Lachezar Georgiev MANAGEMENT and STRATEGY in BOOK PUBLISHING and PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS

Lachezar Georgiev

MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY IN BOOK PUBLISHING AND PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS © Lachezar Georgiev Georgiev, 2014 © Faber Publishers, 2014

ISBN 978-619-00-0080-8 Lachezar Georgiev Georgiev

MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY IN BOOK PUBLISHING AND PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS

FABER • 2014

FOREWORD

The present research elaborates on the current strategic approaches in book publishing and their projections in the world of printed communications. The book shows how a well planned, thoroughly prepared and economically feasible strategy can be a crucial factor contributing to the financial prosperity of a publishing house. It also provides an analysis of price formation in the publishing industry, and lays bare the process of calculation and synchronization of all the different expenses, tax rates, discounts and bonuses. The book also provides an account of the distribution processes in book publishing, and studies the approaches in managing intellectual property in the context of the book publishing business, thus outlining the modern trends in publishing management. There is a reference to some leading global events in the sphere of printed communications, as well as some strategies and attitudes. The strategic approaches in promoting the book and advertising in the printed media are also dealt with. A special emphasis is laid on the polygraphic aspects of printed communications both in terms of chronology of printing methods and the choice of the most appropriate strategic technology for the needs of the publishing businesses. This research is based on the following research methods – reference and bibliography citing, comparative method, analytical method, method of personal empirical observation, etc. The current research is, in its main part, a translation of Prof. Lachezar Georgiev’s monographic work Strategic Approaches in Book Publishing and Printed Communications (Sofia, AN-DI Pub- lishing House, 2013. 263 pp.). Prof. Lachezar Georgiev actively draws on his own experience of involvement in the world of printed communications – in his capacity of publisher, editor, head of a printing and publishing house,

5 journalist, writer, author of numerous researches on the book and book publishing, and a university lecturer. He is the editor in chief of the Bulgarian scientific magazine about the book PUBLISHER, which he founded himself in 1994 and which is issued to this day. Prof. Lachezar Georgiev is the author of 45 scientific, fictional and documentary books.

6 Professor PhD Lachezar Georgiev

Born on October 3, 1956 in Veliko Tarnovo. He graduated Bul- garian Studies from St. Cyril and St. Methodius University. In 1992 he completed a second major at the same university – Polygraphy, Publishing and Editorship. From 1983 to 1992 worked as a journalist, head of department, editor in chief of regional print media and a field correspondent for national newspapers. From March 1992 to October 2003 he was the manager of St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, Veliko Tarnovo. In 1998, he got a PhD in book science, librarianship and bibliography. In 2003 he attained the academic rank of associate professor in book science, librarianship and bibliography. In May 2012 he was elected Professor in book science, librarianship and bibliography at St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity. In September 2012 his professorship was also acknowledged by the Sofia University of Library Studies and Information Tech- nologies. Since 2005 to september 2013 he has been Head of the Library and Mass Communications Department at the Faculty of Econom- ics at Veliko Tarnovo University. Since 2005 he has taught the following undergraduate courses at the Faculty of Economics: Pub- lishing, Public Relations, Library and Information, Journalism and also the following master’s courses: Media and Advertising, Mass Communication and Journalism, Communications and Library Management. He is a member of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria and the Union of Bulgarian Writers. Starting from 2005 onwards he is a member of the Faculty Council. He is one of the founders of the majors Publishing and Journalism. He has lectured at the University of Library Studies and Infor- mation Technologies – Sofia since 2004. 7 Prof. L. Georgiev reads lectures at the University on subjects related to printed communications, book press, and book publishing process. He has participated in international conferences and other scientific meetings – Antwerp, Milan, St. Petersburg, Mos- cow, Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo and his lectures have been published in prestigious scientific journals. His work as a researcher and writer has taken him to many countries: Ukraine, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Por- tugal, Russia, etc. Prof. Lachezar Georgiev is the author of over 250 scientific papers and articles, studies and books of fiction. From 2004 to 2013 is a leading compiler and scientific editor of the series Libraries, Reading, Communication. From 2009 onwards he is editor of Proceedings of St. Cyril and St. Methodius University. In 1994, he founded the journal about the book Publisher, and has been the editor in chief ever since. Since 2003 the journal has been a joint publication of St. Cyril and St. Methodius University and UniBIT – Sofia. He has been a member of scientific boards in competitions for university lecturing. He has directed research projects. Among Prof. Dr. Lachezar Georgiev’s major monographic works and scientific books are: Organization of the Publishing Pro- cess, Veliko Tarnovo, 1994; Svishtov – a Publishing and Printing Center in the Period XIX – Early XX Century, Svishtov, intl. Al Foun- dation. Konstantinov, 1997; Literature and Publishing Tradition, Ve- liko Tarnovo, 2000; Theory of the Book Publishing Process, V. Ta r- novo, 2001, 2004; Management and Marketing Publishing Activity, Veliko Tarnovo, 2002, 2004; Book Publishing Studies and Articles, Veliko Tarnovo, 2003; Bulgarian Publishing. Flashbacks. Trends. Structures. Models, Veliko Tarnovo, 2006; Seven Studies in Bulgari- an Publishing, Veliko Tarnovo, 2007; Composition Book, Sofia, 2007, 2010, 2012); Structures and Models in the Bulgarian Book Publish- ing (Veliko Tarnovo, 2007; 2011; Strategic Approaches in Publishing and Print Communications, Sofia, 2010, 2011, 2012; 2013; Books and Publishing Process, Veliko Tarnovo, 2008; Books and Printed Com-

8 munications, Veliko Tarnovo 2009; Publishing and Literature, Ve- liko Tarnovo, 2011; Book Publishing and Printed Communications. Research on the Book and Media, Veliko Tarnovo, 2013. He has published 17 books of fiction – five novels, a novelette, a collection of short novels, six collections of short stories, selected literary works in two volumes, etc. He is the author of the journalistic documentary Vasil Nedelchev, Sofia, Military Publishing House, 1987; Followers of the Great Wanderer, Plovdiv, Hristo G. Danov, 1988; Filip Totyu. Personality. Activity. Documents, Ruse, 1990 [with D. Petkov and T. Bilchev]; Twice Hung on the Gallows, Sofia, Mili- tary Publishing House, 1992; Filip Totyu. Historical Sources and Re- search, Ruse held. Archive, 1998 [editor, co-author with D. Petkov and T. Bilchev]; the study Minko Radoslavov – Fighter, Education- ist and Statesman, Veliko Tarnovo, Syrah, 1999; the documentary book Radko Radoslavov – Life and Literary Work, Veliko Tarnovo, 1999; the travel notes On the shores of Lisbon (2014). Prof. Dr. Lachezar Georgiev has received awards for his literary and publishing activity. The American Biographical Institute in North Carolina, accepted him as a member of the Research Board of Advisors.

Senior lecturer Snezhana Boyanova

Chapter One

THE STRATEGY IN PUBLISHING BUSINESS – A FACTOR IN THE FINANCIAL AND ARTISTIC PROSPERITY

1. Planning the Publishing Process

Planning is essential in book publishing, ensuring the successful image and the long-lasting financial success in a competitive market situation. The formulation of the publishing plan is based upon the business plans for every single book, the plans for the library series, and the themes included in the yearly repertoire. The plan is defined by the overall goals and objectives of the publishing house, taking into consideration the following factors: the specific market situation in book publishing, the competitive environment, the customers’ demands, the capacity of the editorial teams to influence the readers and the public opinion, and finally the potential of the publishing house to invest in the production and distribution of a given work without encroaching on the rights of the author, while at the same time ensuring maximum profit at a reasonable cost.

2. Publishing Business Projects

Every manager of a publishing house, editor in chief, head of department or even an editor can propose a publishing project – the publication of a book, a series, a theme series, or any other work that is viewed as interesting, intriguing or relevant according to his own professional criteria. The next step is to defend the project, and this proves to be a task to be accomplished by more than one person. Not even the best specialists can do this on their own. It takes the involvement of the editorial, the production and the marketing departments

11 of the publishing house. It is a joint enterprise. As N. D. Eriashvili points out in his study Book Publishing – Management and Mar- keting (Moscow, 2001, p. 68), the business plan is an instrument turning an idea into reality; it determines the viability of the project in terms of the available financial, human and material resources, while at the same time being a management instrument in the hands of the manager. The author studies several types of business plans depending on the scale of the publishing project – not very big or large, ordinary or complicated. The business plan is the guide- line document which, however, can be subject to corrections and improvements. It is the product of studies and research, aiming to define certain activities such as the organization, publishing and distribution of books on a given market and under certain socio- economic circumstances. The business plan incorporates a definition of the need to publish a certain book or series in a specific page volume and circulation, and it also shows the methods of financing and the resources required for the implementation of the project. The structure of the business plan comprises the following sections: preparation; definition of the goals of the project; an overall characteristic of the publishing house (financial resources, production capacity, creative potential, management and personnel) and of the editions to be published; an analysis of the market situation and competition; spheres of distribution and sale; a marketing strategy and a price policy with a risk assessment; production plan and operational plan (strategy, planning, organization, key management personnel, management expenses); a schedule of activities listing the major events in the implementation of the project (completion of planning, creation of a prototype, involvement of sales representatives, making decisions on the presentation and layout of the edition, involvement of distributors, providing the necessary materials and start of the production process – a key date, receiving the first orders, first sales, etc.); publishing risk; financial plan for the edition (Ibid, pp 69 – 81). It needs to be pointed out that the preparation of

12 such a detailed project is justified, in terms of the put in effort, time and resources, for more large-scale publishing ventures with expectations of external funding – from foundations, governmental and non-governmental institutions, EU projects, foreign organizations supporting book publishing, etc. The dynamics of the book market demands quick and flexible managerial decisions which very often outpace long-term planning.

3. Research and Analysis of the Book Market and the Competition

When speaking of expedient and rational managerial approaches, excluding the awkward bureaucratic management system in the publishing business, we need to bear in mind that the good management of the publishing house and its long-term prosperity are largely dependent on the study and analysis of the market situation in the book world. The market research gives information about the scale, characteristics and volumes of the book markets; it shows the achievements and failings of the competitors in the publishing business; it is a measure of the validity of the current marketing strategy and an indicator for any need of improvement and adjustments; it sets the direction for promoting sales, advertising and public relations. The market research of the consumers (wholesale dealers and retailers, distributors, booksellers and readers) is crucial in identifying new market niches and in gaining greater market share; it helps improve the quality of the presentation and layout of the book. Last but not least, the statistical analysis of the book market gives the managerial team an idea of whether the selected authors, theme lines and library series are welcome, whether they are still in the process of finding their market share or whether they enjoy a warm reception by the public. Marketing research gives valuable information both about the appearance of the books (design, format, quality of input materials, printing choices, etc.) and about their price 13 formation; it shows how the price policy of the publisher affects the customers’ attitude. According to Carol Sinclair (Publishing Business, 1996, p. 171), companies dealing in books aimed at the general public have in the structure of their sales department a separate position for market research and analysis. The job description includes reporting on which books enjoy a good reception, identifying opportunities for new projects, finding new markets and drawing the attention of the department and the management team to new opportunities. A crucial element in market research and analysis is the development of a sales plan. It is developed by the sales department, in close coordination with the editorial, art, production and financial departments. It is important that the plan define the special discounts, advertising approaches, methods of stimulating sales and promotion activities (Sinclair C, Ibid, p. 173). The sales plan is developed after a contract has been signed with the author and the book has been included in the editorial plan. It is important to outline the details concerning the public presentation with the editor of the book, to coordinate the marketing elements in the text block, book cover and book jacket with the artist (art editor), circulation figures – with the production department, and the budget of the edition – with the financial department. The budget of the sales department when publishing for the general public usually amounts to 20 percent of the revenues from sales. It is usually divided into two equal parts – one for the current expenses of the sales department, and the other – for advertising and promotion of sales. We need to point out, however, that when it comes to publishing short-run scholarly books and journals, planning a budget for the marketing department and a sales plan have their differences and peculiarities. The budget of a journal needs to take into account certain details which make it harder to sell a book – the author’s royalties, the limited circulation, the limited public interest and the high price. Advertising and sales promotions re- 14 quire greater efforts, especially when working with the press and media, because support needs to be garnered from scientists, writers, artists, and other eminent specialists. When the marketing department of the publishing house invites peers to write a review for periodicals and other printed media or to make a presentation of the book in radio or TV programs, they would, with only minor exceptions, do so in return for a fee or some other form of compensation (for example they may write a few reviews and in turn the publishing house may be asked to provide proofreading assignments for a library series or single books, usually for a fee, or to publish the reviewer’s book, whose manuscript has been “await- ing its due time” at some other publishing house. The promotion of scientific and scholarly journals requires, apart from announcements in the media, greater efforts on the part of the marketing department, such as personal invitations, preliminary meetings and arrangements for participation in the promotion campaign, sending out sample copies of the book with accompanying letters offering a chance for expressing opinion or making a statement on the best aspects of the edition, etc. In the context of the marketing planning of the publishing activities, the following should be included: a clear definition of the mission of the publishing house, its background, the current visions of the managers, the specific market context in which it operates, the financial capacity and the chosen editorial method of working. It is essential to define the strategic goals of the publishing house, as well as the tactical and operational tasks which are to be undertaken in the course of their implementation. These relate to the positions of the publishing house on the market and its financial results – profit levels, solvency, and also to the creation of new publishing output or new production processes, securing the necessary equipment and materials, capital and financial security, staff training, social responsibility. From this point the marketing opportunities are evaluated by means of an analysis of the market and the 15 competition, analysis of the situation, assessment of the significance of buyers, comparisons and development of a management strategy. A term that is recently gaining popularity in this sphere is “marketing mix”, which denotes a mix of all the major factors influ- encing the market – the printed product (book, journal), the price, the location (distribution to customers), promotions of the edition (sales promotions and public relations). These major components are mutually interactive when using the above mentioned complex marketing approach. The marketing instrument includes not only the product, but its assortment, design, trade mark, as well as some financial market elements such as base price, discounts, payment terms, channels of distribution, personal sales; subjective factors – consumers’ service, training of associates; and also sales promoting factors, such as advertising, public relations, etc. (Maisuradze, U. F., Milchin, A. Z., et al. Encyclopedia Knizhnogo Dela, Moscow, 1998, 343344). The chief elements of the marketing mix are: work on the product (diversification of the assortment; improvement of its graphic design and quality; attracting talented writers and publishing works with a high literary and scientific value); work on prices (finding the best value balance between supply and demand; considering competitors; accurate formulation of wholesale and retail prices by taking into account the major factors, such as cost price, discounts, tax deductions and profit); distribution (timely and accurate communication and cooperation between the publisher and the customers – booksellers, wholesale dealers, buyers); knowledge of the market in order to influence it through preliminary marketing analyses; fast transportation to the customer; communication (public relations, product promotions, raising the customers’ awareness and interest in the book and the author’s personality).

