthis publishing segment. I refer here tothe inroads made especially as I say, inscientific and medical publishing by theirresponsible use of the photocopying tech-niques now available to almost anyone. Ina market, often restricted to the library, theprofessional person and the researcher, theunrestricted use of photocopying has begunto be a force which we must learn how tocontrol, else we slowly find part of ourmarket being eroded away by indiscriminateand uncompensated copying of part orindeed, all of our books and journals.

Now, as to the specifics of scientificand medirm publishing as they apply in theUnited Acitf-13, but also as I think they mustapply !t,t,r- where when this form Jf pub-lishing entered upon. The actual me-chanical "making" of 3 book has to be

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vastly similar whether the book is a novel,a textbook or a scientific monograph; thereare just a certain number of operations.Within these limits, however, there are avariety of ways in which scientific publish-ing does differ and I shall briefly try toenumerate them.

In the beginning of the publishing pro-cess we have author and editor. Becausethe author here is a scientist dealing witha varying degree of technically difficult sub.ject matter, your editor, working with thoauthor, has to be a person endowed notonly with the ordinary editorial requirementsof competence in language, imagination andunlimited patience. More, he must haveacquired by long and diligent apprentice-ship that degree of expertise to deal in hisown language with author and subject mat-ter. That is to say, the editor should havecompetence in the scientific disciplineswherein he works, and this is not easilycome by; yet the author has a right toexpect this and the ultimate success of thebook requires it.

Passing along from editorial to produc-tion, we find a combination required of in-dividual skill and knowledge on the one handand the financial ability cn the other toeventually create a successful book. Fromcreation of the original format of the book,through the whole production process wefind an unusual amount of competence re-quired in dealing with such diverse prob-lems as the printing of complicated chemicalformulae and mathematical symbols to thesuccessful reproduction, so that they be-come significant teaching instruments ofexquisite half-tone x-ray illustrations andincredibly precise and beautiful photomicro-graphs. For their eventual proper use, skill,knowledge and money are required in theproduction program.

So, all these skills of the publisher, hiseditorial and his production staff have beenblended in a continuum et effort, and a bookhas resulted, And this is a book, let ussay, created to be the superb teaching in-strument which the author intends and thescholar requires. To reach the customerwith this scientific book is no less a specialtask. First last and foremost, the publishermust get it into the hands of the book-seller, and here the requirements are notunique. A country-wide system of goodbookstore distributors has to be assured

for the success of a book bookstoresfinancially viable, staffed with people whoknow their product and its market, endwho know how to tell this rarket of theirwares. This has to be true of every coun-try, young or old with you as it is withUS.

Then, since we are operating in a mar-ket composed of individual customers, in-stitutions, libraries, school systems andeducators, government and research, it be-comes necessary to pursue our customermuch more closely and personally if we areto achieve our sales aims and pot.ntial. Soit is common practice in the Urk.,ed Statesbecause of the nature of our market, frag-mented and small, that the publisher com-plements the role of the bookseller by ahost of promotional devices all aimed atreaching in a personal way, that ultimateand elusive customer. By advertising inprofessional journals, by direct mail cam-paigns, by personal calls from trained repre-sentatives on teachers and institutions, byattendance at professional society meetings

with all this and more and in the face ofthe stiffest kind of competition and theAmerican publisher must vend his books.

And now, finally, we come full circleand return to the person with whom westarted the author. This gentleman de-serves properly, some OT our attention, fornot only is his the creative genius whichoriginates, but he becomes increasingly afinancial factor in the eventual costing andpricing of our product. And this is as itshould be, and the competition financiallyspeaking to secure the author, like allcompetition in any industry, eventually ire-proves the product. I can remember verywell when th) author of a scientific or mo-dicsl book received a flat maximum royaltyof '10% on domestic sales, and half of thaton his books sold overseas. Nowadays10% is the starting point and his royaltiescan climb to 20% in a variety of combina-tions, aided and abetted along the way bygrants, advances and aids of all kinds, I

cite this information for two reasons andfrom these reasons to draw a conclusion.The author's royalty return has become in-creasingly important to him financially whileat the same time, that author's royalty be-comes a prominent part of the cost of analready expensive book.

