Can the Advent of Custom Publishing Bridge the Gap between Traditional and Self-Publishing?
Amy Guest
Abstract
This paper aims to look at the advent of custom publishing, and its distinction from vanity publishing, and self-publishing in 21st century Britain and America. Its birth will be evaluated as a means for publishers to bridge the gap between traditional publishing, and self-publishing, due predominantly to the technological communications shift of 1980-1990, and the influence of academia. The conflicting definition of the varying fields will be outlined, and vindicated by using Robert Darnton’s communication circuit, together with Thomas R. Adams & Nicolas Barker’s new model for the study of the book. The modification of the communication’s circuit can then be gauged, by looking at the effect custom publishing has had, and the implications that this modification has for the publisher-author relationship.
Amy Guest
Abstract
This paper aims to look at the advent of custom publishing, and its distinction from vanity publishing, and self-publishing in 21st century Britain and America. Its birth will be evaluated as a means for publishers to bridge the gap between traditional publishing, and self-publishing, due predominantly to the technological communications shift of 1980-1990, and the influence of academia. The conflicting definition of the varying fields will be outlined, and vindicated by using Robert Darnton’s communication circuit, together with Thomas R. Adams & Nicolas Barker’s new model for the study of the book. The modification of the communication’s circuit can then be gauged, by looking at the effect custom publishing has had, and the implications that this modification has for the publisher-author relationship.