CONTENTS
Report from Frankfurt
AAUP Forms Partnership with Tizra E-Publishing Service
Eco-Friendly Book Printing
A University Press Fiction Success Story
Fair Copyright in Research Works Act
Miscellany:
Settlement Announced in Google Lawsuit
Three University Presses Aid in Rebuilding Iraqi Libraries
Books for Understanding: New Financial Crisis List and Updated Enron List
Calendar: See the Events Calendar at www.aaupnet.org
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Peter Givler
Executive Director, AAUP
Virtually all of my time at the 2008 Frankfurt Book Fair was spent in meetings of other publishing associations, so I didn’t spend much time on the floor of Hall 8, the main exhibition hall for U.S., Canadian, U.K. and Israeli publishers, and my impressions of the mood and pace of the rights business being transacted this year are frankly impressionistic and spotty. Certainly the nose dive in the markets was on everyone’s mind. Some thought business was slower, while others seemed to think it was more-or-less business as usual, with one Director telling me his biggest problem was that he couldn’t compete for the good stuff. He had just lost a book to a commercial publisher who had offered five times what he was willing to pay. That there’s too much cash chasing hot books is a perennial complaint, and not just at Frankfurt, but it doesn’t appear to have dried up. At least not yet.
On open access, one interesting new development was the decision by the European Commission to fund OAPEN (Open Access Publishing in European Networks) for a 30-month pilot project to the tune of €900,000, announced one week before the Fair. OAPEN is a coalition of six European university presses, spearheaded by Amsterdam University Press, seeking to “achieve a sustainable European approach to improve the quantity, visibility and usability of high-quality OA content and foster the creation of new content by developing future-oriented publishing solutions, including an online library dedicated to HSS [Humanities and Social Sciences], and new business models.” OAPEN is looking for additional participants, and Eelco Verwerda of AUP, the main contact for OAPEN, was at the Fair to discuss the project with potential partners. OAPEN’s current membership does include an English-language publisher, Manchester University Press; if you’re interested in finding out more, you can go to their website at http://www.oapen.org/, or contact Eelco at e.ferwerda@aup.nl.
Since the vast majority of publishing still depends on the market for recovery of publishing costs, protecting copyright was a major item on the agenda at meetings of the publishing associations. A number of the specific issues had to do with the European version of issues also before Congress, such as how best to provide copyrighted materials in the appropriate formats for people with print and other disabilities. Others focused on the problems of developing nations: how to encourage the development of a local publishing industry and respect for both copyright and freedom of expression, for example.
There were also pubic sessions sponsored by the International Publishers Association on new opportunities, like a well-attended session on Web 2.0, and on new threats, like a panel discussion on online book piracy. In the latter, a representative of the Swedish Publishers Association gave a chilling presentation about Pirate Bay, a P2P file-sharing network based in Sweden. Billing itself as the largest file-sharing network in the world, Pirate Bay uses BitTorrent technology and offers unlimited downloads of movies, music, TV programs, sports events and, increasingly, books - all of it free, and none of it authorized.
Pirate Bay started with a free-spirited, Robin Hood ethos, liberating content from the shackles of capitalism for the benefit of the people, but it has become a capitalist enterprise it its own right, with advertising being handled by an agency in Tel Aviv and the money, €2 million last year, flowing into a bank in the Cayman Islands. What is unique about Pirate Bay, and uniquely discouraging, is that despite being blatantly illegal under Sweden’s own laws, it has such popular support there that it operates quite openly and two successive Swedish Prime Ministers have declared it politically untouchable.
Are any of your books available on this site? I’m not going to give the URL here, but it’s a snap to find: just head to your favorite search engine and look up Pirate Bay. Before you look, though, check with your IT staff about protecting your computer against malware. Ads aren’t the only way pirate sites make money.
Brenna McLaughlin
Electronic & Strategic Initiatives Director, AAUP
On June 26, a mid-sized conference room in Montreal was home to a standing room only crowd. At least one too many invitations (perhaps my own!) had been cadged to a private presentation and discussion of a new e-publishing service. Tizra Publisher is a new publisher-branded online sales and distribution platform for electronic books and other document-based content. Perhaps that doesn’t sound terribly unique these days, but the Tizra software makes it very simple for non-technical staff to create online content collections, to set pricing, and to control the look and feel of the site itself. A Tizra-hosted publisher site needs only searchable, bookmarked PDFs, which many publishers create now as a part of the regular production process, to produce a secure and smooth reader experience. The interest in what Tizra demonstrated was palpable.
Of course, resources are always at stake when trying out a new e-publishing platform or sales model—not just money, but time and staff resources. University presses and their fellow not-for-profit scholarly publishers in the AAUP membership are particularly sensitive to return on investment (or, at least, return OF investment) in these days of experiment and hope. One of the most appealing aspects of Tizra’s pitch has been their own sensitivity to these concerns.