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The conclusion? The author ends upwith a book which he is well aware is avery worthwhile property financially. Thepublisher ends up with a valuable literaryproperty in which he has invested a greatdeal of money, and he, too, is well awareof it. So both the author and the publisherare going to cherish and hold highly valuablethis expensive product to finally receivefrom it a normal profit.

If all that has gone before has seemed,in part at least, to be a voice of doom cryingover the difficulties of scientific and medicalpublishing, it hasn't been so meant. Grant-ing financial ability, a clear vision of thedifficulties involved, and the necessary in-gredients of competency and judgement,scientific publishing can be very rewardingand much less speculative than many otherbranches of the same profession.

Finally, then, and I shall be brif3f forthis matter has been worked over manytimes and doubtless will be again whenthe American scientific and medical pub-lisher enters the international market placehe does so with two clear obligations.First, he must do the best he can, business-wise, for his author and for his firm hemust, as it were, "get his own back."Secondly, he has an obligation to the scien-tific and educational community of the worldto see that the best of his products aremade available on a worldwide basis sothat they can truly play their proper rolein the world development. The two obli-gations are not always harmonious but to

the everlasting credit of the science andmedical publishers of the world, they havebeen up to now the industry leaders Inmaking new ventures in strange landsand again with a dual responsibility. Trans-lations, co-publishing ventures, and inter-national student reprint editions with allthese you are as familiar as I. I know yourecognize also that the American's partici-pation in publishing in a "developing" coun-try requires on his part a somewhat morespeculative attitude of mind that he normallyentertains, a much longer point of viewwhen looking toward eventual recoupmentof investment, and an acceptance of a con-cept of lower profit by far than he is ac-customed to think of as normal.

With these restrictions it is understand-able why many American publishers haveremained at home with the good marketthat exists there. Increasingly however, Ithink we find more and more American pub-lishers taking the longer view. In fact, I

dare take the liberty to say that if the foreignpublisher takes cognizance of the inherentresponsibilities to which the American pub-lisher is heir as a sensible and honest busi-ness man, then rr ore and more Americanpublishers will move into the overseasbusiness. I think it fair to say we wishonly recognition that in our scientific andmedical publishing world, we come with anexpensive and hardwon product, but onefor which we will make any reasonableand some unreasonable concessions toplace it in the hands of our fellow respon-sible publishors in every developing country

SUCCESSFUL BOOK PUBLISHINGEDITING PROBLEMS IN SINGAPORE

byB. E. NICHOLAS

Manager, Malaysia Publishing House Sdn. Bhd.

Although I mention Singapore, the likeli-hood of these same problems may in allprobability exist in other territories as well.

Editing as we are all aware cover suchitems as (a) Typographical errors, (b) Pas-sages that may confuse a reader, (c)Usages that may cause trouble for a printer,(d) Correr spelling, (e) facts and so manyother problems which may occur once amanuscript is accepted and work on itbegins.

Those of you who have done muchediting and know tha problems will realisethat what I'm drivino at is, that the job ofan Editor is really a specialised one. Onewhich a high standard of education aloneis NO passport to editing. We have schoolsfor secretaryship, for accountancy, for tea-chers to know how to impart knowledgeand obtain results, but as far as I'm awarewe do not have any institution where some-one with a liking for editorial work canobtain the necessary know how theoreticallyand practically and then with some justifi-cation claim that he is able to edit.

The editor for instance may be a CopyEditor or a General Editor and Publisher.What does this entail just a workingknowledge of good English or the NationalLanguage whichever it is? I'm very muchafraid not. Such problems as what typo-graphical mechanics should be employedmust be determined such as names in smallcapitals, in italic, in bold face (rare in thesedays), or in plain roman. The editor mustquestion inconsistencies, unintelligible ab-breviations and other usages that mighttrap thc reader.

Occasionally the copy editor is requiredto cut the story to a predetermined lengthand here he must have the skill to performsuch a task without doing an injustice tothe author. Then he goes through themanuscript paragraph by paragraph, sen-tence by sentence, word by word andchapter by chapter. This proves beyondany doubt that every book has its own edit-ing problems and the question of whetherone is qualified to do this type of workbecomes even more apparent.