16 4. Forecasting the Market Situation in the Context of the Marketing Research

Assessing the market situation and forecasting the book market are crucial to the success of the marketing activities of the publishing house. Some authors define the types of book market – general (for the entire population of a region or state); potential (all the customers who have both purchasing power and an interest in what the publishing house has to offer); available (the part of the potential market that has access to, interest in and sufficient income to make the purchase); target (a section of the available market that the publishers aim to affect, influence and offer to); conquered (one in which the customers have already made a purchase from the publishing house). Demand is measured using one of the following principles: based on the target territory – international, within a certain country, region or among a given group of buyers; based on sales levels – general, branch, company, product series, product form, and product unit; and based on the time principle – short- term middle-term and long-term. (Kotler F., Marketing Manage- ment, Т. 1. С., 1996, p. 298. We should not forget, however, that a book is the product of creative and intellectual value, and the approaches to studying and forecasting the market situation also need to have elements of creativity, whereas the generation of new ideas has to be incorporated in the practical activity of the publishing teams. The new ideas – concerning a new graphic design of a book, original technical and printing solutions, or broadening the theme range of the published books and creating new library series – are often inspired by contacts and interaction between publishing managers, editors, artists, sales managers, on the one hand, and the customers, such as buyers from the company book store, specialists in the this field, and even with competitors; writers; journalists; review writers for the publishing house; and readers during promotion

17 campaigns, on the other. Writers themselves, regardless of whether they are making their first steps or have already established their name, are also a generator of new creative ideas, and it is the task of managers and editors to identify the potential blockbusters while still in the bud, and to focus on titles with increasing popularity. The forecast of the market situation needs to be closely related to the life cycle of the book product. According to P. Forsyth and R. Birn (Marketing in Publishing, S., 2002, p. 78), the life cycle of the product has the following stages – introduction, growth, maturity, decline, withdrawal from the market. It is our opinion that a marketing forecast has to answer the following very essential questions: How long will a title retain its popularity? Will its popularity decline with the difficult and slug- gish depletion of the first rather modest edition of books? Or will it remain stable on the market with a number of follow-up editions, high circulation and encouraging income over the relatively long period of several years? Upon forecasting, we need to take into consideration the factor “market interest of the consumer”, which is largely dependent on the qualities of the book itself, its author’s popularity, and the financial resources invested in promoting market demand, without forgetting the reputation of the publishing house itself, which is a guarantee of high quality production. When assessing the risk factors and making management decisions, it is often the insight and professional experience both of the managers and the marketing experts, who are responsible for making forecasts, that have the greatest weight. Some authors like N. D. Eriashvili (Ibid, p. 232) identify the following types of marketing forecasts: general (covering one year’s publishing activity of the company with details about the theme range, series and circulations); specific (for a particular market situation); seasonal (prior to the start of the season; it comprises specific forecasts dealing with specific market situations) and finally – a campaign forecast (related to forthcoming publishing events – such 18 as the promotion and sale of an author’s collection in celebration of his or her jubilee) aimed at promoting an author’s books and improving the image of the publishing house. The assessment of the current demand involves an assessment of the overall market potential, the regional market potential, the branch sales and market shares. The assessment of the future demand is supposed to focus on consumers’ attitudes (income levels, trust, disposition, purchase intentions, opinions of book sellers), expert evaluations, market tests, past sales figures, statistical analysis of the demand, forecasts of the sales share, or percentage, of the overall market potential (in a competitive environment). At this point we may add that both forecasting and research in the sphere of book marketing require a complex approach. On the one hand, it is important for the management team to be aware of the research into their competitive environment, including the scale of the competitors’ marketing range, the quality and theme content of their production, their sales volumes and perhaps their circulation (as far as such information can be ob- tained), their library series and authors, along with their reception on the book market, their future intentions concerning new books and series, the prices of their books. This type of research can be viewed as publishing intelligence, and it serves as a correc- tive tool in the hands of the management when implementing the general strategy in the sphere of management and marketing. It is important to be aware of the potential and opportunities that the competitive publishing houses have at their disposal, in terms of creative team, production team, technical equipment (computers, scanners, exposure devices, printing facilities), warehouses and markets, sales representatives, bookstores, associates in different media outlets. Comprehensive information along these lines will help managers make the right marketing decisions and focus on the right markets, and it will provide an advantage to the publishing house. 19 Another very important part of the marketing research is related to customer study. Here, analyses and assessments are conducted in the following directions: categorizing and segmenting the potential customers, determining their educational level, social standing and purchasing power. We should not forget that, apart from the individual buyers, there are also other customers on the book market. These are different state, public and cultural institutions, such as ministries, departments, universities, schools, libraries, museums, community centres, non-governmental organizations. Information about the readers is also important – their attitudes and preferences for authors, themes, series, book design. The company bookstores can provide useful and valuable information along these lines. Con- ducting surveys and developing models of customer behavior also provide important feedback on the book market situation. Research on distributors is another indispensable source of marketing information. Wholesalers and retailers have their own arsenal of tools and mechanisms to influence the book market – their closeness to customers, their own advertising campaigns, their established marketing channels. The study of discount systems and their impact on distributors is another important element in the marketing research. Retailers in regions that are farther away from the location of the publishing house need additional preferences. Provided they buy from the central warehouses of the publisher, a bigger discount would compensate for the retailers’ transportation costs, and will at the same time save extra commitments and arrangements on the part of the publishing house to cover those distant market territories. That’s why these problems need careful consideration and forecasting. The sales department of the publishing house also benefits from these preliminary analyses, especially in its work with the bigger distributors. These are usually retailers who buy out a big part of the circulation when offered a higher discount. What marketing policy should be adopted as regards them? What effect will this policy have

20 on the revenue and profit of the publishing house? These questions need to be carefully considered and answered in the preliminary estimates and forecasts. A factor which should not be overlooked is the aim to sell the production in the shortest possible term. This is why planning the timing of the sale is an essential and useful element in marketing forecasting. It is also very important to have a well thought-out plan of the number of copies which are to be sold for cash and the number of copies to be offered on consignment. When a book enjoys a good reception on the market right from the start and sells easily and without additional advertising expenses, it is only natural for the publishing house to ask booksellers to buy and pay cash while the going is good. But when the market becomes saturated and starts to decline, the remaining stocks can be sold on consignment under certain contract conditions and terms. We should not forget that there are certain editions that are hard to sell due to their nature or subject matter, in which case the publishers may opt for consignment or deferred payment contracts with book keepers. But will booksellers be able to preserve the good appearance of the copies, and how successful will they be in selling relatively soon – these are all questions which publishers need to a have an answer to well in advance, and to accept a certain degree of professional risk. Research into other businesses that the publisher can cooperate with and use to establish its presence on the book market can also be included here. Such businesses are advertising companies, transportation businesses, consultancies, law firms, exchange houses, chains of distributors, etc. Another important piece of research concerns design and desktop publishing businesses, as well as printing houses. This is especially relevant if the publishing house does not have its own facilities and equipment for desktop publishing and printing. But even if such facilities are available, it is still advisable to garner some preliminary information about printing paper, toner, printing foil,

21 printing plates, ink and other printing supplies, along with information about the prices of printing, color separation and binding services. The state of the publishing house is also largely determined by research into the internal state of affairs at the publishing house – creative, productive and marketing teams, department associates and employees, authors, technical equipment, communication, business concepts and management strategies. Another important line of research is into the financial levers and mechanisms – capital flows and investment opportunities in new books and new projects; prices and pricing policy of the publisher’s own output; competitors’ prices; revenues, tax deductions, profit. N. D. Eriashvili (Ibid, p. 173 onwards) comes up with an interesting classification of the methods and approaches in marketing research. Systems analysis views the market situation as an object of study with a wide range of internal and external cause and effect relationships, whereas the complex approach analyzes the markets for different types of book production with a view to defining adequate strategic solutions. Their development, however, requires target planning. Several methods can be applied in this process – linear programming (the selection of the most favorable solution from among a number of options, which keeps expenses at the minimum and derives the maximum benefit); the method of mass servicing; the theory of the direct feedback; the method of probabilities; the economic-strategic method; the economic-statistical method; economic-mathematical modeling; the methods of expert evaluation, sociologic and psychological methods. According to N. D. Eriash- vili, the procedure of conducting a marketing research comprises three stages: the first stage is about formulating the overall concept by identifying the problems and defining the goals and tasks; the second stage is about analyzing the collected empirical data; and the third stage is about defining the results and drawing the conclu-

22 sions of the research (Ibid, p. 177). It is not, however, our aim to go into the details of conducting a quality marketing research. These are the subject of an independent research into the matter.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Georgiev, Lachezar. Kniga i Pechatni Komunikatsii. Veliko Tarno- vo, Faber, 2009. 240 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Knigoizdavane i Pechatni Komunikatsii. Izsled- vania za Knigata i Mediite. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2013. 424 p. with illustrations. Georgiev, Lachezar. Teoria na Knigoizdatelskia Protses. Aspekti. Problemi. Tendentsii. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity Press, 2004. 232 p. Gulenova, Maria. Osnovi na Marketinga na Knigata. Sofia, Fil- igran, 2001. 392 p. Doganov, Dimitar and Ferenc Pálfi. Reklamata Kakvato E. Sofia, Princeps, 2000. 360 p. Geizer, Elizabeth, Arnold Dolin and Gladys Topkis. The Business of Book Publishing. Transl. from English by T. Angelova. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 1996. 464 p. Stefanov, Radko. Ikonomika i Planirane na Knigorazprostraneni- eto. Sofia, Nauka i Izkustovo, 1990. 186 p. Forsyth, Patrick and Robin Birn. Marketing in Publishing. Sofia, Slantse, 2002. 304 p. (The Road to Success Series). Eriashvili, N. D. Teoretiko-Metodologicheskie osnovi Knigoizdatel- skogo marketinga. Vol. 1. Moscow, Yuniti, 2000. 622 p. Eriashvili, N. D. Knigoizdanie, Menedzhment i Marketing. 2nd Re- vised Edition. Moscow, Yuniti, 2001. 304 p. Shimek, Ivan. Ekonomicheskaia Politika v Izdatelskom Dele. Mos- cow, Nauka, 1991, 208 p.

23 Chapter Two

PRICING OF THE PUBLISHED BOOKS – CALCULATION, COSTS, SYNCHRONIZATION

1. Calculation of the Cost Components

In the process of book publishing all costs are to be taken into account – the costs of writing a book, copy editing, desktop publishing, printing, as well as the costs that are indirectly connected with the production process, such as staff salaries, communications and transport, telephone and fax expenses, electronic mails, correspondence, transport and dispatching of supplies and production, and also marketing costs for advertising and sales promotions, edition promotions and public relations.

1.1. Costs for Writing the Book

These are the costs incurred or about to be incurred in paying royalties to the author, co-authors or compilers. The size of the royalty in Bulgaria is 15 % of the cover price of one copy (retail price) multiplied by the number of copies sold from the total circulation. And since the period of time between the signing of the contract with the author, the distribution of the published book and the final results on the sale of the circulation can be rather long (it could be a few months, a year, or even longer, depending on a number of factors, such as customers’ interest, advertising campaigns, subject matter, popularity of the author or the series, etc.), the author or compiler is offered a percentage of the payment in advance, while the remaining royalty is paid in one or two parts – upon completing the printing of the book (or up to a month after printing with a view to cashing in on the first sales) and upon depleting the stocks of the

24 book (stocks are considered depleted when no more than 5 % of the total circulation of books are still in stock). There are also other payment methods, for example a fixed sum negotiated between the author and the publisher which is not influenced by the time factor or the number of sold copies. In the countries where the publishing business is well developed and established, and the circulation is considerably higher, the percentage offered to the author is no more than 10 – 12 percent of the cover price of the book multiplied by the number of copies sold. Some publishers choose to add a clause in the contract with some authors, according to which the trade discount is deducted from the cover price of the book, thus reducing the cover price by 25 – 30 percent (which is the average percentage of the discount). In this case, it is the author’s right to ask for a higher percentage in the form of royalty or to negotiate a fixed sum. All marketing clauses are written in the publishing contract. In case of co-authorship, the amount of the royalty is usually written in separate contracts for each of the authors. The percent or the negotiated sum is divided according to a prior arrangement depending on the share of the work, the volume of the text or in equal parts among the authors.

1.2. Editorial Costs

Before the book is passed on for printing, it should undergo the process of editing. The publishing house has to make some additional expenses, such as to invite an outside reviewer or two independent reviewers who will offer an evaluation of the quality of the manuscript. After going over the publishing contract with the author, it might be deemed necessary to invite an outside literary or scientific editor. The editorial work of the publishing team on the literary editing and language proof-reading of the manuscript is also calculated

25 in the price of the book. The grammar and spelling correction done by the staff copy editors is another cost calculated in the price of the book. Copyediting is a labor-intensive and extremely responsible job. There are numerous cases when copy editors have “saved” the book from misprints and even mistakes made by the author or editor. Some publishing houses even prepare tariffs for editing and copyediting which are also useful when external editors and copy editors have to be hired for the job.

1.3. Costs for Presentation and Layout

All decisions related to the design and layout of the cover, the book jacket and the text block are essential when it comes to marketing the book. A design that is attractive and grabs the attention of the reader could be a contributing factor in the financial success of a book. And conversely, a badly conceived and poorly implemented artistic design could put off customers or cause them to pass by with indifference and ignore an otherwise interesting and valuable edition. For this reason the cost of improving the design and layout is justified and most often pays off upon sale. Most big publishing houses have staff artists and graphic designers. The cost of the work they put in is also factored into the calculation of the cost price, along with the cost of the supplies used for the graphic design, the color separators, the photography and printing materials, paints, etc. Other publishers, whose capacity is smaller, prefer to work on contract basis for one-time orders with artists and graphic designers, who are hired to design the cover, the book jacket, to prepare a project for the binding of the book, and work on the text block. The sum that has been negotiated between them is included in the cost price of the book.

26 1.4. Costs for Computer Processing of the Manuscript

These costs are an important part of the desktop publishing process and cover all operations related to typing the text, scanning the illustrations, page numbering, formatting and fonting. Most publishing houses have their own computer equipment to do the desktop publishing. When calculating the cost price, all production and computer expenses are to be factored in: the labor input, overheads (electricity, lighting, heating, etc.), supplies (printer paper, printer toner), depreciation costs. To facilitate the calculation process, the publishing house works with tariffs for typing, pagination, scanning, technical editing. In some cases the publisher may choose to hire an external company to do the desktop publishing, for which a contract is signed. This may be necessitated by the urgency of publishing a book, or when a book contains foreign or old texts, specific fonts, complex tables, diagrams, block charts, maps and other peculiarities for which the publishing house is not equipped or staffed. All costs incurred in this process are also calculated into the cost price of the book. There is an unwritten rule in publishing business – the cost of desktop publishing does not exceed the cost of printing. De- pending on the size and complexity of the book, the format, circulation and the input printing materials, the cost of printing is at least two to three times as high as the cost of desktop publishing (typing, pagination, scanning).

1.5. Printing Costs

These costs cover all input materials, resources, supplies, labor, depreciation and tax deductions incurred in the process of printing – montage, exposure (and perhaps color separation, if the publisher has not done it), printing, folding the print sheets, bookbinding processes (brochure binding, hardcover binding, trimming,

27 pressing, etc.), wrapping and dispatching the books to the finished product warehouse. It is advisable for the publishing house to know all the different types of printing – offset, relief, digital, etc. Nowadays, for books with large press run, the offset printing method is usually preferred, whereas for books with smaller press run digital printing systems tend to be used. Relief printing is used on an increasingly smaller scale. It is important for the publisher to be aware of the different types of printing paper and cardboard, as well as the available bindings, along with their current prices. There are eight types of binding used in Bulgaria. The one that is used most widely is the paperback cover – № 1 – the binding uses a whole piece of cardboard without selvages. Binding № 2 is also paperback with a whole piece of cardboard and with selvages; the trimming of the book is done prior to gluing the cover. Binding № 3 is also paperback, trimmed on all three sides, without selvages and with cloth binding. Binding № 6 is also paperback, made with cloth binding and selvages. The remaining types of binding are hardcover, and are bound in paper or cloth. Binding № 4 is hardcover, with a whole piece of cardboard and selvages. Binding № 5 is also hardcover, made with selvages and a cloth spine. The most widely used binding is № 7, which is made with cloth binding and selvages. Binding № 8 also has its application. It uses a more complex technology with two types of cloth or a combination of cloth and leather. Binding books in hardcover is considerably more expensive than using paperback, which reflects on the cost price of the book and ultimately on the retail price. At the same time, however, hardcover books have an element of prestige and assert a claim for a place in the publishing business – these are scientific publications (monographs, collections), reference literature (encyclopedias, dictionaries), selected and collected works of writers and scholars, world classics and examples of the literary and philosophical heritage of the world, fine arts collections, photo albums and journals.

28 Hardcover books also have to be produced using more expensive printing materials – white, heavy-weight, chrome paper, multicolor jackets. Many publishers choose to use some additional extras of printing technology – applying varnish, laminating, relief printing, hot stamping using multicolor foil. Very often books intended for the mass audience use multicolor paperback design in combination with text block printed on cheap, light-weight, low-quality paper, which makes the cost price of the book acceptable and the retail price affordable for the customers. Some of the costs of desktop publishing do not change and remain stable regardless of the press run. These are costs incurred for editorial work, proofreading, typing, pagination, scanning and technical editing. They remain fixed per unit of work – e. g. a formatted page of the text block, and can go up or down depending on the volume of the text body. This facilitates the introduction of tariffs (valid for a fixed period of time). The most stable variable is the cost of the printing (offset) plates in offset printing. Once produced, they are not influenced by any changes in the circulation. And since all publishers seek to identify the most expedient business solutions, the most rational and profitable solution would be to increase circulation while maintaining a fixed cost for the printing plates. In this way the total cost price goes down, which allows the retail price of each copy to go down as well. With the increase in circulation, the printing costs also increase. These are costs for paper, cardboard, hardcover binding and jacket (if this is the design of the book), ink, and some supplies, such as wire, threads and glues (depending on the chosen method of binding – sewing, or gluing). Along with these costs, there are also other costs to be considered – for the consumed electric power for the printing press, the water and other supplies for the offset printing machines, which all comprise the overheads. The labor of the staff involved in the production process (montage, exposure, printing, brochure binding processes – such as sewing and folding, 29 binding the text block in hardcover, manual or automatic attachment of the text block to the cover) also needs to be factored into the cost of printing. With the increase in circulation, and the ensuing increase of the labor input expressed in number of man hours, there is a corresponding increase in the cost of labor. Nowadays, there are computer programs which facilitate the work of both printing houses and customers by calculating the total printing costs on the basis of some pre-set parameters, such as: volume (number of pages and print sheets), type of paper, type of binding, format, circulation, number of colors in the text block and on the cover. The cost of printing is tied in with the cost of some basic printing supplies – paper, cardboard, print plates, ink, electricity.

1.6. Costs Not Directly Linked to the Production of the Book

It has already been pointed out that the publishing house in- curs costs that are not directly linked to the editorial and production processes. The assumption is that they are a relatively constant variable and are related to the maintenance of the offices and production facilities of the publisher, depreciation maintenance of the equipment, machines and facilities, support of communications – telephones, electronic mail, fax machines, as well as costs for electricity and heating. We need to include also the costs for remuneration of employees that are not directly involved in the editorial and production processes, and which are not included in the above mentioned cost components (management, technical personnel, etc.). The more inflated the structure of people that are not directly involved in the book production process, the greater the cost that is factored into the cost price of the book. The modern publishing computer programs automatically calculate all these costs based on a number of pre-set parameters.