Since June, the company has worked in various ways to minimize the risks to such publishers in using Tizra Publisher. Their tiered pricing structure focuses on providing a pricing plan that fits the needs of presses from small to large. Even better, AAUP has been able to negotiate a 20% discount off of the monthly fees for our members. (Tizra’s terms entail a basic monthly service fee, as well as a modest transaction fee on sales through their hosted sites.) The Association will receive a percentage of the transaction fees earned by Tizra through sites signed-up through this AAUP discount program.
In addition to the direct financial benefit of the AAUP discount, the Tizra administrative control panel is both self-service and fairly intuitive, in hopes of decreasing the amount of time needed for learning and managing the site’s functions. Importantly, the site doesn’t require IT set-up or file conversion. One of the most interesting aspects of the product, however, is the flexibility of the sales model. Publishers can sell access to discrete book titles, individual chapters, or whole collections of content. Pricing can be set for individuals, institutions, or specific customer groups. And if a price point or collection offer isn’t succeeding, a publisher can try out a new one in a matter of minutes.
The system works by breaking each PDF up into individual pages that will be embedded in the HTML web page though which users access content. This increases security of content online, and decreases the download lag of high-quality PDF material, while appearing seamless to the end user. Searchable PDFs are indexed for both the internal Tizra search-engine and for sites such as Google. More than half of current traffic to Tizra-hosted content comes from Google searches, so findability is key. Currently Tizra’s product supports the sale of online access to content, with the ability to include links back to the press site to purchase print books, or to integrate with a publisher’s own shopping cart to sell print-and-online packages. Making the sales of downloadable PDFs possible is part of the company’s near-term plans, and they have discussed the possibility of partnering with a POD vendor to make that an option for publisher clients as well.
The MIT Press was already working with Tizra at the time of the June meeting. Their Tizra-hosted site, CISnet, was officially launched in early September. MIT chose to make available a specific collection, their computer and information sciences titles. Access to the complete collection can be purchased for a 5-day trial, a one-month or a one-year subscription. The site now includes more than 150 books, with more being added. The press cited the minimized upfront costs and delays as the largest benefit of working with Tizra. Throughout October, AAUP and Tizra have held weekly webinars to introduce a wider range of AAUP member presses to the capabilities of Tizra Publisher. As of the last week in October, the company began offering free online sign-up for publishers wishing to try out Tizra Publisher. While the free sites include Google Ads and have limited content allowances and branding and design tools, they are an excellent opportunity for risk-free experimenting and training. Throughout November, the webinar schedule will be split to accommodate the publishers who have begun to use the free sites and who have hands-on questions, and those who did not attend the initial October webinar introduction.
AAUP members who are interested in more information about Tizra Publisher, AAUP pricing, or the webinars should contact Brenna McLaughlin.
Harvard University Press and Maple-Vail Join Forces for Debut of Eco-Friendly Printing Process
Meredith Benjamin
Communications Coordinator, AAUP
The Dismal Science, by Stephen Marglin, became the first book published using the new THINKTech™ printing process on June 18. The debut printing was the result of a collaboration between Harvard University Press and Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group. Described by Harvard University Press’s Assistant Director for Design and Production, John Walsh, as “one of the biggest things I’ve ever heard of in the printing world in terms of eco-friendliness,” the new technology dramatically reduces the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and eliminates the use of natural-gas-fed ovens.
Maple-Vail has strong ties to the scholarly publishing community and is currently working with 60 university presses. Bill Long, Maple-Vail’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, explained that they chose to partner with Harvard University Press on this new process because of Harvard’s long-standing relationship with Maple-Vail and their visible commitments to environmental issues and sustainability. Maple-Vail is one of Harvard University Press’s biggest vendors, and Walsh echoed Long’s sentiment in describing the Harvard/Maple-Vail relationship as a “strategic partnership.”
Both Harvard UP and Maple Vail are members of the Green Press Initiative (GPI), and both are signatories to its Industry Treatise for Responsible Paper Use. As an inaugural member of the Book Industry Environmental Council, Maple-Vail was a sponsor of the recent study on the book industry’s carbon footprint (AAUP also sponsored this study). As part of its commitment to GPI, Maple-Vail stocks paper with high post-consumer recycled waste content, which Harvard agreed to use in the printing of The Dismal Science. Walsh described Harvard University Press’s participation in this new printing process as emblematic of their desire to be a part of the leadership of GPI, and said they were thrilled to be asked to participate with Maple-Vail.