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The duties of any good editor are trulymost exacting (1) He must love books.(2) Respect authors as arrogant editorsdo not fit into any editorial department.(3) He must have an eye for detail anda passion for accuracy governed by goodjudgement. (4) He must be really familiar,even intimate, with the English languageand correct English usage.

Imagine an editor having to work ona dull manuscript but he does learn fromeach book he works on and thus increaseshis ability. His calling is humble and hon-ourable yet he is not superhuman.

I now come to 'Textbook' editorialdepartments in order to prove my point ontraining and qualifications. These men maybe specialists in the language arts, sciences,mathematics, social studies or the art, orthey may be concerned primarily with gradelevels elementary, secondary, college oruniversity.

Textbook editors aside from their edi-torial aptitude should have a close know-ledge of teaching. We know that manyeditors have come into the profession fromonly a brief experience in the schoolroom.This is definitely not enough when we takeinto consideration all that is required of aneditor.

We need many editors, good ones, mennot only well qualified to do the job buttruly dedicated to the profession and this I

do believe justifies my statement that we doneed a school for editors, to train them oneditorial duties, particularly in large firmswhere there are many types of editors withvarious titles bestowed upon them. Theymay be classified as special editors, juvenileeditors, business editors, textbook editors,garden book editors and so on. It is notmy intention to teach you how editorsshould carry out their ciutii)s but to em.phasise one fact, and that I ,epeat is, ifspecialist in any other trade has to undergolong and careful training then why isn't thesame process applied to an editor's jobbecause I really do believe that editors arenot born but they must be made.

SUCCESSFUL BOOK PUBLISHING"Management"

byP. MOWE

Asst. General ManagerFederal Publications Sdn. Bhd.

Introduction

For the purpose of this discussion, I

propose to confine my remarks within thefollowing four limits:

1. The geographical area of Malaysiaand Singapore,

2. General referenco to medium sizedbook oublishing companies in Ma-laysia and Singapore that have:

a) a publishing programme in ex-cess of 15 books a year and

b) a turnover in excess ofM$500,000 a year.

3, School Textbook Publishing andfinally

4. A time limit of ten minutes.

Setting the Objectives

The most important function of theManagement of a book publishing company,as witF iy other business, is to set outclean, objectives.

Its next most important function is tocommunicate these objectives to the staffin clear and unambiguous terms.

As an exampie, the Management of aneducational book publishing company must,

feel, decide whether its business is topublish school textbooks, whether it shouldpublish books geared to examinations,whether it should publish supplementarytexts or finally, whether it should publishbooks for the general public.

No medium sized company can pursueall four objectives equally well all the time.

The obvious limitations are capital andmanpower.

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But the most crucial result of a lackof clearly defined objectives is the absenceof properly trained and suitably qualifiedlocal staff in many publishing companieshere to-day.

Without clear objectives, no manage-ment nan plan the development of personneland thL development of its publishing pro-gramme. The result in educational publish-ing particularly is often a hodge podge ofindividuals concentrating on the mechanicalaspects of book production and sales withlittle regard for the contents and objectivesof the books and the actual needs of thechildren who will use them.

Management must set standards forthe quality of its publishing and it can onlydo so if its goals are clearly defined.

And repeatedly defined.

Whose responsibility?

Many publishing companies in Malay-sia and Singapore even those of mediumsize are really one-man operations. Thisis not a criticism. It is merely a statementof one of the limitations to corporate de-velopment in local publishing.

Where one man assumes the role ofpublisher, financier, production executiveand marketing executivo, then little can besaid of Management's role in such a situa-tion, as obviously all decisions are made byone man. The quality of these decisionsis entirely dependent on the quality of theman.

The first step then, in discussing theproper role of Management, is to assumea separation of functions and the inter-relation of these functions. The foregoingpapers will have defined the separate func-tions.

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I think I have time only to discuss therelationship of the Management function tothe Editorial function.