30 1.7. Marketing Costs

These are costs determined primarily by the distribution and sales promotions of the book. They go in parallel with the book production process (for example, costs for marketing research and analysis of the book market; paid advertisements and commercials in the printed and electronic media prior to launching the book on the market, etc.), but they also include costs incurred after the book has been printed (shipment and distribution, trade discounts, advertisements and sales promotions). The greatest share of these costs is for advertisement and trade discounts for retailers, wholesalers, and for the major distributors. When books are sold on consignment, the publisher offers the bookseller a smaller trade discount for a fixed period of time (in Bulgaria it is between 20 and 25 % of the cover (retail) price of the book). If the bookseller pays for the books, the discount goes up depending on the number of copies purchased. It is up to the publishing house to determine what discount to offer on the basis of the number of copies purchased. For example: 25 % discount if the number of copies purchased is up to 50; 28 % for purchasing anywhere between 50 and 200 copies of the book; 30 % for 500 – 1000 copies and 40 % for purchasing over 1000 copies. Bonus discounts can be offered to regular customers, and club discounts can be offered to members of clubs for promoting the book (e. g. “Friends of the Book” Club, “Nature Preservation Books” Club, “Young Writer” Club, etc.). Export discounts can be offered to distributors who sell the book abroad (these discounts are usually bigger than the ones given within the country). Distributors who engage in propagation and promotional sales, author presentations, series promotions, events intended for the general public, etc. can be given special discounts. There are certain books that, depending on their theme and subject matter, sell best during a certain season. Outside that season the publisher may give an additional discount to customers who

31 purchase before or after the designated period. Hidden discounts can be offered to customers who contribute to sales promotions, improving the image of the publishing house, attracting new authors, etc. Offering different types of discounts is not an end in itself. It serves to encourage customers to buy a given book or periodical. Promotion-related costs are different depending on their nature – paid, hidden or open commercials and advertisements in the printed and electronic media; merchandising costs (arrangement and display of the book); new books and series premieres, presentations of authors and their books.

2. Value Added Tax (VAT)

The retail price of the book also includes the value added tax which is currently 20 per cent in Bulgaria. The inherent problem is how to avoid double charging VAT in the calculation of the tax. The printing and prepress supplies – toner, paper, ink, cloth binding, packaging materials, etc. – are purchased by printing companies with VAT calculated in the price. The same applies to some utili- ties used by book publishers – phone, electricity, heating, etc. Other components of the book price – editing, proofreading, reviews, layout, work of computer operators, editors, exposure specialists, printers, folders, binders and packers require charging VAT in the calculation of the single price. Nowadays most book publishers use specially developed computer programs which enable them to avoid double charging VAT and provide an adequate formation of the retail price.

3. Profit

The literature on the problems of book marketing specifies several methods for price formation of the book production which are related to cost effectiveness and profit. The so-called critical point

32 method is applied for some highly specialized, scientific or literary journals when it is necessary to strike a balance between costs incurred and cost recovery through revenues from sales of the journals. Going above the critical point quickly ensures that the losses have been covered and the journal has become profitable and cost effective. The method of competitive prices focuses on the market of the competing publishing houses, and the current state of the book publishing marketing is taken into consideration. A balance is sought between the costs of the publishing house and the prices of the competitors envisaging a moderate profit rate. The cost plus method which refers to all predictable costs and costs incurred during the selling process including cost price, profitability, tax deductions and total sales discount is used extensively. The retail price for a single copy multiplied by the number of copies of the publication should guarantee profit for the publisher. Another method considers consumer demand to be of significant importance in forming the price of the book. The main point here is to achieve a balance between the intentions and desires of the customers and the money invested in the publication. The significance of the book for the reader is taken into account as well as its public reception and impact on the image of the publishing house. The price in book publishing is formed by multiplying the production costs by five or six. The resulting value which exceeds the operating costs includes VAT, trade discount and profit. It is also necessary to provide for the corresponding profit tax rate. As N. D. Eriashvili points out, book pricing depends on the inflation processes in the state and some external factors such as the import of foreign editions (published production), the import of equipment and printing materials as well as the bank credit policy for developing the printing industry, the customs protection of commodity dumping and the policy for promoting the national economy. Also, the factors related to warehouses, transportation,

33 loading and unloading operations play an important role (Eriash- vili, N. D. Ibid, 227 – 229). Furthermore, the prices of the published production depend on the graphic design, overall layout of the cover, cover material, binding and format. The quantity (volume) and quality of texts and illustrations undoubtedly affect pricing. The overall printing process of the publication and the quality of the materials used, i. e. paper, cardboard, binding, cover laminating and varnishing, along with the number of the illustrations and applications in color and monochrome all these have an impact not only through their values in the production process but also through the expected visual effect and the aesthetic impressions on the consumer psychology. In addition, the market situation affects pricing. For example, as a general rule, reference books, encyclopedias, monographs, journals (medical, legal, economic, etc.) have relatively higher prices than books targeting a wider audience. Serial publications (series) which have similar thematic characteristics, volume of texts and technical parameters (format, multicolored covers, etc.) may have similar prices even though they are issued by different publishing houses. Despite these factors, the market in Bulgaria still lacks organization, prices fluctuate, and the purchasing power of consumers is overlooked. There are good examples in this direction: the creation of dozens of textbooks for primary and secondary education with high prices which put a strain on parents as they have to purchase the school books required for the education of their children. In the colorful market of textbooks one can notice a willingness on the part of a small number of publishers promoted by state institutions to monopolize this type of market. There are similar trends in the market for academic literature where university professors who are authors of textbooks “recommend” their books among students as mandatory. There would be nothing wrong in this if the prices were reasonable and corresponded to the consumers’ purchasing power. There are some examples of extremely high prices on the market for legal, economic and medical literature. The trend at the moment is

34 towards creating markets for used textbooks as consumers – students, undergraduates, parents and teachers – search for affordable prices, i. e. the so-called second-hand textbook markets.

4. Synchronization of the Different Types of Prices and Forms of Selling

Several criteria are known in the book publishing business for the formation of various prices. Depending on the length of their application, prices are seasonal, fixed for a certain period of time (weekly, monthly, annual) or permanent. Apart from the familiar retail prices (cover prices) at which the book is commercially available (in shops, bookstores, supermarkets, etc.), there are wholesale prices paid by booksellers to receive the purchased products. As wholesale prices include trade discounts, they are lower than the prices in shops and bookstores. Domestic prices serve the book market at home. Internation- al prices operate in the international trade, and they substantially differ from domestic prices since the export costs (transportation costs, shipment charges, customs deductions, etc.) are accrued in them. Franco prices are applied when the publishing company (or the owner of the production) is required to deliver (transport) an appropriate number of copies of the book production to the stated place of delivery (for example, free on rail / station, that is the town in which the central office of the customer / the bookseller is located). Besides, in book trading there are catalogue prices – these are the prices quoted in the publishing catalogues providing preliminary information to bookstores and distributors. Sale prices apply to the existing production which is on sale. Auction prices operate when unsold editions and antiquarian books are put up for sale at auction. The prices are similar in cases of partial sales. In addition to this, in the world trade of books, there are book post office prices, prices for selling books by phone, prices

35 for selling books on TV, prices for selling books online, lease prices (books for temporary use with appropriate monthly fees, mainly by libraries with the possibility to return or exchange the copies), prices at book fairs, promotions, book markets, book clubs – all these forms suggest the formation of more reasonable prices affordable to a wide audience and a wide range of customers. These prices are temporary and they are intended to boost sales while the book title promotions are underway or until the copies of the book are out of stock, or according to the marketing plan of the publishing house. The various sale forms and their respective pricing aim to raise the awareness of consumers, boost demand and enhance book trading service. Book markets, for example, encourage wholesale, create opportunities for concluding contracts between publishers and booksellers and for carrying out transactions at preferential prices, and they also give all publishers equal chances to be present on the market. Book markets in Bulgaria are open in major publishing houses or in buildings which have the potential to be visited by a large number of people (houses and palaces of culture, exhibition halls, etc). Book clubs which are based on thematic interests (specialized, humanitarian, children’s literature, etc.) offer books at prices lower than the retail prices. In the developed nations – the United States, and the European countries – these clubs have thousands of members who are potential buyers of a large quantity of copies and zealous readers raising the profile of many authors and publishers. The regional, national and municipal book fairs prove to be one of the most successful forms of sale and price synchronization of the publishing production. These prestigious forums are usually held once or twice a year. Many publishers from Bulgaria and abroad take part in them to advertise their book productions and contract with each other and with external partners, i. e. booksellers, publishers while, at the same time, they sell their books at special fair prices which are lower than the retail prices. There are similar price discounts on books at the seasonal, periodical and annual book

36 fairs which are organized in the major centers of the publishing and printing industry. Among the biggest book fairs are those in Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig, London, Bologna, Belgrade and other European centers of literature and book trading. The national and international book fair which takes place every year at the National Palace of Culture – Sofia has become a tradition in Bulgaria.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vasilev, Marin. Istoria i Tehnika na Knigata. Sofia, 1955, 150 – 162. Geiser, Elizabeth, Arnold Dolin and Gladys Topkis. The Business of Book Publishing. Transl. from English by T. Angelova. Sofia, St. Kli- ment Ohridski University Press, 1996. 464 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Organizatsia na Izdatelskia Protses. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 1994. 120 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Teoria na Knigoizdatelskia Protses. Aspekti. Problemi. Tendentsii. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity Press, 2004. 232 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Obshtuvaneto chrez Knigata. // Filosofia i Psih- ologia na Obshtuvaneto. Veliko Tarnovo, 2002, 216 – 234. Gulenova, Maria. Osnovi na Marketinga na Knigata. Sofia, Fil- igran, 2001. 392 p. Kotler, Philip. Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning and Control. Т. 1. С., Grafema, 1996. 530 с. Polivanovskii, S. E., V. V. Uspenskaia. Organizatsia i Tehnika Tor- govli Knigoi. Moscow, 1981, 55 – 137. Forsyth, Patrick and Robin Birn. Marketing in Publishing. Sofia, Slantse, 2002. 304 p. Knizhnaia Torgovlia. Nauchno-Tehnicheskij Informatsionnai Sbornik. Moscow, Rossiiskaia knizhnaia palata, 1998. Vaipusk 4 – 5, 33 – 43. Maisuradze, Yu. F. et al. Entsiklopedia Knizhnogo Dela. Moscow, Yurist, 1998. 536 p. Eriashvili, N. D. Knigoizdanie, Menedzhment i Marketing. 2nd Re- vised Edition. Moscow, Yuniti, 2001. 304 p.

37 Chapter Three

STRATEGIC PROCESSES IN BOOK PUBLISHING

1. Factors of the Business Environment

After the book production is released, the publishing house enters the market and is exposed to a number of factors which influence its behavior in the process of transferring the commodity from publisher’s warehouses to consumers. Some of the factors are more global, whereas others are related to specific situations, intermediaries, consumers and public attitudes directly interacting with the publishing information.

1.1. Factors of the International Market Situation

Whether the publishing house is focused on the home market or its business priorities are the foreign markets, the activities of the publishing house are affected by important factors related to the international market environment. One of these factors is the international prices of printing materials and supplies which have an impact on the supply of resources. In the past there were several pulp and paper plants operating in Bulgaria, the major factories were located in Mizia and Silistra. They satisfied a considerable part of the needs of the publishing and printing companies, along with imports mainly from the Russian market. Today publishing and printing companies rely heavily on deliveries from abroad – paper is provided not only by the Russian suppliers but also from the Unites States and the countries of Western Europe. Other basic supplies – ink, exposed film, printing plates – are delivered from abroad as well, although there is a company producing them in this country.

38 Another important factor is the international prices of the computer and printing equipment. The bookstores in Bulgaria as well as the printing and publishing companies are equipped with imported computers, printers, scanners, printing and bookbinding machines despite the local attempts to organize the production of binder machines for small publishing houses. Many printing and publishing companies prefer direct delivery from the manufacturer which is more advantageous but puts higher demands such as excellent command of foreign languages, providing transportation and specialists for installation and commissioning (of the printing machines and the digital print systems). The situation on the international book markets is an important factor. Although still shy, some Bulgarian publishers have set foot in the book markets mainly in the European countries through participating in international book fairs and bazaars, and establishing private contacts with publishers, booksellers and bookstore chains. Commercial contacts of this kind depend on the prices of competing foreign publishers and the potential interest of consumers in Bulgarian books. Past experience shows there is a certain market niche in the publishing of scientific literature in the most common languages – English, German, French and Russian. Also, the fluctuations in exchange rates and the changes in the banking environment are important factors in deciphering the market situation. This refers to publishers when they export their book production and import books, printing supplies and equipment. The market of copyright is a major factor for publishers of translated literature. Contracting and acquiring intellectual property rights may ensure the prosperity of the publishers in this country providing they are familiar with the terms and principles of this type of market, but with insufficient knowledge of that matter, they may get into a difficult situation and incur financial losses. The factor of legal, political and cultural environment presup- poses the existence of laws, regulations, state and political structures

39 that are specific in each country, or similar in the European countries but different in the rest of the world. There are many common elements in the legislation and customs policy of the EU member states. What is important for the successful marketing mission of the publishing house abroad is to have a good knowledge of the legal status and the political situation of the state with which it will be trading as well as the internal stability and international policy of the state. Religious values, language, ethnicity, the level of education, the attitude of the general public towards books, the level of financial security, family environment – all these indicators should guide the publisher towards a particular type of behavior in marketing during the international events in which the publisher takes part. Communication should not be underestimated as a factor. The book publisher has to provide opportunities for communication with international partners utilizing the modern means of communication – business correspondence, e-mail, phones and fax con- nections. With regard to international marketing environment, it is essential to explore the possibilities of infrastructure in the country where the publisher intends to promote and sell his book production – transport links, airports, railway transport.

1.2. Factors of the Domestic Business Environment 1.2.1. General Factors

The state of the domestic business environment is influenced by several factors that have a more general nature and are seemingly beyond the particular market situation in which the publishing house is involved. The following factors have an impact on the market position of the publishing house: population, state of the financial and economic system, political situation, educational and cultural processes, legal structure, technological level of printing

40 and publishing business. The position of the publishing house in the book market and its policy towards the surrounding market environment is determined by the number of the population in the specific country, the sex ratio data, the purchasing power of the population, the juxtaposition of the different social categories, the level of costs and prices, the educational background of the people, and the rest of the demographic and socio-economic characteristics. A similar factor is the banking system of the country. The efforts of the private initiative in the book publishing business can be either stimulated or discouraged by the banks through their credit policy or inaction. The policy of state regulation in the pricing of some types of book productions (e. g. textbooks), the customs duty relief for exports of books by Bulgarian publishers, certain restrictions on the distribution of literature (e. g. books on fundamentalism, books of banned religious sects, books that undermine moral values, child pornography, etc.) are among the legal factors of the marketing environment for the book publishing business. The political processes in society and their stability also affect the business environment providing opportunities for safe and secure investment in publishing and printing businesses and for setting up book outlets, bookstores, superstores, retailers, etc. Another general factor is the development of the printing industry. Bulgaria has a sizeable capacity for offset printing; most of the equipment was imported in the 1980s and 1990s. Privately owned printing establishments continue to be equipped further to increase their capacity and develop technologically. The digital printing equipment is gaining popularity, and in the capital city and the major publishing centers there are printing houses equipped with digital print systems. Multicolor printing and color exposure have been improved. As a result, the quality of the production has improved, and it has new aesthetic merits and is more convenient to be used by consumers. Thus, the final product becomes a competitive commodity and enhances the reputation of the publisher.

41 1.2.2. Factors of the Distribution

Consumers are the essential element in the structure of the distribution process. The different types of consumers who have their own tastes, preferences, requirements and interests determine to a greater or lesser extent the policy of the publishing houses, the thematic features of their production, the success of the books and library editions. The use of educational editions in primary and secondary school, for example, requires the creation of textbooks, teaching aids, readers, atlases that have to be delivered in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of the students before the beginning of the academic year. One of the best selling editions in Bulgaria – university guide books – are on sale in April when there is a high demand for them in connection with the university admission campaigns. Another example is when a popular serial-type show with a high audience rating leads to the publication of the fictional version of the novel on which it is based, and it becomes a great success on the book market while the serial is on the air. Let me give you one more example: a corruption scandal is front-page news in all national newspapers, and the trial is extensively covered by the media. In the meantime, a book containing new facts and disclosures appears on the market – its success is guaranteed as most of the readers and viewers would be happy to purchase the book at a reasonable price. Another case – the publisher launches on the market the translation of a book written by a famous foreign author who is gaining popularity in Bulgaria. The readers themselves are prepared for the success of this edition. Of course what is important for the publisher in such cases is not to miss the boat on meeting the interests of the consumer. Any delay in publishing the book would not be in line with the expectations of the customers and would lead to a loss of profits for the publisher. And here we come to another crucial factor – the stages of distribution, which are an integral part in the marketing mix. The existing literature on the subject provides information about distribution channels (marketing channels) through which

42 the production reaches the consumer. Some of these channels are direct – the commodity, after it has been delivered or received in the warehouse of the publisher, directly reaches the ultimate client, e. g. promotional sales, deliveries through book clubs and book fairs, subscription services for books, ordering books through catalogues, door-to-door sales and sales through the corporate bookstores of the publishing house. In these cases, the marketing department of the publishing house makes direct contact with the clients without a middle man. The other main channel of distribution is to use the services of a middle man. Books are usually distributed by wholesalers. Owing to them the book production reaches more remote areas and places in which the publisher does not have a distribution network. Wholesalers purchase large quantities of books receiving greater discount. They resell the book production using their own network which is comprised of retailers engaged in direct sales to customers. The retailers are mostly owners of bookstores and book stalls. They sell books at retail prices receiving discounts directly from the publisher or wholesaler. Retail booksellers maintain a considerable assortment of titles from many publishers, which facilitates customers in finding the book they need. Publishers obtain through them feedback about the demand of books and movement of sales over time, recommendations of the readers concerning the subject matter and layout of the books. The shipment of the book production is another crucial factor in distribution. Most publishers rely on their own transportation. Major publishing houses have built their own transport links and schemes in the structure of the marketing department (directorate). Smaller publishing houses rely on deliveries by rail, by mail or they use the services of transport companies. Despite the various forms of shipment, the aim is safe and reliable delivery of the book production within the agreed terms. This includes the return of unsold copies which must retain their best condition during the consignment period and on the return journey to the warehouses of the publisher.