Given the current push across industries for green and sustainable business practices, it comes as no surprise that Maple-Vail’s Bill Long cites “strong evidence in the marketplace of an interest in pursuing more eco-friendly book manufacturing alternatives.” Harvard UP knew the initative would be of interest to the university community, and promoted the initiative around campus, where it was subject of a press release and a feature in the weekly Harvard newspaper.
The THINKTech™ process, developed by Maple-Vail and Amerikal Products Corporation, uses a line of sustainable chemistry called Genesis in place of traditional pressroom chemistry. The process greatly reduces use of both natural gas and electricity, as it eliminates the need for gas-fired ovens, chill drums, chill water compressors, electrical pumps, silicone applicators, and electrically powered blowers. Both VOC ink levels and VOC emissions are dramatically reduced, while all federal and state regulated toxins (silicone, federal 313 chemicals and Hazardous Air Pollutants [HAPs]) are eliminated. In addition to these environmental benefits, the technology is also a boon to productivity: it expedites the drying process while improving the quality, producing non-way books that are odor-free.
Both parties were extremely pleased with the outcome of the initial printing. Demonstrating the press’s satisfaction with the results, Walsh said, “I actually passed the book around to people and no one could tell the difference [from the earlier edition].” Following the success of The Dismal Science’s printing, Maple-Vail has been printing a number of both straight text and illustrated titles using the THINKTech™ process. Bill Long explained that, “Maple-Vail is now using the ThinkTech process on a full-time basis on a portion of our web and sheetfed presses. We are in the process of expanding its use across our press platform with a goal to eventually convert the entire pressroom at both of our plant locations to the ThinkTech™ process.” While noting that the decision to use the process lies with the printer, and not the press, Walsh said he would have “no qualms” about this process being used for more Harvard books.
Asked about the choice of The Dismal Science as the book for the initial printing, Walsh explained, “We were looking for a book that connected us back with Harvard University, and [the author] Stephen Marglin is a senior professor in the Economics Department.” Walsh highlighted the press’s desire to connect with the mission of the expansive Harvard Green Campus Initiative set forth by the university and “be out front ourselves.”
Currently the only printer utilizing this new technology, Long said the process creates no additional cost for the customer. Although the ink used in the THINKTech™ process is more expensive, Long explains that this cost is offset by the gains in “decreased waste, higher productivity, and an improvement in print quality.” Long also indicated that he believes this technology will eventually spread beyond book-publishing to the printing industry at large.
For more on the Green Press Initiative and the Book Industry Environmental Council, see past Exchange articles:
“AAUP Participates in Book Industry Environmental Council”
“Publishing’s Carbon Footprint”
Rachel Weiss-Feldman
Marketing Manager, AAUP
I joined the New York Public Library’s Young Lions program in 2003, and since then have occasionally notified AAUP members about their prestigious fiction award. The particular set of qualifications, however, can be a tall order for university press publishers to meet. Which is why, when I read the list of the five finalists for 2008 on the ceremony invitation, I was pleasantly surprised to see a university press book represented for the very first time.
The Young Lions, an NYPL program for people in their 20s and 30s, presents a $10,000 award every Spring recognizing young emerging authors of short fiction and novels. To qualify for the Young Lions Fiction Award, an author must be an American, age 35 or under, and the book must be an original novel or short story collection. Five finalists are announced each year in March, and in April, the NYPL holds an awards ceremony and reading in NYC, hosted by Ethan Hawke, the group’s co-founder.
The university press book finalist for 2008 was Teach the Free Man, published by Ohio University’s Swallow Press imprint. The 12-story collection focuses on incarceration in the California prison system, as told through voices of the inmates. The author, Peter Nathan Malae, is a Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University and winner of the 2007 Joseph Henry Jackson Award from the San Francisco Intersection for the Arts.
At the 2008 award ceremony, I asked Malae about his reasons for going with a university press publisher, as opposed to a trade house such as W.W. Norton, or Viking Penguin, both of whom had two books nominated as finalists. “When I sent my stories out to big NYC publishers,” he said, “they said they liked them, but didn’t think they would make any money.”
It was suggested to Malae that he submit his stories to some of the big university presses. He sent his work to Louisiana State, Iowa, and Ohio. “With Ohio, their Director, David Sanders, contacted me directly,” he said. Malae ended up sending his entire collection to Ohio University Press, who published the collection in 2007.
Swallow Press has enjoyed a lot of acclaim for Teach the Free Man, including a 2007 Notable Book selection from the Story Prize. However, according to Jeff Kallett, Ohio’s Publicity Manager, following the announcement of the Young Lions Fiction Award nomination, a significant number of interview requests and outside attention began to come in. “We had inquiries from agents in New York, which has never happened,” Kallett said.