Editors in book publishing in Malaysiaand Singapore are often relegated to therole of merely being points of contact be-tween the Management and the author.

They then devote their whole attentionto what I would term as the purely mechani-cal aspects of book editing.

They read the manuscripts for literals,grammatical mistakes, and language levels.They check proofs. They suggest illustra-tions. They function in fact more as bookproduction co-ordinators.

It is my belief that Editors should alsoassume the more important function of pub-lisher.

He should be given the responsibdityof deciding on the books he wishes topublish.

In educational publishing, for instance,he would have to conduct research into theneeds of the schools, the various syllabi,as well as assess the potential market foreach project.

If the objective of the book n,Ninhingcompany is to produce school t.:xibooksthen such a man should have the n.1r,/qualifications in his suhject area to help hn.l,in his judgement.

The role then of Management would beto act as the "devil's advocate" to see ifthe editor's judgement will stand up to thesimple criteria of any business investment.

Budget Control

The problem that faces Managementwhen it delegates responsibility is the main-tenance of control. How does one ensurethat an editor, for instance, does not publishevery manuscript he gets irrespective of thefinancial position of the company?

How does one impose control yet leavethe editor free to use his initiative and as-sume responsibility?

I can only answer this by describinghow Federal Publications operates thiscontrol.

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Briefly, the Editor draws up a tentativeprogramme of the projects he wishes toembark upon at the beginning of the finan-cial year.

Each project is carefully costed outon the projected physical details thesize of the book, the number of pages, theprint order, the allocation for artwork.

The manufacturing cost thus workedout is the investment budget requirementwhich the Editor submits to the Managementfor evaluation and approval.

The final programme agreed to betweenthe Management and the Editor then servesas the Editor's guiding limit throughout thefinancial year.

Of course, the budget thus drawn updoes not necessarily remain unaltered asthe financial year progresses. Periodic re-views must be held and on occasions theprogramme will need adjustment as whenan author fails to come through with hisproject or when there is a change of syllabuswhich requires a different direction to betaken by the publisher.

With the publishing programme drawnup, a publisher is then in a position to pro-duce a projected balance sheet taking intoaccount overheads and royalties as well.

'This proielted balance sheet serves asseful que,,Y to Management as well asin.dicator i which it can measure its

pertcrinank-7..e the year progresses,

Credit Control and lieconts

The collection of money and a iair dis-count rate to the Trade are important areasfor Management control.

Too long a credit period weakens yourcash position and inhibits growth.

For the Industry as a whole too anunhealthy position can be created if theTrade is over dependent on long creditperiods.

Booksellers dependent on long creditperiods may expand too rapidly and leavethemselves open to disastrous conse-quences as they build-up a large debtorslist.

What is a reasonable credit period isti question which we might perhaps con-sider at this seminar.

There is much to be said for greateruniformity of terms to stabilize the Trade.

Another area over which good Man-agement control is essential is that of Tradediscounts.

It must be recognised that the Tradeplays an important role in the distributionof books. They deserve a fair return forthe services they provide.

However, the Trade is usually subjectto pressures from schools and libraries topass on part of their discounts. This prac-tice is most unhealthy. The result is apoor service as the margin left to the book-seller is too slim for him to improve thequality of his staff or to enlarge his rangeof stock.

Management must always treat allTrade customers fairly as this is the onlyway to do business successfully in thelong term.

I would like to conclude by drawing

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attention to the two different situationsprevailing in Malaysia and Singapore be-tween English Language and Chinese Lan-guage book publishing.

English Language book publishing onthe one hand inherited a certain degree ofstability from the U.K. publishers who do-minated the market before the entrance oflocal publishing. The more or less uniformtrade practices have continued and hascontributed considerably to a healthy in-dustry.

Chinese Language book publishing onthe other hand had no fixed practices espe-cially as there was no clear separationbetween publisher and bookseller. Thepractice continues to-day. As a result,Chinese Language publishing is very un-economical.

It is evident even from those presenthere that there are more medium sized tolarge local English Language book publishersthan there are for local Chinese Languagebook publishers.

Perhaps the significance of this will notbe lost during our deliberations this week.