43 The good communication of the marketing department with the bookstores of the publishing house, the wholesalers and retailers in the book trade, and the permanent distribution partners is of significant importance in the book distribution. The capacity of the department and the warehouses to process book orders quickly, the packaging of the books that are to be delivered, the methods of payment, the pricing policy and the promotion of the books play an important role as well.

2. Retail Outlets and Ways for Book Distribution

In the years of socialism, book trading was reduced to distribution of books which, apart from the tasks set in the commercial plans, had to perform some ideological functions. The management of the activity was centralized and concentrated mainly in the capital city. In each of the former administrative centers, there was a book distribution enterprise comprising two main departments – literature and stationery. The book distribution enterprises in the county towns had several types of bookstores based on territorial and sectional principles. The major towns had Houses of the Book, specialized and mixed bookstores (for technical literature, fiction, etc.), kiosks in residential areas, schools, railway stations and other public places, bookstores, stalls and kiosks in offices and state-run companies. Besides, bookstores for Russian literature operated in the capital city and some of the big towns. The so-called institutional bookstores selling forms and stationery to offices, hospitals and schools operated in the county towns. Also, there were other specialized stores for sheet music and vinyl records, stationery and antiquarian books. The turmoil caused by the closure of the former book distribution enterprises in the years of democratic transition was hard to overcome. Some of the former bookstores were sold or privatized. Today, there are attempts to set up book trading companies with a

44 wide scope of activities (bookstore chains), and independent bookstores and bookstores of publishers represented in one or several locations also operate in parallel with them.

2.1. Bookstore Industry in a Free Market Economy

Several types of bookstores can be distinguished in the conditions of free private enterprise. As a rule, major publishing houses and companies have their own bookstores operating in the town where the seat of the company is located and in some big towns too. These bookstores may also sell the production of other publishers. The problem with this type of outlets is the cost of maintenance (rent, lighting, heating, arranging windows, transportation of the book production and delivery of books from other publishing houses). Therefore, some publishers prefer an intermediate form such as opening company stands upon agreement with the owners of bookstores especially in locations remote from the seat of the publishing company. The big bookstore chains are either part of a major book publishing cartel with their own management and marketing structures or they are completely independent. An example of a well-arranged bookshop chain in Europe is Standaard Boekhandel in Belgium. Al- though Standaard Boekhandel is part of Standaardwhich – a powerful publishing company comprised of three branches: newspaper, printing house and bookshop chain – it has a relatively independent management structure which controls 11 bookshops and 60 subsidiaries in smaller locations nearby. All major bookshops and their subsidiaries are equipped with computers and modems linked to a centralized service unit. It was initially located in Antwerp, a large publishing and literary centre, but later on it was moved to the town of St. Niklaas (Saint Nicholas). Every evening after 8 p. m. the central computer connects to the computers of all bookshops in the chain collecting data about sales and orders. The response from the head

45 office arrives in the morning. The applications for orders are sent online to the main warehouse, and if the requested books are out of stock, the orders are placed with the publishing houses which supply the necessary quantities. When the requested books are available in the main warehouse, they are dispatched from there to the eleven major bookstores for which transport is provided every day. Transport for smaller bookshops (the subsidiaries) is provided every two days. The retail chain has signed a contract for transportation services with a car company based in St. Niklaas which facilitates the delivery process. Besides, all major bookshops have a company car which is used mainly for transporting orders to their regular clients – universities, libraries, etc. The best stocked bookshop offering a large variety of books is located in the district town of Hasselt. It has 22 employees and is headed by the director of the subsidiary company. This large-scale retail outlet consists of two separate departments: external sales (i. e. bank transfer payments or direct deliveries to schools, universities, libraries, offices) and internal sales located on several floors – these are subsections divided into different subjects: the first floor offers books for the general public (e. g. books for home furnishing and garden, cookbooks, children’s books and fiction, books for animals, plants, birds, etc.); on the second floor there are scientific journals and publications in the field of philosophy, history, religion, etc. The order processing department is located on a separate floor; it is computerized and linked to the head office of the company in St. Niklaas. The head office, in its turn, takes care of advertising and marketing, and processes the orders placed by Belgian and foreign booksellers and publishers. The excellent organization enhances the operational management and control, and results in a quick response to consumer needs. In Belgium there are large-scale bookshops owned by world famous publishing houses from Benelux. For example, in the university town of Leuven which is situated about 30 kilometers away from the capital Brussels, there are bookshops associated with the

46 activities of Wolters Kluwer – a powerful publishing group, Peeters – a publisher of academic and popular books, Acco – a publisher of scholarly literature whose work corresponds with the academic and research activities of the University of Leuven. Today, Acco owns the largest scholar bookshops in Flanders. The central bookshop in Leuven is one of the best stocked outlets in town. Also, the retail outlet Acco-Somville is a great success in Antwerp. The regulars of Acco are students. Therefore, the outlet is stocked with stationery, fiction and academic course books. Acco is an academic co-operative operating as a joint stock company comprised of hundreds of owners who are entitled to shares with a small nominal value – mostly teachers and students who receive discount on purchased educational editions of the company (textbooks, manuals, journals, readers, etc.). The publishing company carries out direct marketing in schools and universities. Since the books are published in Dutch, the publishing house has set foot on the Dutch market and regularly displays its production at the Book Fair in Frankfurt (Izdatel, 1997, No 1 – 2, pp. 24 – 26). There are some major bookstores in the United States that work with big publishing companies and have a high turnover due to the increasing number of their clients. These important book market centers not only sell books but they also advertize the new editions directly at the store or through the media, organize promotions of new books and meetings with authors (who give their readers au- tographs in different sections of the bookstore), support the activities of the readers’ clubs (whose members purchase the desired titles with discount). The success of this type of retail outlets is ensured by the great thematic variety, the numerous meetings with writers, the availability of facilities for recreation and entertainment (e. g. cafes, movie rooms); the highly qualified employees who handle the marketing tasks with the required expertise and work in shifts; the internet sales; the excellent arrangement of departments, stalls and windows. The independent bookstoresChapters and Politics & Prose in Washington, DC are an example of such retail outlets. 47 The purchase of books in Great Britain is influenced both by the long-standing traditions of the established markets and the emerging markets. Among them is the renovated market Covent Garden in London, a great number of bookshops in the newly built shopping centers outside the capital, and the well known bookshops which have existed for many years now. Also, non-conventional book trade methods are used, e. g. direct delivery by mail. The country relies on the export marketing of the publishers which is carried out through agents and distributors so that their book production could be sold abroad and on the international markets through setting up subsidiaries and joint ventures. Another option is to have books printed abroad. Books are sold not only in bookshops and major retail outlets (super shops) but also in department stores, supermarkets and hy- permarkets where, along with a large assortment of merchandise, books are available in specially arranged departments, stalls and windows. For example, supermarkets offer discount books – bestsellers, popular book series and editions for the general public. Newsagents sell mostly trade editions, book series, pocket-size books, etc. I have already mentioned that some publishers set up book and stationery shops where customers can purchase books to read as well as school and writing supplies. While in the most pop- ulous countries, the major retail outlets (super shops) which have large commercial areas, strict comprehensive service, a wide range of titles and are supplied by hundreds of publishers have become well-established, in Bulgaria, despite the attempts to set up bookstore chains, independent retail outlets still prevail – some of them are owned by publishers or outstanding booksellers; others have subsidiaries (branches) in big or small settlements according to the size of their central location. Some of them offer both new and antiquarian books. However, the antiquarian bookstores are gradually replaced by mixed forms of book trade, but in the countries with well developed publishing businesses, the large bookstores feature

48 separate departments offering books that lag behind the market time frame. Thus, the shop-soiled books are sent for revaluation, and they also find their readers, albeit at a slower pace. Many customers frustrated by the exorbitant initial prices can now obtain desirable and valuable books at a reasonable price. The independent bookstores are playing an increasingly important role in Bulgaria against the backdrop of a narrow book market. On the one hand, the purchasing power of the population declines but, on the other hand, the low level of sales compels publishers to resort to short-run book printing which leads to regional segmentation of the market. The publishers are unable to cover the national market. The small amounts of copies of most books, especially scholarly books and journals, become an obstacle for providing enough books, and whole regions have no access to important editions that people find helpful. The independent private bookstores assume greater responsibility: they have to be informed about what is happening on the market; they have to maintain contacts with a large number of publishing houses and supply even small amounts of their titles; they have to be familiar with the policy of the publishing house and form the tastes of their readers and, at the same time, they have to comply with the demands and requirements of their customers. There are problems related to communication and transportation of the book production from publishing houses to bookstores (the long distance creates additional costs which are difficult to compensate considering the rebates that have to be provided). An increasing number of booksellers are directly dependent on book publishers as they are bound with consignment contracts and deferred payment schemes. The book publishers, in turn, are forced to give higher rebates and compensations as they rely on distributors already tried out with the independent bookstores. Organizing the layout of such a bookstore is not an easy process. The arrangement of shelves and racks in the bookstore is extremely important for the customers. They should have quick and easy access to the books.

49 The books should be arranged by genre – fiction, reference books – according to their categories and subjects. It would be a good idea to display children’s books into a separate section and a similar arrangement can be organized for legal, economic, music, technology and medical books. If the bookstore has concluded contracts with book publishers, it could put up stalls for them (providing there is enough selling space) and display their library editions. The layout of the interior is of significant importance – color schemes and furnishing. Some bookstores use revolving book racks which are very convenient for customers. The inscriptions of the thematic sections and book stalls must be well-designed and placed at the right locations. It is advisable to create a book database so that customers could easily receive information about the books that are in stock. The big bookstores have consultants and book marketing experts who provide information to customers and answer their questions. Every bookstore must have cash registers, and a cash receipt is to be issued at the completion of the sale; if large quantities are ordered, tax invoices have to be issued upon request of the customer. The regular clients and the clients who have purchased significant quantities of books may receive bonuses, e. g. discounts, the opportunity to purchase small amounts of copies at the price of large amounts, etc. The packaging of the book is an important element of the sale. There is a great variety of paper, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, foil and other materials with appropriate advertizing signs. Packaging should not be paid by the client; he or she must feel the attention and the warm attitude of the bookseller which is an important psychological advantage on the road to financial success. If the buyer returns the item, the bookseller must replace the damaged copy or refund the customer the price of the book if it is out of stock. The customer should be persuaded at the bookstore to buy the most appropriate book, and the bookseller should highlight the advantages of the purchase in a convincing and credible way without imposing their own views on the customer. The bookseller may 50 use supporting information from the publishers’ catalogues, flyers, brochures, leaflets, book reviews, even videos (providing the bookstore has suitable equipment), internet printouts about the author of the book, etc. The display of the book is important for maximizing sales. P. Forsyth and R. Birn in their book Marketing in Publishing (So- fia, 2002, p. 165) explain the meaning of merchandising as a term which describes the promotional effect of the product display and the arrangement as carried out by retailers. The purpose of merchandising and product display is not only to boost sales but also to provide information about the product and make it appealing to customers. Four stages can be distinguished in the process of displaying the book – attracting the customers’ attention, awakening their interest, converting the interest into desire and incitement to action – the result of which, according to P. Forsyth and R. Birn, is the magic acronym AIDA that has a key role in achieving the anticipated effect of displaying the product (Ibid, p. 168). Also, the authors of the book point out that there are several factors affecting the physical arrangement of the store, and they are valid for the layout of every bookstore in Bulgaria regardless of its scale and function. These are the following factors: direction of movement in the store, the height at which books are displayed, the principle of vertical arrangement, reducing to a minimum the risk of accidents (e. g. shelves falling down, books falling off shelves, damaged copies), easy and convenient selection of the item, proximity of similar groups of items and their categorization, convenient location, clear signs, fast service at cash desks, easy access to products (especially for people with disabilities and mothers with little children), choice of colors and materials for arranging the windows, seats for relaxa- tion, places where customers can leave their personal belongings, lighting and music arrangements, style of furnishing, cleanliness, sign posting, places for standing, ensuring the safety of the store. (Ibid, 168 – 173).

51 Obviously, the layout of a bookstore is a difficult and complex process which requires serious investment to achieve the desired economic effect: profit for the people who set up the retail store, i. e. the owners and convenience for consumers. Also, we can’t overlook the fact that the location of the bookstore is of crucial importance for its prosperity. Retail stores in Bulgaria offering books related to education and science are usually located in lobbies or ground floors near the entrances of schools and universities. The bookstore of Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House is on the first floor of the building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in close proximity to the National Assembly and Alexander Nevsky Square. The bookstore chains have located their retail outlets in the central areas of the capital city and some major towns. The National Palace of Culture houses the book fairs that are held every year and some permanent bookstores. Bookstores are usually located in the main buildings of the major universities in the capital city and in the country; some of these retail outlets are leased and managed by private booksellers, others are managed by the universities themselves or the respective academic publishing houses. Of course, this is only a small part of the numerous examples of choosing a successful, strategic site for the bookstores in Bulgaria. However, the rent of the premises and their maintenance is a problem for the small booksellers. The policy on consolidation of bookstores is still in its initial phase in Bulgaria regardless of the current trends.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

52 Georgiev, Lachezar. Book Trade is a Good Business, if Done Properly. [This view is held by the Department Head at the bookstore Standaard Boekhandel in the Flemish town of Hasselt…] // Izdatel, 1997, No 1 – 2, 16 – 19. Georgiev, Lachezar. Acco – a Leading Publishing Company of Aca- demic Literature. Izdatel, 1997, No 1 – 2, 24 – 26. Georgiev, Lachezar. Teoria na Knigoizdatelskia Protses. Aspekti. Problemi. Tendentsii. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity Press, 2004. 232 p. Gulenova, Maria. Osnovi na Marketinga na Knigata. Sofia, Fil- igran, 2001. 392 p. Doganov, Dimitar and Ferenc Pálfi. Reklamata Kakvato E. Sofia, Princeps, 2000. 360 p. Geizer, Elizabeth, Arnold Dolin and Gladys Topkis. The Business of Book Publishing. Transl. from English by T. Angelova. Sofia, St. Kli- ment Ohridski University Press, 1996. 464 p. Ilchev, Ivan. Reklamata prez Vazrazhdaneto. Sofia, Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House, 1990. 186 p. Stefanov, Radko. Ikonomika i Planirane na Knigorazprostranenieto. Sofia, Nauka i Izkustovo, 1990. 186 p. Forsyth, Patrick and Robin Birn. Marketing in Publishing. Sofia, Slantse, 2002. 304 p. (The Road to Success Series). Eriashvili, N. D. Teoretiko-metodologicheskie osnovi knigoizdatelskogo marketinga. Vol. 1. Moscow, Yuniti, 2000. 622 p. Eriashvili, N. D. Knigoizdanie, Menedzhment i Marketing. 2nd Re- vised Edition. Moscow, Yuniti, 2001. 304 p. Shimek, Ivan. Ekonomicheskaia Politika v Izdatelskom Dele. Mos- cow, Nauka, 1991, 208 p.

53 Chapter Four

PROMOTION OF THE BOOK

The promotion of the book includes all activites related to stimulating book trade and awakening interest in the edition – advertising, public relations and presentations in front of audience. The promotion is a communicative mix of all the activities undertaken by the publisher to boost sales, raise consumer awareness and interest. Communication can be direct or indirect depending on the approaches that will be used. For example, the presentation of the book and its author, as well as the paid advertisements in the media have a direct impact on the general public, among which are the potential customers of the publisher. The paid reviews in the press, the general premieres of book series, the presentations of the publisher’s output including the new product, the interviews and reports with managers from the publishing company, the artistic meetings of the author, and the copies of the book reviews which are sent to middlemen and booksellers – all these have an indirect effect. Authors like P. Forsyth and R. Birn include promotion in the buying process and identify several stages of its operation – igno- rance, awareness, interest, evaluation, try-out, use, re-use, and, also, they lay emphasis on public relations (Ibid, 104111). Esther Margolis focuses on the strategic campaign for promoting the book in the media, especially when it comes to editions intended for the general public (The Business of Book Publishing. Sofia, 1996, 190203). Ac- cording to Carol Spencer, advertising the book is the most essential part in the work of the marketing department of the publishing house on the implementation of the sales plan. (Ibid. The Business of Book Publishing. 177189). In his study Knigoizdanie – Menedzhment i Marketing (p. 238) rather than promotion, N. D. Eriashvili talks about the necessity of providing book publishing business with in- 54 formation and advertising opportunities, and he also emphasizes the role of commercial advertising (related to the trading activities of the bookstore businesses) and consumer advertising (addressed to potential customers). It is our opinion that promotion, despite being an inseperable part of the book sale, is first of all an act of communication, and it should not be mixed with the activities related to the distribution of the book. In general, several important stages can be distinguished in the existing variety of book promotions.