While its age and submission counts do not compare to other literary awards such as the Story Prize, the Iowa Short Fiction Award, or the Flannery O’Conner Award, NYPL’s Young Lions Fiction Award can be a sales and publicity boost for an author and his or her publisher. The ceremony, hosted by Hawke and featuring various actors performing readings, is covered by both the publishing and entertainment media. However, publicity about the finalists and their books can have significant impact even before the ceremony.
“We’ve had several books win academic prizes,” said Kallett, “and as much as we’re pleased about them, there is only so much notice many of those books will ever get. The New York Public Library, however, is a great publicity machine. And to have one of our books associated with this world is really something.”
In the end, the 2008 Award went to Ron Currie, Jr., author of God is Dead (Penguin). But Malae has since been offered a two-book deal with Grove Press, probably in no small part from the publicity from the award. Kallet says the press is very happy for him, and Malae had nothing but positive things to say about university press publishers. “The experience with Ohio University Press has been A+” Malae said.
The Young Lions Fiction Award started in 2001. The committee receives about 110 submissions a year from publishers nationwide. Past finalists and winners include Myla Goldberg (Bee Season), Colson Whitehead (John Henry Days), and Anthony Doerr (The Shell Collector).
U.S. Representatives Conyers, Issa, and Feeny introduced the Fair Copyright in Research Works Act, HR 6845, on September 9, 2008. AAUP sent a letter in support of the bill to its sponsors and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. The letter defined the bill’s purpose as follows:
On October 28, 2008, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the Authors Guild (AG), and Google announced a settlement resolving the lawsuits filed by publishers and authors in 2005. If approved, the agreement may expand online access to in-copyright books and other written materials digitized from U.S. library collections participating in Google Book Search, while recognizing and recompensing copyright holders.
The terms of the settlement require Google to make payments totaling $125 million. These payments will be used to establish the Book Rights Registry, to resolve existing claims by authors and publishers, and to cover legal fees. The terms of the agreement would improve access to out-of print books, implement additional ways to purchase copyrighted books, create institutional subscriptions to the digitized collections, and offer free access from designated computers at public and university libraries.
The settlement is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Approval will be decided after May 5, 2009, the deadline set for filing objections to the settlement terms.
AAUP’s lawyer, Linda Steinman, has written a memo for members explaining the basic terms of the settlement in the publishers’ and Authors Guild’s suits against Google. It is now posted on the members only section of the website and can be accessed here: http://aaupnet.org/members/alerts/settlementmemo103108.pdf
You can request your members only login information here:
http://aaupnet.org/pwrequest.html
The Author’s Guild has compiled a listing of information and resources regarding the settlement:
http://www.authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/settlement-resources.html
Covered in Publisher’s Weekly:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6609089.html
Reactions to the settlement in the Library Journal:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6610115.html?
nid=2673&rid=reg_visitor_id&source=title
In late September, Harvard University Press, the MIT Press, and Yale University Press, shipped over 5,700 books to Iraqi libraries from TriLateral, their combined warehouse operation. The presses have partnered with the Sabre Foundation (Humanitarian Aid for the Mind), as part of its Book Donation Program, which has long been a source of educational materials for countries in need. The rebuilding of library collections will help restore the Iraqi higher education system, which has been devastated by military conflict.
The donations will be focused on four libraries: the Iraq National Library and Archive (INLA), and the libraries of Baghdad University, Baghdad Technical University, and Mustansiriya University (Baghdad). The collections were chosen by Iraqi librarians from lists provided by the presses and include titles in a wide range of disciplines.
New Financial Crisis List and Updated Enron List
AAUP recently published Books for Understanding: Financial Crisis, the latest addition to the online resource for scholarship on current events. As the financial crisis and its effects continue to dominate headlines and politics, the demand for knowledge on the issues is high. This comprehensive bibliography features scholarship published by member presses providing historical perspective, analysis of financial markets, and insight into possible solutions.
View the complete list here: http://aaupnet.org/news/bfu/finance/list.html
A link to the list was featured in the New York Times’ “Times Topics: Credit Crisis” resource.
Additionally, the Books for Understanding: Enron list has been updated to reflect new publications in its topic areas. Many of these titles overlap with the “Financial Crisis” list, and are therefore of renewed relevance.
View the Enron list here: http://aaupnet.org/news/bfu/enron/list.html
Books for Understanding is a free, easy-to-use resource to help readers find books on current events. New bibliographies are compiled when a major news story breaks or public debate heats up.
The program highlights one of the highest values of university presses: to publish top research and scholarship in all fields regardless of immediate commercial potential. Often the most complete and illuminating background research and knowledge for a breaking news story is only available in scholarly books from presses committed to the public interest.
For the full range of Books for Understanding titles, please visit: http://www.booksforunderstanding.org