52

SUMMARY OF THE SEMINAR

by

DONALD MOORE

The key to the seminar has been theSingapore Book Publishers' Associationso much is this so that it now seems un-believable that one year ago we in Singa-pore did not possess this vital organisation.One year ago we, as publishers, lacked anykind of institution which could represent useither within our own environment at home,or to people overseas. We had not means,for example, of holding this important semi-nar. If this seminar has taught us anything

which it hos it has taught us that ifthe interests of the industry are to be up-held, and there is much that needs to beupheld, the first step was the creation ofa Publishers' Association. The SingaporeBook Publishers' Association has aimportant role to play in the yo;i, ahc.u.

One speaker drew auontii to th,, tactthat it is often too late to interest adultsin reading and thus in books; ttv.-y quicklypass beyond the reach of propaganda. Allthe more important is it, therefore, that aPublishers' Association should exist to pro-mote the use of books among the young,in and out of school, so that books cometo be univel.sally recognised as essentialand indispensable tools of living. We mustwork together ls a profession, ceaselesslypromoting Bo W66ks, Library Weeks,Fairs and anything :hut can bring books tothe attention of the pubilc. We have topersuade people v,at there is as mnch enter-tainment to say nothino of k;.wledge

in a book as there in a night at thecinema.

I think the second most import,Intrealisation to come out of this seminar hasbeen the profound difficulty of getting bookpublishing off the ground in this part ofthe world without adequate supplies of low-cost capital. Almost all book publishing inSoutheast Asia is inadequately financed.Again, the Publishers' Association can playa crucial role here by providing a better,more aggressive image for the industry asp whole, it can perhaps help persuade peo-ple that publishing does not necessarily losemoney. It can perhaps persuade thosewho should know about publishing what

53

it is and what it can accomplish thathere is something worthy of their financialsupport even though it may never makethe same profits as a brewery. In his paperMr. Benjamin drew attention to this vitaltopic of capital. He pointed out the hurt-ful consequences of high-cost capital, notonly here but even in the west, and saidthat governments and official agcncies mightwell pay more attention to the very difficultproblem the book publisher in the develop-ing country experiences in attempting tomobilise the necessary sums of low-costcapital with which to get book publishinglaunched. It is not enriugh just to publlshschool text books. it is ;nfr... as Mr. Ponjamin said: A hoot,. ;:o tc5sthan highways n ny developing countiy.

Speakers have dwelt not only on theproblems facing the publishing industry;Mr. Cho dwelt instead upon the almostlimitless opportunities which simply wait tobe grasped. I would not underestimateeither the difficulties or the opportunities:both are immense.

We discussed the subsidising of writersand I think we came to tha conclusionthat a subsidised writer was a lazy writer,that even if subsidisation increased the out-put, it was unlikely to improve the quality.

Children's books claimed a consider-able part of the attention of the seminar.Children's books are crucial in that theyencourage lifetime readers, but if they areinadequate or unsuitable, they can do un-toid harm. The seminar felt that it wasessential that the quality of books in schoollibraries should be a matter for continuingconcern a big, fat book did not representvalue for money if it was also a bad book,and all too often the school librarian withlimited funds yielded to the temptation tobuy two bad books which could be hadfor the price of one good one.

Much attention was also given to thequestion of what we called the reverse flowof books, The flow of books in English isalmost wholly from the west to Southeast

Asia; the flow in the opposite direction isnegligible. There is no remedy for this buta thriving publishing industry in SoutheastAsia, and this depends on there being semi-nars like this one to identify the problemswhich have so far inhibited and stunted itsgrowth.

Marketing concerned many speakersone of the most vital aspects of pub-

lishing, for no matter what is produced, ifit cannot be sold, or is simply not sold, allthe time, money and effort have all beenwasted. It was suggested that at a !awl.date perhaps marketing workshops couldbP organised. The marketing of books inSoutheast Asia, the seminar concluded, wasstill in its infancy, and anything that couldlead to better salesrn lnship, better retailing,better prom-don, was greatly to be wel-corned.