1. Advertising the Book in Periodicals 1.1. Advertisements in the Press

The advertisements for books which are under print or will be published later, or have already been released to the market are part of the so-called press advertising in newpapers and magazines. The following types of adverts are most suitable for advertising books: band adverts (located as a strip of text and illustrations in the printable area), barrier type of adverts (containing usually one or two columns on the left or right side which extend from top to bottom of the printable area of the page), low inserts (adverts placed mainly in the lower part of the printable area which take up all or most of the columns in the newspaper or magazine). The adverts that are in a strong position are more expensive. They are placed near an illustration or within a non-advertising text; they can also be on the front page or in the upper part of the newspaper page very close to the header, as well as on the cover of the magazine. An advert is usually comprised of a title and a subtitle, a body text, illustrating stories and comments, and an advertising slogan combined with an illustration. The font sizes used in book adverts decrease from top to bottom starting with the biggest title down to the smallest one. Different font syles are used such as bold and

55 italics, as well as capital letters, dropping fonts, painted fonts, book- plates, etc. Apart from the picture of the book and a photograph of the author, book adverts may also contain drawings, graphics and graphic symbols. The motif and the argument that should attract the reader as a potential customer are developed in the body text. The advertising slogan summarises the benfits of the edition -ex plicitly and concisely, makes it easy to remember the title, and lays emphasis on the publisher’s brand, the book series, as well as on the publishing house itself. The marketing department of the publishing house has the following tasks: to create an impressive advertisement that is easy to read; to send it for publication at the most appropriate time (e. g. on the eve of the book release, or the moment the book appears on the market); to publish the book advertisement in such newspapers and magazines whose reputation, circulation and scope of distribution are sufficient to generate a lot of interest, attract enough customers, and make them purchase the book.

1.2. Book Reviews and Reception

Outstanding writers, journalists highly experienced in cultural issues, scholars, university lecturers and specialists who are paid by the publishing house or have a contract with it are assigned the task of writing and publishing book reviews. It is advisable to publish the reviews of the new book on the day of its printing or maximum within a week after it appears on the book market. The publications must be objective and highlight the benefits of the book, its contribution points and significance for the reader. The focus may be on the author, the plot and structure of the book, its place in the thematic repertoire or library series of the publishing house. Construc- tive criticism reinforces the tone of objectivity and professionalism in evaluating the book.

56 As a rule, some major publishing houses co-operate with certain periodicals of national and regional scope, with high-ciculation newspapers and magazines, as well as with editions for advertising and promoting new books and series. Publishers often send free copies of newly published books to the press providing there are good traditions in the media coverage of new books. It is possible to use other options for concealed advertising, such as agreements for mutual promotion between the publishing house and the newspaper (or the magazine), or payment on the part of the publisher to the editors of the periodical for writng an article or a series of articles related to the subject matter of the book and some interesting details about what inspired the author to write the book. Of course, book reviews may be written by experts without having to assign this task to a specific person. Most often, we can see book reviews in scientific and literary journals, newsletters, newspapers and magazines for books, books under print, and almanacs of science, literature and art. They also appear in literary newspapers and weeklies for culture, as well as on the cultural pages and in the book columns of the major daily newspapers, weekly and bi-weekly editions, etc. The publications are usually accompanied with illustrations – photos of the book and the author, illustrations from the edition itself, and photos from the presentations of the book in front of audience.

1.3. Reports, Interviews, Comments, Correspondence and Other Journalistic Materials

The announcements about new books can be made in the news because they provide valuable information required by customers. For example, the appearance of a scandalous bestseller on the market would provoke comments on the part of literary critics concerning the trends in the publishing business and books for the general public. The premiere of a new book is the cause to write an interesting report with photos of the venue or a correspondence from the

57 author’s meeting with the readers who are far away from the place where the book has been issued. An interview with the editor of a book series or the author of a newly published book can break the stereotype of the newspaper or the magazine. The journalistic material of an investigative reporter may extend the speculations and hypotheses initially evoked by a recently published book. Such publications are beneficial not only for the print media outlet which provides information and “hot news” from the scene but also for the publisher and the author who have been in the spotlight and have unexpectedly received a generous gift – free advertising followed by financial success on the book market.

2. Book Premieres and Organization of Artistic Meetings

The premiere of a new book is its first presentation in front of audience. It is organized by the publisher together with a cultural institution or a non-governmental organization – library, community centre, school, university, municipal or regional administration of cultural affairs, museum, environmental society, book club or local association of writers. The book premiere can be organized at a higher level with the participation of the cultural or educational ministry and the presidency. Meanwhile, it can be covered extensively by the print and electronic media. The preliminary information about the presentation of the book is provided mostly through local periodicals which monitor and publish comments on the event immediately before or after it takes place, or while it is underway. The publicity campaign includes announcements, reports from correspondents and other materials broadcast by the local radio stations, as well as by the regional terrestrial and cable televi- sions. Also, on the day of the premiere there can be an interview with the editor of the book, or with a member of the editorial staff or management team. In addition, an interview can be taken from the author.

58 The organization of the book premiere includes specification of the time (start and duration) of the meeting and coordination of the program between the publisher and the host. The program indicates all key moments of the premiere – participants and moderators, topics and duration of the speeches, pauses (musical performances; live readings of excerpts from the book with the participation of actors from the local theatre company or the regional music and drama theatre; providing cues to the moderator; participation of the editor or a member of the editorial staff in the event). Also, the program specifies who will be making the opening remarks to the presentation of the author and the book (that could be the moderator himself, but in most cases the moderator gives the floor to the editor or book reviewer after delivering a 2 – 3 minute introductory speech). Literary critics, university lecturers and outstanding experts on the subject matter of the book are invited to present the introductory part as they can give convincing arguments to the potential customers and those who have already read the book that the book is worth buying because of its qualities, contribution points and usefulness. The management team of the publishing house – director, editor- in-chief, heads of departments – can take part in the promotion of the book as well. They can take upon themselves the task of raising the profile of the event by supporting from a professional point of view the opinions expressed about the book. The presentations held with the participation of the author must envisage time for his or her speech. The author usually makes a short speech after the -in troductory part, and then the floor is given to the official guests (e. g. the editor or the editor-in-chief) and the audience. The questions of the audience are addressed either to the author or to the representatives of the publishing house (the editor or the managers). The moderator has to provide some guidelines for asking questions – they have to be concise, precise and clear; also, the people asking questions should avoid making circumstantial statements which are boring to the audience. To save time, the author and everyone else who answers the questions must give thorough answers with-

59 out going into unnecessary details. Depending on the tone of the event, the moderator, the author and the editor would be advised to create cheerful and entertaining atmosphere using witty remarks and telling funny stories, jokes, etc. There should be enough time in the program for presenting flowers to the official guests, delivering welcome speeches and speeches of gratitude, as well as for holding a book signing session with the author. The informal part of the premiere may include a concert, artistic performances or a cocktail depending on the financial capacity of the organizers. Also, during the informal part, a meeting can be arranged with representatives of the national and regional media in the form of a brief press conference. Another option would be to provide an appropriate venue and enough time for the author or the editor to reply to the questions of the press, radio and television reporters. According to their objectives, book premieres and artistic meetings are divided in the following way: • a presentation of a new book; a presentation of a new library series with the participation of authors, compilers and editors; • an artistic meeting of the author at the premiere of a new book, and a discussion of his or her overall literary output; • a series of tours of the author with his or her literary agent in different towns in the country and abroad; an overview of the output of the publishing house, including the new books (at regular intervals, on special occasions, anniversaries or important anniversary dates for the publishing house); • a presenatation of a new book within a book forum (book fair, competition, literary salon, book club, literary bazaar of new books, general presentation of young authors with their first books, etc.); • a joint presentation of new books and their authors organized by related publishing houses; • a presentation of a new book at a scientific conference (con- gress, symposium, seminar, etc.);

60 • a solo presentation of a new book on the part of the publisher (in a company bookstore, a press conference room owned by the publisher or a hired conference hall); • library initiatives for meetings with authors of new books (with or without the participation of the publishers); • a solo initiative of the author (e. g. Have Your New Book Signed by the Author! Or: A Book Signing Session over a Cup of Coffee) with or without the participation of the publishing team; • artistic meetings of authors with the general public (organized by government institutions); artistic meetings com- memorating anniversaries (e. g. anniversary of the author, publication of a commemorative book; • meetings with publishers and authors on public holidays or at local festivals (in a certain town, in connection with cultural events, workshops, exhibitions, bazaars, etc.); local artistic meetings (organized by community centers, schools, museums and other local institutions in cooperation with the publishing houses and their authors). The book premieres and the artistic meetings play an important role in the promotion of the new editions. They successfully achieve the goals which are of crucial importance in the publishing marketing – i. e. awakening of interest and willingness to purchase the available producton. During these premieres and meetings the publishing houses provide the audience with the opportunity to purchase discount books from makeshift book stalls, and this is another successful approach to boost sales. Moreover, while the premieres and the meetings are underway, the publishing houses and the authors take upon themselves the mission to generate a high interest in the book, as well as to meet certain spiritual needs and expectations of the general public.

61 3. Advertising and Electronic Media Relations

Publishers seek to use modern means of communication in the desire to promote their activities, boost sales and build their own public image. Often the electronic media build up the image of the publishing house and the reputation of its brand.

3.1. Paid Advertisements on Radio and Television 3.1.1. Radio Advertising

Radio advertising gives a few advantages to the advertiser such as extremely wide audience, quick and easy reception of messages, different types of advertising, choice of airtime slots, choice of radio stations (national radio, terrestrial radio coverage in one or several regions, municipal or urban cable radio) and low-cost, high-impact advertising services. The most frequently used paid advertisements for books are the short messages (announcements) for new editions, library series or events organized by the publisher (e. g. book premieres and artistic meetings). Also, it is possible to use advertisements in the form of a dialogue with background music and the so-called “musical emblem” (i. e. a short, constantly recurring melody that serves as a leitmotif). All paid radio advertisements have to awaken interest and confidence, create pleasant sound and semantic associations, and they also have to draw the attention of the listening audience to the benefits of owning the book and the necessity of taking part in the promotional event. Radio advertising rates depend not only on the time slot, but also on the complexity of the advertisement and how much time it takes to design the advertisement.

3.1.2. Advertising on Television

Unlike radio advertising which relies on sound effects, television allows the combination of three main components – image,

62 sound and text. Advertising on television builds up the image of the publishing house, effectively promotes the book and the author, the library series and even the overall output of the publisher. The reception of the advertisement by the TV viewers, including the potential buyers of the book, does not involve any effort, and the message can reach the widest possible audience. Repetition in advertising makes it easy to remember the name of the author, title, series, publisher and place of sale. However, advertising on television is expensive. It is affordable only for profitable publishing houses whose revenues from the sale of the high print runs are able to cover the total ex- penditures of the company, including the advertising costs. This is hard to achieve in Bulgaria. Some publishers prefer sponsoring television shows in exchange for short but repetitive TV commercials which contain their logo and the titles of their new books. Also, the national TV staions in Bulgaria broadcast specialized cultural and informational programs which provide sponsorship opportunities in return for advertising promotions and bonuses.

3.2. Electronic Media Relations

As a rule, publishers combine paid advertising and forms of cooperation with the electronic media which will enable them to maintain contact with the general public, potential readers and customers. However, this is a two-fold benefit because the media themselves receive first hand information about the events, thus gaining popularity among the audience, especially if the key speakers, the cultural meetings and the public events have been carefully selected.

3.2.1. Interviews

The interviews in radio or television broadcasts are a successful form of communication with the general public. The interview is a genre which involves a key speaker (or several speakers) and an

63 interviewer. It also requires suitable background music, TV studio sets and accompanying elements (e. g. additional materials such as short reports; reviews and feedback from participants outside the studio; public readings of excerpts; previous statements of the in- terviewee; musical fragments, etc.). The interview may be designed as a continuous conversation (without a break) or it may comprise several parts (with interruptions, musical pauses, additional TV materials, advertising clips, etc.). Depending on the speaker, the interviews for promoting the work of the publishing houses and their book productions are as follows: • interviews with the author (co-authors, compilers); • interviews presenting the works of the author; face-to-face conversations with the author and the editor of a newly- published book; • interviews with a group of writers (from art clubs, book clubs, etc.); • interviews with the editor of the book (literary or scientific editor, managing editor of the library series); • interviews with participants in book premieres, artistic meetings, literary festivals and book forums; • interviews with publishers (managers of the publishing house, e. g. publishing director, editor in chief, etc.). Of course, there are other types of inverviews and conversations, the aim of which is to provide information about the nature and importance of the publishing work, as well as to present to the general public new books, authors, book forums, competitions, literary and scientific events focusing on the activities and intentions of the publishing houses. Another important goal is to provoke interest and desire to purchase the announced titles, which is a function from the promotional mix of the book.

64 3.2.2. Reports, Correspondences and Specialized Broadcasts

The announcements in the media are a form of concealed advertising with the purpose of promoting book sales, but they also provide important information and raise the cultural awareness of the audience. Thus, they make communication in favor of public needs far more effective. The journalists from the electronic media have a wide range of approaches and genres to broadcast from the scene of the event and inform the public of the book premiere, the artistic meeting, the literary prize awarded to a particular author, the book fair or bazaar, the author’s lecture, etc. The listening or viewing audience wants to learn more about a new book, a little- known publishing company with a serious claim on the book market, or about their favorite writer. In this case, the work of reporters is of great help because through their reports and correspondences they convey to the audience the news, the facts and the events along with relevant text, visual and sound effects. The collected information, the recorded sounds and images are often used to create shows or documentaries about authors, books, publishers and book events which require the use of a comprehensive approach such as focusing on the future or referring to the past. Retrospectives, stock foot- age and historical materials are appropriate for this purpose. If the author of a famous book has passed away, the radio or television program has to include memories of contemporaries, followers, partners, publishers, editors and readers of the author. Maintaining close contacts between publishers and electronic media is mutually beneficial and contributes to the spiritual growth of the whole society.

65 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Georgiev, Lachezar. Kniga i Pechatni Komunikatsii. Veliko Tarno- vo, Faber, 2009. 240 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Book Trade is a Good business, if Done Properly. [This view is held by the Department Head at the bookstore Standaard Boekhandel in the Flemish town of Hasselt…]. // Izdatel, 1997, No 1 – 2, 16 – 19. Georgiev, Lachezar. Acco – a leading publishing company of academic literature. // Izdatel, 1997, No 1 – 2, 24 – 26. Georgiev, Lachezar. Teoria na Knigoizdatelskia Protses. Aspekti. Problemi. Tendentsii. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity Press, 2001. 232 p. Doganov, Dimitar and Ferenc Pálfi. Reklamata Kakvato E. Sofia, Princeps, 2000. 360 p. Elizabeth Geiser, Arnold Dolin and Gladys Topkis. The Business of Book Publishing. Transl. from English by T. Angelova. Sofia, St. Kli- ment Ohridski University Press, 1996. 464 p. Ilchev, Ivan. Reklamata prez Vazrazhdaneto. Sofia, Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House, 1995. 218 p. Forsyth, Patrick and Robin Birn. Marketing in Publishing. Sofia, Slantse, 2002. 304 p. (The Road to Success Series). Eriashvili, N. D. Knigoizdanie, Menedzhment i Marketing. 2nd Re- vised Edition. Moscow, Yuniti, 2001. 304 p. Shimek, Ivan. Ekonomicheskaia Politika v Izdatelskom Dele. Mos- cow, Nauka, 1991, 208 p.

