Customer Reviews

Art & Science Of Book Publishing

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Contemporary publishing would probably be in far better shape if more of its managers had the fiscal know-how of Bailey. There's no question that he has a unique mastery of the accounting and financial formulas that were necessary in his own day. But this book was originally written in 1970 and, while one would like to believe that good advice is timeless, there have been so many changes in the publishing industry since then (many occurring in the last five years) that it is difficult not to conclude that some of his concerns and emphases are just no longer in sync with times. If you're accumulating a library of publishing texts, surely include this one. But if you want contemporary financial advice that takes current realities into account, you're better off with a book like Thomas Woll's excellent Publishing For Profit.

This book is a must for a person who is interested in book publishing. The author discusses selecting a list price and selecting a print run size from a mathematical point of view. The book is packed with concepts that a mature publisher would take for granted and a novice would need to grow into a mature publisher. I can imagine this book as a college text for an advanced degree.