The Book Publishing Industry

This report offers an in-depth analysis of the major economic developments in the book publishing industry. The analysis integrates data from a statistical report published earlier as part of this project. The report is divided into 4 main parts. Chapter 1, the introduction, puts the sector into an historical perspective. Chapter 2 introduces the markets at a global and regional level; describes some of the major EU markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom). Chapter 3 analyses the value network of the European book publishing industry, identifying the transformations taking place in the value network and in business models as a result of the on-going digitalisation process, first in the distribution of physical goods and then digital books. Chapter 4 reviews the policy issues specific to this sector such as fixed prices or VAT issues.