66 Chapter Five

MANAGEMENT OF THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The author is not only the creator of a certain work but also the first and most important holder of the rights over it. The final products resulting from the intellectual activities in book publishing, as well as the literary, scientific or any other work which may lead to the creation of a new book follow their own path in the field of marketing even before the book is published and made available to the public. This requirement becomes imperative before the materiali- zation of the book, and even before the creation of the work itself. The author holds the moral and property rights arising upon the creation of any work of literature, art and science. The right of authorship is of utmost importance, and, to a great extent, it focuses on the personality of the artist. Therefore, the copyright laws of many countires specify the duration of the copyright which is the whole life of the author plus a given number of years after the author’s death. The length of the copyright term in Bulgaria is 70 years from the author’s death, and it is excercised by the author’s legal heirs, the Collective Rights Management Organization or by the Ministry of Culture. One of the key requirements for the countries which have signed the Berne Convention, including Bulgaria, is that their national legislations should grant authors of creative works copyright protection, as well as the right to counteract any interference with their works or amendments that have been made to them without the authors’ consent. Also, the national laws have to provide protection against any damage of the honor and reputation of the author. Moreover, the author must be given the right to use his own name, to write under a pseudonym or to remain anony- mous. The right related to the author’s name becomes irrevocable and remains valid after his death. 67 In realtion to the property rights of the author, the right to use his work is of primary importance for the marketing of the exisit- ing intellectual product. The author may sign a contract in order to transfer or sell his rights to others, and it is his privilege to decide how to proceed in this case taking into account the following options: a reproduction of the original manuscript; a modification in the form of the manuscript; a translation of the manuscripts into different languages. From this point onwards, opportunities arise to discuss some marketing clauses in the contract between the author and the publisher who have to agree on the use and distribution of the product. It can be only a book, a book with a CD, or a book with a DVD. Also, they have to choose the right type of binding for the book: hardback, paperback or jacket. Furhtermore, the contract may include clauses about the initial print run and subsequent printings, the maximum period for using the book, the layout of the book and the design of the cover. The intellectual product can be sold through the so-called assignment agreement in which the publisher comes up with an idea and the author develops it into his work. In this case, the negotiations are carried out by the editor, the editor of the corresponding section (e. g. fiction; scientific or academic literature) or the executive editor (who may also be the manager of the publishing house). All of them represent the publisher in the negotiations. After the preliminary discussions the publisher can put forward clauses related to: • the theme and idea of the future book; • the subject of the book or the research; • the tasks and objectives of the author or the publishling house which will be accomplished with the publication of the book – they can be reduced to purley commercial tasks or can be related to some social functions such as protection of moral values, promotion of some projects in the field of environment or social policy, etc. The publishing house 68 in turn can enter into a contract with public or political organizations, as well as with governmental or non-governmental institutions; • the plot outline of the book (if it is a novel) without changing the intentions of the author and his original idea; • the place of the book in the book series (e. g. a series of novels; popular science books; reference books; etc.); • the literary qualities of the book in relation to its marketing opportunities – special attention should be paid to the sus- pence, the intriguing storyline, the narrative and dialogue dynamics, the twist of the plot, the happy end, etc.; • the scientific qualities of the works dealing with a particular scientific problem – special attention should be paid to hypotheses, evidence and argumentation, new archival sources and sensational discoveries. The introduction of such clauses in the assignment agreement is not compulsory, and they can be highly subjective. Therefore, the book market is the best way to check the true value of such works assigned to the author by the publisher. Only the best works do not fail the test of time – they achieve longevity and remain valid beyond the modern day. The true value of the book can be discovered by the next generations, or when people read it again many years later, in a different age, or after the new editions of the book become available. In some cases the assignment agreement may regulate only the creation of a work which deals with a specific topic, or is part of a certain library series without specifying any requirements that may directly interfere with the author’s creative ideas or point of view. This kind of agreement is beneficial to both parties as it contains only clauses specifying the number of manuscript pages or the counting of words, and the deadline for submitting the manuscript. The reality, however, shows that the market principle is at work because assignment agreements, which are widely used in the United States and some of the developed countries, require that publish- 69 ing companies make advance payments to authors. Thus, authors are forced to enter into a contractual commitment, which does not constitue a vilolation of the authors’ rights protection, but there are legal consequences for the contractor, i. e. the personality of the author, since assignment agreements contain clauses about specific deadlines and requirements for the quality of the work. In Bulgaria, Art. 42 of the current Copyright and Related Rights Act (CRRA) which came in force in 1993 stipulates the creation of works by special order. The ordering party, i. e. the publisher, has the right to use the work without the permission of the author for the purposes for which it was ordered – for example, book distribution and sale. However, Art. 42 (2) specifies that this is possible “unless agreed otherwise” (ibid.). Similarly, according to Art. 42 (1), the copyright over works created by special order belongs to the author unless agreed otherwise in writing. Also, the publisher prefers to pay compensation for the copyright over the work created by special order in order to use the author’s work for an indefinite period of time and to publish unlimited editions of it. This is stipulated in the assignment agreement. However, in this case, the author can make amendments and additions to his work before the publisher under- takes a second printing (Art. 40 of the CRRA). There are similar clauses in the CRRA which provide for the creation of a work under an employment relationship. Although the copyright belongs to the author, unless agreed otherwise, the employer has the exclusive right, without permission from the author and without paying compensation (except where the employment contract stipulates otherwise), to use the author’s work for his own purposes in a manner and to a degree corresponding to his custom- ary activity (Art. 41 amend. SG 28 / 2000). It is interesting to note that in the original version of the law (SG 56 / 1993) the emphasis is on the right of the employer to publish the work created under an employment relationship and to distribute such work, as well as to reproduce it in another way.

70 However, the author has the right to demand addtitoinal compensation if he considers that the payment for the work he created in an employment relationship is disproportionate to the revenues received from the sale of the work or the realization of the periodical (newspaper, magazine) as well as the electronic media outlet in which the author himself took part with his work that generated profits exceeding the amounts specified in the prior agreement. But in most cases the author has to negotiate alone the terms for the sale of his intellectual prorperty when it is materialized in the form of a manuscript and, in fact, that is the work offered for sale. The well known publishing contract is of great help in this respect. It entered into force as early as 1897 when the first clauses regulating book marketing and publishing were introduced in the Trade Act (Chapter Seven: Publishing Contract). If we look closely at the text, we can see that it forms the basis of the principles formulated in Chapter Seven, Section II Publishing Contract of the Copyright and Related Rights Act which was adopted in 1993. The fact that the publishing contract was first introduced in the Trade Act shows that at the end of the 19th century, when the Bulgarian state was successfully restored and was in line with the international legal standards for the protection of authors, the relations between the author and the publisher were based on marketing principles and, without using modern legal terms, the legislators put emphasis on the sale of copyright, granting exclusive rights, remuneration for the work, as well as on prices, print runs, legal consequences in case of destroyed copies, etc. The first Bulgarian Copyright Act of 1921 did not contain any provisions regarding the publishing contract. This fact suggests that back then, when the author’s protection was not well regulated, the relations between the author and the publisher in their commercial part were excluded from the legal grounds for author’s protection. The Copyright and Related Rights Act of 1993 was adopted after the rejection of the socialist legal sytem that was in compliance with

71 the model imposed by the Soviet Union. The current act reveals in complete form some elements in the marketing of the intellectual property. The publishing contract, as stipulated in the CRRA, is a form of sale through which the author grants the publisher the right to reproduce and distribute his work in exchange for some remuneration. For the convenience of the publisher, the author who has already written the work offers it to the publisher in the form of typewritten or computer typed manuscript with a printout or even a floppy disk or CD, which is in accordance with the publishing practice in recent times. The aim of the contract is to regulate the deal between enti- ties – the author and the publisher, whereas the subject of the deal is the created work which, through the contract, is transformed into a book intended for sale and distribution. However, the publisher may sign a contract for the use of the author’s work for other purposes such as making a film, CD or DVD; the publisher may license the use of the work for those purposes to third persons if he deems appropriate under technical or financial considerations, but he is obliged to notify the author in writing about his intentions (Art. 45 of the CRRA). After finalizing the deal for the intellectual product – the -fu ture book – the publisher is entitled to publish only one edition in a print-run not exceeding ten thousand copies in the language in which the work has been delivered to him, and on the territory of his country of nationality or the one in which his registered office is situated (in the case of a legal entity). If the reproduced but not yet offered for sale copies of the work perish entirely or partly through no fault of the publisher, the latter may replace the perished copies without having to pay any compensation to the author. The right to use the work is granted for three years, unless agreed otherwise. The longest period for using the work is three years, but if no term has been specified in the contract, it can be up to ten years. As the author is the seller in the deal for granting (selling) the right to reproduce and distribute his work for a certain period of

72 time, he is entitled to receive an appropriate remuneration which amounts to 15 percent of the retail price per book sold in Bulgaria, unless specified otherwise in the contract. However, this percentage is not fixed. Depending on the print run, publishers in Bulgaria and in most developed countries pay between 10 and 12 percent to the author. In the case of large print runs, especially of editions intended for the general reader, the received remuneration is more than satis- factory. For example, if the retail price of the book is 10 BGN and the entire print-run of 10 000 copies is sold out, the author should receive 10 000 BGN which equals to 10 percent of the cover price muliti- plied by the number of copies in the print run. Nowadays, print runs of scientific and highly specialized books are getting increasingly smaller, and some academic editions can reach the minimum level of 50 or 100 copies. Assuming the print run of a monograpgh is 100 copies and the retail price is 10 BGN, the royalty of the author should be 100 BGN, which is 10 percent of the retail price. This amount is ridiculous and does not take into account the efforts of the author for writing the book. If the publisher increases the print run up to 500 copies, he may not sell the book as it narrows on a specific problem, and the royalty paid to the author would still be very small. Anoth- er option would be to increase the retail price of the book, but this would make the book even harder to sell. If the publisher receives additional sponsorship to publish the book, it would be possible for him (without increasing the retail price or the print run) to cover all production costs, generate a small profit and agree upon a lump-sum royalty which would be acceptable to the author. The second way to arrange the deal for the sale of the created work is to negotiate in advance a lump-sum royalty for the right to reproduce and distribute such work. The royalty could be paid in two parts – 50 percent of the amount could be paid to the author immediately or in the first month after the contract has been signed, and the other 50 percent could be paid upon the publication of the book, which under normal circumstances takes between several months and one year.

73 Also, publishers use another way of payment – they provide to the author a given number of copies of the printed edition which the latter can sell at a fixed retail price. This option satisfies the author if he has a chance to achieve good sales in good time. For example, if the author is a high school teacher or university professor and his book (textbook) is used by large groups of students or undergraduates, it will be easy for him to sell his own copies, and he may even help the publisher to sell the rest of the books. However, most authors would like to have fixed terms for receiving their royalty payments. Providing the use of the work has not started within two years after the agreement orf granting the exclusive right has been signed and no deadline has been set for this, the author can termi- nate the contract unilaterally. If the contract has been concluded for more than one print run and the last print run has been sold out, the author may request early termination of the contract when no subsequent reproduction (printing) and distribution has been undertaken by the publisher within one year. In this case the author is not liable to refund the roalty already received (Art. 52 (1) of the CRRA). The current act clearly states (ibid.) that a print run is considered sold-out whenever the number of unsold copies amounts to no more than five precent of the total circulation. This includes the copies consigned to distributors which are still unsold as of the date of request. There is a particular type of intermediate relations in the marketing of intellectual property when the author enters into an agreement with a publisher to have a work published at his own expense. Thus, we can speak of “an ordered edition” in book publishing practice. In this case the author pays for everything – editing, desktop publishing, printing, binding – and receives, in return, a given number of copies. This type of book publishing is gaining popularity in Bulgaria, and most publishers are in favor of it because their profit is guaranteed without unnecessary risk. On the other hand, the author pays for the use of desktop publishing and printing services, as

74 well as for the logo, name and ISBN provided by the publisher. The benefits for the author are that the publication of his book does not take a long time and the quality meets the demands of the author. Also, the reputation of the publishing company is a good way to draw the attention of the public to the book. The author receives the printed copies of his book in the form of packages the realization of which, in most cases, has already been negotiated with buyers, distributors or individual customers. The author, as a matter of fact, becomes a distributor and a co-publisher of his book. The revenues from the sales cover the publishing and printing costs, as well as the royalty of the author. Most often, the author who has placed an order with the publisher for the reproduction of his book has to find a loop-hole in the existing regulations while selling his product to students, undergraduates and professionals. However, the author of “the ordered book” often assigns the sale of a given number of copies to booksellers giving them an appropriate trade discount. Thus, the author assumes the role of a small publisher who is responsible for the marketing of a particular book. This marketing task proves to be very difficult for the author because he does not have enough contacts and good marketing skills. Therefore, he can choose another option: the author may con- clude an agreement with the publisher to reproduce and distribute a given number of copies of his work assuming part of the expenses and participating in the distribution of the revenues (Art. 53 (2) of the CRRA). Both parties have to decide what part of the costs will be covered by the author so that he could receive additional payment from the revenues collected from the co-sale of his intellectual property. Obviously, such agreement would be of mutual benefit to both parties if the contractual relations are perfectly arranged and a good realization of the product is achieved on the market. The publisher avoids the risk of losing money on book publishing ivestement especially in the case of less famous authors or highly specialized books that are hard to sell. The author and the pubisher

75 are mutually interested in achieving good design, layout, print and marketing of the book. The co-operation between them can turn the work of a little known author into a great success. The job of the literary agent offers prosperous career opportunities in the countries in which book publishing business is highly developed. Literary agents represent the author and look after the sale of his rights. They may have a degree in law or languages, but they should also have a good knowledge of modern literature and book publishing business. They may work in a team and open their own offices in the world of intellectual marketing, or they may be part of a national or international chain of literary agencies. The literary agent usually makes money by charging commission fees which range between 10 and 15 percent of the received revenues or the finalized deal. The author (i. e. the writer of fiction or popular science books) usually signs a contract with the agent granting him the exclusive right over his work for a fixed term, whereas the agent receives a fixed percentage as a commission for the sale of the work by preparing and finalizing the contract between the author and the publisher. Literary agents in book publishing business are entirely committed to their work, and they have excellent communicative skills. Every day they hold dozens of meetings with editors from different publishing houses and other literary agents from the country or abroad offering them manuscripts or original ideas for writing new works (e. g novel, screen-play, popular science book, serial, etc.) within a specified time frame. The agent often runs “auctions” among representatives of interested publishing houses in order to sell the author’s work under the most advantageous terms – the highest remuneration for the writer or the most acceptable deadline for delivering the final manuscript, or any other consideration which would protect the rights and interests of the author. The agent mediates between the author and the advertising agencies or the advertising departments of the publishing houses for the development of the most successful advertising strategy for the author. He is also

76 in charge of the public relations and the presentation of the newly published book abroad. The agent may earn additional income by preparing and concluding contracts for the use of the whole work or parts of it in periodicals – magazines and newspapers – that will appear in consecutive issue numbers in the form of serial publications or installments. The serial publications can be assigned to the publisher of the book and this must be included in the contract as an additional provision. Contracts for the use of the existing literary work in films or other audiovisual works are concluded with the producer. If the agent prepares the contract, he must have the written consent of the author. In the Republic of Bulgaria, article 56 of the CRRA as amended in State Gazette 28 / 2000 stipulates that the remuneration of the author under the terms of the contract for public presentation or performance of his work amounts to 15 percent of the gross revenues of each presentation of the work. The author can authorize an organization for collective management of copyright to express written consent for such use of his work. This organization may represent its members’ interests abroad through related organizations with which it has contractual relationships for mutual presentation of authors. The Directorate for the Protection of Rights of Authors at the Committee for Cul- ture and Art was established in the Republic of Bulgaria in 1962 and in 1974 it was replaced by the Copyright Agency. In the highly ideological socialist system, these structures carried out all activities related to the sale and transfer of the intellectual products of the Bul- garian authors abroad. Moreover, they were in charge of marketing and regulated the access of artists to the free market of the literary works. There was no way for works criticizing the socialist regime to be presented abroad. The Agency did not allow any translations or publications of books which condemned the ideology of the totalitarian state. Of course, despite the imposed bans, works of some world famous writers could be found on the book market in Bulgar- ia, and they served as safety valves for expressing popular discon-

77 tent. The Agency of Copyright was closed down with the adoption of the Copyright and Related Rights Act in 1993. The vacant niche was filled by organizations for collective management of copyright which play an important role in the marketing of the intellectual property and the peresentation of the works in the European and global markets. As a result of their hard work, Bulgarian authors manage to take their rightful place and receive recognition for their books. Private literary agencies have been established as well. In the global market of intellectual property, there are companies which collect, analyze, and offer for sale information about the latest innovations in printing and publishing industry, the patents and license technologies in various industrial branches, including book publishing. In 1965 seventy-nine specialsists from the USA founded in Holywood Beach, Florida U. S. Licensing Executive Society Inter- national (LES), a public professional organization, which brings together experts on international trade and intellectual property licensing. In 1973 in San Francisco, representatives of the USA, Great Britain, France, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Japan and Canada joined the organization and developed further the ideas of LES International which today comprises more than 9000 individual members from over seventy countires. The organization boasts membership diverse enough to also include engineers, law- yers, entrepreneurs, scientists, financial experts and students. LES International has a Board of Delegates made up of 85 delegates from different countries. The Board meets every two years. Also, the work of the organization is assisted by 25 committees specialized in carrying out various activities and operations. Some of them are the Committee on Multimedia Industry, the Patent and Technol- ogy Licensing Committee, the Committee on Copyright Licensing and the Implementation of Computer Technolgy. Leading experts from the organization contribute to Les Nouvelles, a journal issued by LES International. The priorities of the organization are focused 78 on promoting high professional standards, as well as on raising the awareness of the public, businesses and state institutions about the significance of licensing. One of the objectives of the organization is to achieve wide international cooperation in the field of license trade. The development of the Internet poses serious problems related to the protection of the intellectual property in the global network. A number of important measures have already been taken for the protection of any information, including works of art and literature uploaded to the Internet. The work of the International Confederation of the Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) is very successful in this respect. This organization has already developed a single database system containing reference documenta- tion for its member states, as well as the procedure for assigning an international identification number to every work or interested person. One of the specific measures for protecting the intellectual property online is the application of the copyright sign (©) along with the digital signature of the author, or the person holding the copyright or related right. According to L. Borohovich, A. Mona- stirskaia and M. Trohova, who are authors of the book Vasha In- telektualnaya Sobstvenost (St. Petersburg, Peter, 2001, p. 290), the problems of copyright protection are reduced to the placement of three core elements in every document or work published on the Internet – the copyright symbol ©, the full name of the copyright holder and the year of the first publication. The indication of the intellectual property is considered complete if the following items are pointed out: the type of work (copyrighted); the name of the work; the country of origin of the copyright; the date of creating the work and the date of publication; the source of the publication (the publisher); the e-mail of the author or the copyright holder; a summary (an abstract) of the work; remarks of the author (in relation to the use of copyright); the date when the website was launced on the Internet; the IP address of the host sever on the Internet

79 from which the work can be downloaded; the specific number of the computer through which the procedure for the placement of the copyright symbol and the digital signature has been carried out; the public key of the author; a note which reads: “Document Signed Personally” (by the owner of the private key); the date of signing the document; the name and number of the digital signature software. The author or the copyright holder initiates the procedure for the introduction of the copyright sign and the rest of the requirements by personally signing the electronic document for the digital signature. In case of violations, the copyrighted document (work) can be used as evidence in court. In March 1998 the Assembly of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted a decision for the development of the WIPO Global Information Network (WIPONET). The network enables the member states to exchange data in relation to the intellectual property. WIPONET users worldwide have access to information which is hard to obtain. The project to build digital public libraries and digital private libraries has been successfully implemented. Public libraries are open to the general public, whereas private libraries store a huge amount of confidential information about the exchange of administrative data and files. The confidential information is related mainly to reports of experts and registration of copyright in connection with the protection of the intellectual property which is a national treasure. Therefore, every country has to pay attention to the long standing traditions in the field of intellectual property, as well as to its preservation and promotion. The protection of the intellectual property is of primary concern to publishers too. They have to indicate the copyright symbol, the full name of the author, the type of authorship (author, compiler, artist) and the year of publication on the verso of the title page. Also, the name of the author must be prominently indicated on the cover, jacket, title page and imprint.