Mr. Chester Kerr both instructed andentertained us in the matter of scholarlypublishing. He rightly stressed that he toocomes from a young country and encourag-ed us by saying that if we had not yet gotvery far along the academic publishing roadthere was no need to despair, for not sovery long ago things were as bad in Ame-rica as they are here now.

Mr. Benjamin surprised us with theknowledge that the median printing ofMcGraw Hill books was 4,000 copies andspoke eminently sensibly about the dangersof bringing about apparent economies simplyby printing more copies.

Mr. Lund spoke eloquently on educa-tional publishing, the kind of publishingwhich most closely concerns us here at

this time, at this stage of our development.I think we were surprised and impressedat the planning which goes into the develop-ment of a major educational series in Ame-rica something which could well beemulated here in Singapore.

Mr. Most told us of the growing aware-ness among American publishers of over-seas areas. The American publisher, herointed out has a large and affluent market

iiis own country, and the drive overseasis k compelling, having regard to the risks..,nd problems, than it is perhaps in Britain.But this, he felt, was changing rapidly, andthat more and more American publisherswould be venturing with ever bolder stepsinto overseas markets. He also said thatthe opportunities for co-publishing, for pub-lishers in Asia to issue editions of booksfirst created in America, would grow pro-vided the necessary degree of mutual con-fidence were first developed.

Mr. Benjamin was very specific on thedangers inherent in state publishing ofschool textbooks. Publishing was difficultenough, hazardous enough, in all conscience,but if Government pre-emptied the schooltextbook market, thus denying to the pri-vate sector it's largest and most lucrativesales area, then the industry would verylikely be strangled at birth.

Finally Mr. Kerr suggested that an an-nual Book Fair be developed in Singaporewhich could become a kind of FrankfurtFair in Asia.

The resolutions which were adopted bythe seminar were:

54 54

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution 1Having heard evidence on several ways

in which a Federation of the Book PublishersAssociation of South-East Asia can servethe interests of all publishers in the region

The Seminar recommends that such aFederation be established at the earliestpossible date, and that the associations ofthe nations represented at the Seminar beresponsible for the organizing effort.

The Seminar recognises the followinguseful functions which a Federation couldperform immediately:

1. Exchange of information on book-development programme and pro-jects.

2. Serve as liaison with the severaleducational innovation projects ofSEAMC and with the various otherprojects that are of multi-nationalinterest.

3. Prepare annually a classified biblio-graphy of all books in English andother regional languages publishedin the member nations which canbe used to increase export-importsales among the member countriesand to promote export sales to theWestern world.

4. Publication of a magazine to servethe whole of the region.

Resolution 2Having noted that in the education

systems of certain nations of South-EastAsia books and the reading of books areplanned as an important basic componentof each national system, yet there is littleor no allocation in the educational budgetsfor the purchase of textbooks for all child-ren who need them, and being convincedthat no school system can discharge itsresponsibility for giving children a broadand functional education without adequateschool libraries, the Seminar recommends:

1. That the governments of suchcountries be reminded that theobligation of public education car-ries the obligation of providingtextbooks for all children, not justthose whose families can't affordto buy them, and

55

2. That Book publishers, educatorsand librarians join forces in pro-moting the value of school librariesand in persuading educational andfinancial authorities that adequatepublic funds should be providedfor the support of effective libraryservices for all schools.

Resolution 3Recognizing the fact that librarians and

book publishers have many objectives andinterests in common and that in the coun-tries of South Asia there has been little orno effort to make common cause in sup-port of these interests and objectives, theSeminar recommends that publishers as-sociations and library associations in allcountries be brought together in program-mes and projects that will promote libraryservices and the value of books as toolsof educational and economic developmentand as means for cultural enrichment.

The Seminar agreed that the institutionof National Library Weeks of the generalkind that has been so successful in theUSA and many other countries should begiven high priority as a mutually valuableand supportable effort in this area.

Resolution 4Recognizing the need in all South-east

Asian nations for specialized workshops ortraining programmes on the techniques ofsuccessful book publishing, the Seminar re-commends that publishers associations or-ganize training in such specialities as manu-script evaluation and selection; copy editing;design and layout; manufacturing methodsand processes; advertising and selling; dis-tribution; and general administration.

