Turning the Page: The Evolution of the Book

This is an exciting period for the book, a time of innovation, experimentation, and change. It is also a time of considerable fear within the book industry as it adjusts to changes in how books are created and consumed. The movement to digital has been taking place for some time, but with consumer books experiencing the transition, the effects of digitization can be clearly seen to everybody. In Turning the Page Angus Phillips analyses the fundamental drivers of the book publishing industry - authorship, readership, and copyright - and examines the effects of digital and other developments on the book itself. Drawing on theory and research across a range of subjects, from business and sociology to neuroscience and psychology, and from interviews with industry professionals, Phillips investigates how the fundamentals of the book industry are changing in a world of ebooks, self-publishing, and emerging business models. Useful comparisons are also made with other media industries which have undergone rapid change, such as music and newspapers. This book is an ideal companion for anyone wishing to understand the transition of the book, writing and publishing in recent years and will be particularly relevant to students studying publishing, media and communications.

Table of Contents:
Introduction  1. Authorship  2. Readership  3. Digital Tide  4. Globalization  5. Copyright  6. New Directions

About the Author :
Angus Phillips is Director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes University. He is the author of Inside Book Publishing (with Giles Clark), editor of The Future of the Book in the Digital Age (with Bill Cope), and Editor-in-Chief of the premier publishing journal Logos.

Review :
"It is one of the on-going ironies of the book business that while each year it surpasses the amount of content produced in previous years, its output reflects so little on itself. Angus Phillips' new book redresses the balance, and will be enjoyed by a wide range of people - from publishers (actual and potential) to keen readers. His broad frame of reference is particularly welcome; accessing research from a wide variety of disciplines and mixing this with both reflection on his own experiences and those of a wide range of industry professionals and other stakeholders. Consistently illuminating, enlightening and fascinating, this important book offers the tempting prospect of time well spent." Alison Baverstock, Course Leader, MA Publishing Kingston University "Turning the Page is essential reading for anyone interested in how books are changing. Covering all the key topics in a clear and comprehensive fashion, Phillips raises vital questions about authorship, copyright and the very form of the book itself. With a wide and judicious set of examples, there is no better place to learn about the emerging ecosystem of the digital book." Michael Bhaskar, Digital Publishing Director, Profile Books and author of The Content Machine "Angus Phillips has produced a concise, lively, engaged study of key themes affecting the present and future of the book, offering in erudite yet accessible form insights into reading, publishing and content creation in a digital age. A must for those thinking through how the publishing industry might respond to the challenges of the digital world." David Finkelstein, Dean, School of Humanities, University of Dundee "As a key industry expert, Phillips can be trusted to present us with a level-headed assessment of the radical transformations the book trade is currently experiencing." Adriaan van der Weel, Bohn professor of Book Studies, University of Leiden "Phillips covers in clear, well-documented, chapters: 'The democratisation of authorship'; 'Slow books', 'Content in a digital world'; 'Digital capital'; 'The global book'; and 'Diversity and convergence', [and] clearly identifies the big themes, such as do authors need publishers? Do readers need physical bookshops? Are the old patterns of content creation and distribution still relevant? What are the patterns of e-book reading?" Colin Steele, The Sydney Morning Herald "This book will be most useful for schools with undergraduate programs in publishing that are comparable to the one at Oxford Brookes. Itwill be less warmly received in English or journalism departments without a similar emphasis... Summing Up: Recommended." P. L. Holmer, Southern Connecticut State University, CHOICE