80 The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a prerequisite for the legitimacy of the author’s work and the publishing house. In book publishing, the ISBN is one of the components which make up the imprint. The ISBN is placed at the bottom of the verso side of the page opposite the title page or on the back of the cover. There are some other signs indicating the legitimacy of the author’s work and the protection of the copyright such as frontispiece photograph of the author; reference to the author or the compiler(s) in the fore- ward or afterword, as well as in the book annotation (usually at the top of page 4 – the verso page or the page opposite the title page) and in the advertising annotations on the back of the cover, or on the jacket. Some writers or authors of books related to art require from the publisher the placement of their own distinctive decorative sign, i. e. ex-libris. All these measures provide reliable protection of the intellectual property in the globalized world which is very dynamic and full of surprises, and, in a world like this, the author needs a strong guarantee for his work. Apart from sales, publishers and distributors are required to ensure secure and reliable protection of the author’s work, which is highly beneficial for the creation and sale of the intellectual product.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Borohovich, Lyudmilla, Anastasia Monastirskaia and Maria Trohova. Vasha Intelektualnaya Sobstvenost. St. Petersburg, Peter, 2001. 416 p. (Law and Practice Series). Geiser, Elizabeth, Arnold Dolin and Gladys Topkis. The Business of Book Publishing. Transl. from English by T. Angelova. Sofia, St. Kli- ment Ohridski University Press, 1996. 464 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Teoria na Knigoizdatelskia Protses. Aspekti. Problemi. Tendentsii. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity Press, 2004. 232 p.

81 Eriashvili, N. D. Teoritikometodicheskie Osnovai Knigoizdatelskogo Marketinga. 4. 1. Moscow, Yuniti, 2000. 622 p. Edelman, Berner. Literaturna i Hudozhestvena Sobstvenost. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 1994. 189 p. Copyright and Related Rights Act. Normative Acts. Amend- ments and Revisions by April 10th, 2000. Sofia, Sibi, 2000. 68 p. Minkov, Andrei. Mezhdunarodnaya Ohrana Intelektualnai Sobst- venosti. St. Petersburg, Peter, 2001, 720 p. (Law and Practice Series). Multilateral Conventions on Copyright and Related Rights. Cop- yright and Related Rights Act. Sofia, Sibi, 1993. 205 p. Smith, Clifford. Datus. A Guidebook to Book Publishing. Sofia, At- lantida, 1992. 292 p. Stefanov, Radko. Ikonomika i Planirane na Knigorazprostraneni- eto. Sofia, Nauka i Iskustvo, 1990. 187 p.

82 Chapter Six

MODERN TRENDS IN THE PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

The modern global world, the information technologies and the virtual network are turning into a challenge for the printed communications. The successful and efficient management of the publishing business is increasingly turning into a professional activity involving the rational use of the creative potential of the publishing teams, the application of innovative solutions in the field of modern publishing and printing systems, and the use of system approaches in the sphere of marketing, advertisement and public relations which ensure the economic success and the projection of a positive public image of the publishing formation. The organization of the publishing activity nowadays requires flexible decision- making, affected both by the individual managerial qualities of the management team and the structuring of the teams themselves. Under the new conditions, the publishing management strategy requires a new conceptuality based on a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the risk, the market situation, the domestic and foreign milieu, the mission and goals of the publishing establishment, the strategic and operative planning methods. The factors contributing to the successful management and production need to be accurately specified. These factors involve staff motivation, control and regulation of all activities – starting from the submission of the manuscript, the editorial work with the authors and ending with the end product – the printed book and its market performance. The issue of effective management takes into consideration not only the strategic opportunities for the publishing businesses, the selection of titles, the assortment of published items, the planning of thematic series and topics and the use of marketing intermediaries, but also

83 certain diversification approaches. It is not surprising that today, in the conditions of a struggling book market, many publishers resort to seemingly secondary, attending activities such as production and sale of school books for the elementary and secondary educational levels, stationery (notebooks, notepads, calendars, advertising materials and other small assignments), activity books in the form of book games and book constructors for the youngest children, and a variety of non-standard and non-traditional products in various formats and complexity of the print. Diversification requires preliminary research of new markets and tentative release of a diverse assortment of new products in line with the preliminary analyses and forecasts. If existing markets prove to be exhausted and unreli- able, the publishing management team will have to resort to radical decisions, i. e. a swift shift of publishing focus, new topic profile, new investments and printing innovations. The present brief study deals with some of the issues that publishing business management in Bulgaria is currently faced with. These issues have arisen as a result of both traditional and new methods in publishing business management in Bulgaria over the past decade. It is our intention to study some structures, the building of which has turned into a crucial factor in ensuring the positive publishing management in Bulgaria in the new conditions of global economy. If we have to present in most general terms the modern type of Bulgarian publishing establishment, we will focus on certain aspects which have a great impact on its performance.

1. Personal Qualities of the Manager of the Publishing House

There is no doubt that the prosperity of the publishing house is largely dependent on the personal qualities of the manager. On the one hand, the publisher needs to have certain managerial qualities

84 and skills to manage and be a leader to the team that he is in charge; to supervise the good selection of titles; to be able to skillfully navi- gate through the complex system of financial and tax operations in the conditions of market economy; to be well acquainted with the whole system of the production process – from the editorial work and desktop publishing to the printing of the product; to skillfully wield the mechanisms of distributing the press run of all published titles; to supervise the work of the Marketing Department; to make use of the broad spectrum of advertising tools and public relations to enhance both the popularity of the published titles and the public image of the publishing house. Last but not least, the very personality of the manager is vital for the prosperity of the publishing house. Being a person with a taste for words, a creator, writer, publicist and scholar, and using their reputation, a good manager should be able to assist in the crucial moments of establishing contacts and enhancing the relations with other publishers, book dealers, distributors, printing specialists, authors, associates, state and public institutions and mass media.

2. Clear Concept and Statute

Regardless of the fact that publishing activity in Bulgaria, and in the other countries of the former socialist bloc, is developing in the direction of market economy and production planning has long been gone from the scene of the socialist economy, there is an obvious need for a clear-cut concept regarding the work of any publishing company. In every sphere of publishing – in book publishing, newspaper publishing, and in the publishing of periodicals, the thematic focus has to be defined – whether it will be fiction or scientific, scholarly, school literature, regional studies or reference books. The indiscriminate mixture of genres may confuse the reader and may prove to be a valid reason to reconsider the current relations with partners, authors, associates, book traders and adver-

85 tising agents. State and institutional publishing houses still have the practice of planning the titles to be published on an annual, quarterly and monthly basis. Some of the big privately-owned publishing companies also forecast and plan their publishing activity for specified periods of time. In accordance with the thematic content of their products, they group them in different creative profiles and organize them by genre. Publishing catalogues, newsletters, advertising leaflets and brochures enjoy good reception among both book traders and readers. The concept of the publishing house also includes a financial and economic business plan (a program) for its future development, which may be short-term or long-term, for a period of one, two or more years, and which defines the stages in the consistent and rhythmic implementation of the set tasks. The concept also outlines the legal aspects of the existence of the publishing house, its profile and the key elements in its content; the structure of the publishing house in most general terms; the manner of production and marketing the books (relations with printing houses, book traders, advertising agents), as well as the artistic concept. Whereas the concept has a more general character and outlines the ideas for the future development of the publishing house, or its program, the statute is the fundamental document of the publishing house, the book of rules, its profile, regulating its activity in detail. The statute book contains the long-term goals, the short-term objectives, the company activity, the organizational structure of the company, the management team, the creative team by departments with job descriptions for the different positions – editors, technical editors, proofreaders, typesetters, people in charge of desktop publishing, artists. The statute book also regulates the activity of the Accounting Department and the cashier, the Marketing and Advertising Department, the contract signing procedures with authors, external reviewers, editors, copyeditors, computer operators and also procedures concerning overtime for the creative and pro-

86 duction teams. Special attention is given in the statute book to the thematic content of the publishing output. It sets the priorities in the theoretical lines, the works of fiction, the scientific or school literature to be published, and also some additional aspects, such as regional studies, reference books, institutional publications or assigned (paid) editions. The statute book also outlines the organizational structure of the publishing house and the relations between the different departments, the communication between the management team and the Production Department, on the one hand, and external desktop publishing companies, printing houses, private or public distribution companies, also regulating activities such as book promotions and public relations. The concept and the statute book of the publishing house are its two major documents. Every self-respecting publishing house is advised to have such documents which regulate its activities in the conditions of market economy. Of course, there are certain differences between private, public and institutional publishing houses, and compliance with the statute book endorsed by the governing or managing authority of the state, institution or private company will be obligatory. A private publisher, or a company which also engages in other activities apart from publishing, may have greater freedom in interpreting the statute both in terms of the organizational structure and the thematic content of the published output. Nowadays, a private publisher is free to invest in works of fiction today and to switch to school books and stationery (forms, invitations, letters, announcements, etc.) tomorrow. However, deviating from the established traditional lines of book publishing may mean loss of long-standing customers and readers, and it may disrupt relations with printing companies, book traders, authors and other associates which have taken years to build.

87 3. Well Selected Publishing Team

The qualities of the creative and the production teams are also essential when it comes to whether the publishing house will suc- ceed in selecting profitable and prestigious titles and whether it will manage to buy copyrights for translation of books at the right moment; and whether the book will be presented to the reader with an attractive appearance. A single editor can make or break a book by working hard and whole-heartedly with the manuscript removing all errors in the language, style and factual details. The technical editor is the specialist who will engineer the design and layout of the book by choosing the right fonts, margins, footnotes, pagination, page layout of the title pages in the different composition elements – prologue, chapters, subchapters, epilogue, bibliography entries, resumes, indices. The cover design artist and the designer of the text block can either contribute to the market success of the book or doom it to failure with their artistic decisions. There are numerous cases of books whose cover designs have compensated for the artistic flaws of the text and have made the book easy to sell. The opposite is true too, a poor cover design could incur considerable financial damage to a book with otherwise good, or even outstanding, artistic and scholarly merits and could have a negative effect on the reputation of both the author and the publisher. Therefore, when deciding on the cover design, it is a good idea to have the opinion of the author, the publisher and the technical editor. If necessary, the publisher can consult other experts – artists, printers, photographers. A proofreader who identifies a gross mistake in the typesetting of the text, and manages to correct it, can also save an otherwise well prepared edition. And, similarly, through failing to notice or overlooking a mistake in the title or subtitles, a proofreader can easily fail the efforts of the whole editorial team and the investment in the book.

88 The efficiency of the production team of the publishing house in crucial moments may contribute to the timely completion of the desktop publishing process and submitting the book to the printing house. Conversely, in conditions of severe competition, tardiness in the production process and poor communication between the different departments of the publishing house and the printing house may be factors leading to delays in the printing of the book, thus ruining the effect of the timely release of the book. After the book has been printed, the ball is in the court of the Marketing Department. The financial success or failure of the publishing house in the increasingly saturated market is in the hands of the marketing team. The timely promotion and popularization of the new title, the information provided to book traders in the private and public sectors, the mechanisms for working with sub- scribed readers, the book mail system and cash on delivery system can all have a favorable effect on the sale of a title. Any prolonged storage of a book in the warehouse is a prerequisite for failure. Withholding royalties and payments to associates (review writers, editors, proofreaders, typesetters, copy editors, printers, etc.) could also backlash and undermine the good image of the publishing house.

4. Book Printing

The nature and structure of every publishing house is affected by one of the most important processes in book publishing – printing. When the publisher has a printing house at its services, it can exert control over the desired polygraphyc performance, and, when necessary, it can intervene to make sure the quality of the print meets all the requirements. The situation is different when the publisher has to sign a contract with a printing house, which may be a state-owned or a private company. The contract terms in this case should be acceptable to both parties and they should also provide

89 for the possibility of claims and returns of poor quality production. It is also a good idea to make arrangements with the Produc- tion Department of the printing house for direct supervision of the printing process. The parameters in a contract between a publisher and a printing house should take into account the price for paper and cardboard, the volume of the book (number of signatures and pages), the print run, the printing process (whether it involves the use of rice paper or foil, or whether the original is printed on white paper), the number of colors used on the book cover and in the text body, the number of pictures and photographs processed separately on separate signatures and added in the form of attachments, the single copy cost price and the overall cost price of printing as a ratio to the print run. The old rule is still in place – as the print run gets higher, the cost price of printing per single copy goes down (with the exception of digital printing). But this is not the whole picture. There are editions for which the key factor in determining the print price is not the print run of the book but the quality of the product. This is the case with scientific collections, monographs, encyclopedias and other books which are heavily illustrated and use a lot of color printing, which also require hardcover binding and are issued in relatively small print runs. The print price per single copy does go up indeed, but if the print run is big, the overall print price also increases considerably to cover for additional components such as better quality paper which comes at a considerably higher price, more expensive binding and color printing on the cover and in the text body (if it also incorporates colored pictures), the high price of the signatures for the pictures and photographs in the attachments (these are usually printed on chrome paper which is even more expensive when the pictures and photographs are in color). The publisher should be aware of the price fluctuations for the different types of paper, cardboard, binding, attachment printing paper, as well as the prices for printing services. There can be sig-

90 nificant price variations in the different printing houses throughout the country. For some editions which rely heavily on the eye-catch- ing appearance of the book, e. g. books of fiction (romance novels, detective fiction, erotica), the publisher may choose to invest more resources in the cover design and make some compromises with the type of paper, binding, and design of the text block. There are, however, some specialized editions of children’s books, illustrated encyclopedias, albums, textbooks for the elementary level at school where considerable investment is needed both for the external design (cover, book jacket, type of binding) and for the design of the text block (illustrations, drawings, color print for the illustrations and pictures, etc.). Both of these are an integral part of the desired effect. The change in the initial concept of the artist in charge of illustrations, the editor and the technical editor could have some undesired consequences and could put off potential customers and readers. This could cause the publishing house to suffer significant losses. This is why, when preparing a title for publication, the publisher should take into account the effect of printing choices, the thematic implications and the expected market impact. Nowadays there is an increasing demand for graphic designers of books and periodicals who have mastered the art of desktop publishing and wield different state-of-the-art computer programs, work with grayscale illustrations and know how to prepare several- layered backgrounds, how to set the title fonts in the negative and to embed white letters in the illustrations or the background.