The Seminar noted with satisfactionthe stated willingness of the representativesof Franklin Book Programme and of severalindividual U.S. publishing houses to assistin all possible ways with the establishmentof suitable training programmes. In thisconnection, it was generally agreed that itis better to bring required trainers to Asiancountries than to send Asian trainees tothe U.S. or Japan or some European coun-try.

Resolution 5Being aware of the fact that certain

countries of South-east Asia have handi-

55

capped the development of indigenous pub-lishing by imposing burdensome duties onimported book papers whilst allowing printedbooks to be imported duty free, the Seminarrecommends that book publishers in suchcountries enlist the assistance of authors,educators, intellectuals, librarians and jour-nalists in bringing the unfairness and theharmful consequences of this situation tothe attention of the proper authorities, andthat all persist in efforts to have such dutiesreduced or eliminated, especially as appliedto imported papers for educational books.Resolution 6

Recognizing the fact that markets foreducational books are not only the largestbut also the most profitable of all for in-digenous book industries, and that suchmarkets are of primary importance in thedevelopment of books industries that willserve all the needs of a developing country.And recognizing the validity of the argu-ment that the preemption of textbook mar-kets by nationalized textbook productionmakes it difficult if not impossible, forprivate-sector publishers to support theproduction of certain kinds of professionalbooks and industrial that are also essentialto national development.

The Seminar wishes to note the repres-sive influence of nationalized textbook pro-duction on the development of a viableprivate-enterprise book industry in any na-tion, and to suggest that it is unreasonableto expect private-sector publishers to sup-port less profitable book requirements whilstthe more profitable mainstay market fortextbooks is taken away. The Seminar alsorecognizes that the private enterprise bookindustry, given enough incentives, can playa constructive role in fulfilling national edu-cational goals.Resolution 7

Noting the imbalance in the import-ex-port flow of books between South-east Asiaand the Western nations, and recognizingthe need to correct this imbalance for thebenefit of both sides, the Seminar recom-mends that Asian publishers be more ener-getic and resourceful in their efforts to ex-port books to the West, and calls uponWestern-nation publishers to give all rea-sonable assistance to these increased ef-forts. It is recognised, however, that thebasic responsibility in the matter lies withthe Asian publisher.Resolution 8

Having heard evidence on the needfor book publishers and book-publishers

56

organizations to devote more effort andresources to propaganda directed to increas-ing public interest in books and reading,the Seminar recommends that all book pub-lishers associations in South-east Asia un-dertake such activities as public book ex-hibits, national and local book fairs, andannual book awards such as those thathave had such high promotional value in theUS and other Western nations.Resolution 9

Noting complaints that most scholarlypublication reporting research done in Asiancountries by researchers are produced in thethe countries of the researchers where nothought or effort is given to making avail-able such works to the scholars of thecountries that were hosts to the research-ers, the Seminar recommends that in eachinstance the possibility of a co-edition or aspecial import arrangement be explored bythe researcher and his publisher. In certaincases, sponsors of the research projectmight be called upon to make sure that thepublished reports are made available to thescholars of the countries or regions wherethe research was made.Resolution 10

Being aware of the essentidity of do-mestic copyright protection for the develop-ment of a country's indigenous book indus-try in an orderly and economically viableway; and being aware also of the needfor international protection of copyright forthe development of substantial export mar-ket for books; the Seminar recommendsthat authors and publishers of each South-easi-. Asian nation join in an effort to:

1. Maintain or strengthen its domes-tic copyright law so as to provideprotection at a desired level.

2. Promote the nation's accession tothe U.C.C. or the Bern Conven-tion, or both, if there is presentlyno membership in either of thetwo leading international conven-tions.

Resolution 11In many countries of the region income

tax as high as 40% is charged at sourceon the payment of royalties to the authorsresident outside the country of the payment.Since in the developing countries of Asiagood writers are not easily available, or can-not be easily induced to write, the Seminarrecommends that the income tax on royal-ties paid to authors, whether residing withinthe country or outside, should be abolishedaltogether.

56

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