* * * Here are a few trends in the organizational structure of a modern-day publishing establishment: In a state-owned and in a private book publishing business (with shareholders), with up to 20 employees, the management is usually in the hands of a collective body – a managerial publishing council, which is both an advisory and regulatory authority

91 depending on the legal status of the publishing house. The publishing council elects a manager (president) and assigns him the management functions – recruitment of a publishing team, operational movement of the capital, supervision of the work of the publishing team, building an image for the publishing house through consistent public relations. The editor in chief is assigned the task of managing the creative and operational aspect of the publishing activity, supervising and exercising control over the editorial team, and, in those organizations which do not have a production manager or a deputy production manager, the editor in chief is also responsible for the production process. In the latter case, the technical editor will have to assume the role of his assistant and technical organ- izer, and it is advisable that he have a degree in printing and a good command of desktop publishing techniques and equipment (computers, printers, scanning machines). Indeed, in most publishing houses, the most highly-qualified expert, with the best command of computer hardware and software, is put in charge of the computer hall where the desktop publishing activities and text processing are performed. His job description could provisionally be specified as “chief computer specialist in charge of text editing and picture scanning”. He controls the schedule for typesetting, scanning, text processing, as well as other computer editing operations. He is the one in charge of the equipment and its state of repair, the assignment of tasks among other computer operators depending on deadlines and the complicity of the assignments. The technical editor needs to be in close contact with the Production Department of the printing house with which the publisher is in contract relations. The nature of the job is such that some of the managerial functions incorporate creative, operational and production-related activities. For example, the manager of the publishing house is involved in the preparation of the publishing plans and their valida- tion, but along with this he is also responsible for their implementation, working with staff members, supervising the overall produc- 92 tion process, supporting the sale of the production, establishing business contacts with related publishing houses, book traders and mass media. These contacts are also a priority for the editor in chief, who may also create artistic profiles and organize meetings with authors, editors and publishers, journalists, librarians and others, aiming to promote the production of the publishing house. The technical editor (or the production manager) negotiates contracts with the printing houses, supervises the printing process, performs the technical editing himself or delegates it on a contract basis to an external editor. There are some interesting observations on the modern editing and publishing businesses in the brochure Editing and Publishing Manual, issued in 1997 by the Centre for Medical Information, and edited by Prof. Hristo Mutafov. Among the other practical tips on how to manage the editorial process, the edition offers “A Cura- tor’s Manual” which reveals a figure which is often overlooked in specialized literature but still plays a significant role – the figure of the curator of the scientific journal. It points out that the curator is responsible for “overseeing all processes and stages in the “life” of the edition – from the typesetting process to the publication and distribution of the end product”. And even if it is not up to him to decide on the bibliographical presentation or typesetting, the curator is seen as the “unifying factor for the different processes and is directly responsible for the quality of the overall performance.” (Ibid, p. 5) Of course, we need to point out here that at university and academic institutions most curators of scientific journals, yearbooks and almanacs do the job only part time while being involved in other activities, which might be a drain on their resourcefulness. If the scientific journal can arrange for a separate position for the job of a curator, this could be a huge plus for the successful management and marketing, as well as for the contacts with potential customers, subscribers, etc. The above mentioned brochure, however, makes a clear distinction between the job of a curator and that

93 of the organizing secretary who “does not receive the manuscript in its final form – complete and edited, but is actively involved in the communication with the authors, compilers and reviewers of the different publications and in the discussions within the editorial teams in the work on every published item”. (Ibid.) The above mentioned Centre for Medical Information shows an impressive organizational system which maintains alphabetical indices of all works that have been offered and assigned for referencing, as well as all works that have been published in the editions of the Centre for Medical Information. In the production, similarly to the organization in the publishing and printing houses, an order form is made out, and arrangements are made for the subscription scheme, the payment of royalties and the distribution of the print run. We have chosen to describe this model because it is relevant to the successful management of such type of publishing establishments, especially in the 1990s. The dynamics of our lives, the difficulties posed by the distribution process, and the problems arising from the diminishing capacity for financing put an increasing pressure on scientific journals in our country. Some academic institutions are considering joint publishing ventures with publishing houses with better production capacity and better potential for sale of academic periodicals. The head of the Marketing, Promotion and Public Relations Department organizes the sale of the published editions and their promotion campaigns. He also exerts control over these activities, while at the same time establishing contacts with the media and the state-owned and private companies which might be interested in advertising their businesses on the pages of the published editions. Thus the advertising process goes both ways – the publishing house uses the media – printed press, radio and television to promote its editions, while at the same time it engages in advertising activity which brings additional profit. The management board of the joint-stock publishing house comprises the manager, the editor in chief, the production manager 94 and the art editor on the part of the publishing institution. The other members of the board are the share-holders, as well as associates and founders. The manager writes regular reports on the financial and creative state of the publishing house. The institutional type of publishing house – that of public organizations, political parties, academic communities, foundations and unions, attracts on the management board prominent figures with extensive knowledge of the creative and economic aspects of the publishing business, scholars, academics, authors, intellectuals. All decisions regarding the activities of the publishing house, e. g. staff appointments, purchasing new equipment, approval of the publishing plan are put to the vote. In this situation, the operative management of the publishing house has limited authority and cannot implement its policy high- handedly and without the approval of the collective body. On the other hand, this allows the institution (organization, foundation, union) to exert control and set the direction of the publishing activity through the members of the management board and through financial dependence. These problems do not exist in the private joint-stock publishing house. The members of the management board follow the main principle of financial prosperity and heir decisions are entirely based on it. This type of management, however, has the pitfall of making the publishing house fall victim to short-sighted decisions if, while pursuing short-term economic profits, it starts producing editions with dubious artistic or scientific merits, failing to make its contribution to the national literary process. It is not surprising that experienced and prudent private publishers are increasingly offering a chance to Bulgarian authors, setting the scene for the appearance of editions of our own Bulgarian fiction, poetry, journalistic writings and scientific editions. The organizational structure of the above mentioned type of publishing house can involve a different number of people depending on the financial resources of the publisher. Smaller publishing

95 houses typically work with a limited number of specialists – editors, proofreaders, technical editors, computer operators, most of them hired for the job on a contract basis. The staff specialists who work full time for the publisher are only a few key figures – the editor in chief, who has both managerial and editorial functions, the technical editor, the typesetting operator, who is also responsible for editing and the scanning of text and illustrations, the marketing and promotions agent, the proofreader. The president of the publishing company supervises the activity of the Book-keeping Department and signs contracts with printing houses, authors, editors, proofreaders, translators. If the publisher chooses not to invest in desktop publishing equipment, then he uses the paid services of companies specialized in typesetting, editing and text formatting. Having done the editing and proofreading, and set the desired format, the publisher prints the original of the book on rice paper, white paper or foil, using a laser printer, and submits it to the printing house that it is in contractual relations with. Apart from that, the publisher signs a contract with an artist to do the art design of the book, which he submits, along with the printout of the text, into the Production Department of the printing house. Breaking down the process like this may save a lot of resources, but it does not always make for its synchronization. It is not rare for inexperienced editors to make naïve mistakes through overlooking some details or through lack of the necessary qualifica- tion. This is the reason why more experienced publishers prefer to work with a small, but tightly knit and well selected team of specialists, with a view of the thematic content of the production and the goals of the publishing house. This team should comprise a person with a creative mind – the editor; a person with an artistic disposition – the illustrator (nowadays most illustrators have a good command of design software and are increasingly assuming the very important role of graphic designer) and the printing specialist – the technical editor.

96 Along with these specialists, it is essential for the publisher to have an experienced team of sales representatives, a marketing network and at least one staff specialist who will be responsible for its effective functioning. If this is not possible, the publisher should seek to cooperate with companies that will distribute the entire print run of his production.

The Publishing-Printing Complex (PPC), which is typical for private businesses with larger capitals, also prefers a more com- pact structure. But here the very scheme of the production process does not allow for the elimination of components either in the Art Department, or in the Printing Department. This type of complex closes the complete cycle of publishing activity – from submitting the manuscript for editing, the desktop publishing process, the work of the Design Department, the printing processes, the Department for Marketing, Promotion and Public Relations, the company- owned book-trading networks (electronic bookstores included), the Transport and Shipping Department which organizes the delivery of paper and printing supplies and the expedition of the book production, the warehouses, and the production facilities – buildings, machines, equipment, energy supply, etc. Having a privately-owned printing house is one of the signs of the well-organized Printing-Publishing Complex of the above mentioned type. There is no doubt that its effective organization requires serious management and marketing research. Purchasing the most appropriate printing equipment is related to the investment policy of the company. To make the right decision, the publisher needs to conduct a preliminary research, to take into account the long-term goals and the required production capacity of the PPC. Priorities need to be carefully considered. It would be short- sighted for a printing house specialized in newspaper production and periodicals with large print run to be equipped with expensive state-of-the-art machines for digital printing of editions with small print runs. It is a good idea for a middle-class printing house

97 with sheet and roll two-color machines to increase its potential by purchasing four-color offset machines with varnishing devices. A printing house specialized in labels and advertising brochures, could introduce flexographic printing presses, along with the offset print, and also stamping devices, lamination press, etc. To equip a book-binding unit is a good idea if the PPC is specialized in book publishing, but in newspaper publishing and brochure printing it is not very expedient. Some of the existing machines can be upgraded by the installation of computer devices for prevention and control of the print, allowing the operator to constantly monitor the process. The good management demands the publisher to keep up with the latest printing technologies and innovations in the world of publishing and printed communications. For example, many printing houses establish a Computer Design Department. The roles of the art director, art editor, illustrator, designer, and art photographer are becoming more important since they form the visual strategy of the printed media, especially in the case of a magazine intended for the general public. Of course, the modern newspaper also needs a good team of creative minds – designers, masters of the illustration, cartoon artists and excellent photographers to come up with original, ingenious and dynamic photographs and collages. The owners and managers of printing houses cannot ignore one other important issue. Even though computer-to-plate exposure devices for conventional and dry print and the hybrid technologies for ameliorating the offset print (especially with the use of hybrid inks, UV varnish, laminating foil, etc.) are rather expensive, they are inevitably becoming an integral part of most printing houses in Bulgaria. Their advantages are that they lower the cost price of the production, speed up the preparation for the printing process, and bring about an increase in productivity. Of course, only well calculated risks are worth taking. The PPC is an expensive but well functioning system, as long as it is supported by good management and effective cooperation between the different substructures.

98 What makes this complex an even more successful enterprise is the fact that it can take orders for publishing books for institutions and private persons, and also do publishing services for other publishing houses. Provided there is good cooperation between the different departments and good management, this structure can be very profitable, and yield good financial and creative results. This, however, does not mean that the publishing team will come up with good titles, interesting authors, good editing jobs and good graphic design, whereas the printing team will do a poor job with the printing of the book. And conversely, this type of structure also does not mean that the printing department will have to “save” the editorial team who has failed to come up with interesting and original titles that are both marketable and valuable, with the potential to appeal to a wide reading audience. Good relationships, high professionalism and an atmosphere of creativity are the in- gredients of continued success. Otherwise, good intentions and substantial resources can be wasted in an awkward bureaucratic machine which is doomed to failure in the severe competition of modernday publishing business. In the world of publishing formations, periodically presented in the Directory of Bulgarian Publishing and Printing houses, newspapers have the most impressive share, followed by magazines, newsletters, yearbooks and periodicals. It is a well-known fact that newspaper publishing is a costly business. It is not surprising then that certain financial groups, both Bulgarian and international, have taken interest in Bulgarian newspaper publishing business. Provid- ed there is a highly professional and prudent publishing policy, the investment in newspaper publishing can yield substantial returns. Dominating the newspaper market has become a goal for a few large corporations in our country. The investment of substantial resources helps expand and diversify the market for periodicals, and at one point results in establishing monopoly positions of certain leading central daily newspapers. 99 The publishing structure:holding with a press group (incorporating a joint stock company or a limited liability company) implies the existence of a supreme governing body – a Management Board elected by the general assembly of stock-holders. The president, appointed by the Management Board, controls the overall publishing activity and monitors both the creative and economic results there- of. The priority is in the information daily newspaper. In some cases a book publishing business may be set up in parallel. Here we will elaborate on the newspaper publishing business structure. The daily newspaper is run by a manager, who is answerable to the president. The manager of the daily wields managerial and control functions and authority over the creative, production, and marketing teams. He is also responsible for public relations, for promoting the image of the publishing house, for the financial prosperity through providing guidance to the Financial Department and the Distribution / Sales Department, and for signing contracts. The editor in chief is in most cases in charge of the creative teams for the different theme lines of the publishing house, but he may also be in charge of the production process. However, these functions may be given to the executive secretary – the graphic design artist of the newspaper, who is nowadays in a position to control the production process and the implementation of the graphic concept with the help of the production manager who coordinates the activities in the computer hall and in the production facility. The team under the command of the executive secretary comprises press photographers, curators, artists, illustrators, advertisers. In other words, while the editor in chief supervises the work of the different editing units, the executive secretary has more practical responsibilities – design, desktop publishing and production. Both parties in this publishing process, regardless of the differ- ence between them, have an element of creativity in their jobs and a shared goal – quality of the presented information and quality of the newspaper layout. It is normal for big newspaper publish- 100 ers to have different job positions for these two functions – e. g. the computer hall, where the desktop publishing process takes place, is a separate unit with its own supervisor, while the executive secretary is in charge only of the graphic design. A crucial factor for the success of a newspaper is the carefully selected team of editors, reporters, correspondents, design artists, distributors, book-keepers, external associates, prominent scientists, scholars, politicians and public figures. The success is after all a function of good management, effective cooperation between the teams, efficient use of- ad vertising and good market positions. The financial backing and the good high-tech facilities are also to be taken into account. Good communication between the different units also positively affects the creative and financial results. Of course, publishing business structures are nowadays very diverse and dynamic, and any scheme would only provide most general guidance, and be nothing more than provisional and general. The very composition of the teams, the equipment of the facilities, and the definition of the thematic and graphic concept varies greatly from one publishing establishment to the other, and carries the characteristics of the individual, unique approach born both of the good national traditions and the modern requirements imposed by the complex, intense, highly professional and constantly developing publishing business.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Veselinov. Lyudmil. Razvitie na Profesiyata Hudozhnik-Grafik, Di- zainer. Sashnost na Ponyatiyata Ilyustrator, Hudozhestven Redactor, Art Direktor. // Pr i nt-Pack Ma ga z i ne , 2007, № 6, p. 16 – 20. Georgiev, Lachezar. Upravlenie i Marketing na Knigoizdatelskata Deinost. V. Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2004. 232 p.

101 Georgiev, Lachezar. Organizatsia na Izdatelskiya Protses. V. Tar- novo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 1994. 120 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Strategicheski podhodi v knigoizdavaneto i pe- chatnije komunicacii. – Sofia: AN-DI, 2013. 264 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Book Publishing and Printed Communications (Research on the Book and Media). – Veliko Tarnovo: St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2013. 424 p.; il. – Biblioteka Knigoizdavane. John Feather. A History of British Publishing. Second Edition. London&New York, Routledge, 2006. 270 p. Grigorov, Iliya, Sasho Angelov. Spisanieto v Dneshnite Balgarski Obshtestveno-Komunikativni Realnosti. Medien i Socio-kulturen Statut. Sofia., LIK, 2004. p. 170. Eriashvili, N. D. Teoretiko-Metodologicheskie Osnovy Knigoizdatel’- skogo Marketinga. 4. 1. Moscow, Yuniti, 2000. 622 p. Eriashvili, N. D. Izdatel’skij Protses: Osobennosti Menedzhmenta. // Eriashvili, N. D. Knigoizdanie. Menedzhment i Marketing. Мoscow, 2001, 286 p. Eriashvili, N. D. Knigoizdanie, Menedzhment i Marketing. 2nd Re- vised Edition. Moscow, Yuniti, 2001. 304 p. Paskov, Grigor. Hibridna Tehnologia pri Ofseta Otpechatak i oblagorodyavaneto mu. // Pr i nt-Pack Ma ga z i ne , 2007, № 6, p. 8 – 10. Forsyth, Patrick and Robin Birn. Upravlenia na Distributsiyata. // Ma rket i ng v Knigoizdavaneto. Sofia., Slantse, 2002. p. 304. Ukazaniya za Redaktsionno-Izdatelska Rabota. Uchrezhdenska Izdatelska Normala na Tsentara za Informatsia po Meditsina. Edited by Prof. PhD Hr Mutafov. Sofia, Medical University; Medical Information- Centre, 1997. 46 p. with attachment.

102 Chapter Seven

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLISHING HOUSE AND THE PRINTING HOUSE

1. Functions of Production Activity

The management of the production activity in the book publishing complex, regardless of its size, is characterized by some general features pertaining to its functions and purposes: • Practical preparation and realization of the edited work, activities related to its desktop publishing and printing; • Staff involved in the desktop publishing activities (typesetters, editors, scan operators, proofreaders); • Suitable premises to be used as computer hall in compliance with the requirements for room temperature, lighting, heating, reliable and safe energy supply system, access to internet network cables, telephone communication links between the departments, the editing units, production managers, the editor in chief, the executive manager; • Computer hardware (computers, laser color printers, scanners) and editorial and desktop publishing software; • Building an in-company computer network connecting the computers in the computer hall with those in the offices; • Proximity to digital printing equipment (preferably in the same or adjacent room); • Adjacency and a possibility for interaction with the montage and exposure premises of the printing facility (company-owned printing house) of the publisher; • The existence of a company-owned printing facility; • Opportunities for operational contacts with other printing houses in the area of the town / city (in case the publish-

103 ing establishment does not have its own printing facility) or other printing facilities not far from the headquarters of the publishing house.

2. Management of the Processes in the Preparation of the Manuscript for Printing and Incentives for the Teams

Once the work has been edited, the process of preparation for printing starts. Before the actual printing can start, however, an original which is to be reproduced needs to be prepared. This is the task of the specialists in the computer hall of the book publishing complex who work under the supervision, control and leadership of the computer hall manager. His job description is computer hall manager but he also assumes the functions of technical editor. In some cases the most highly qualified computer specialist, who also has extensive knowledge of the printing process and desktop publishing skills, is in charge of the work in the computer hall. In other cases, a printing specialist who is also well versed in IT technologies and computer operations might be appointed desktop publishing manager. The processes of typesetting, font selection, scanning and layout of illustrations, cover and book jacket design, require active cooperation and interaction with the design artist and / or the De- sign Department. In practice, computer operators are involved not only in the typesetting, but also in other processes such as pagination (formatting) and font selection, following the instructions of the technical editor concerning fonts and book composition (in- dents, sections, chapters, preface, prologue, epilogue, indices, bibliography, etc.). In the desktop publishing of books and magazines with more abundant illustrative material, a specialist (operator / editor) in illustration computer design can be hired. Another important position is that of the graphic design operator of the publishing house. It is often assigned as a part-time function to the position of the design artist, who may be employed

104 in the Graphic Design Department, in the Computer Graphics De- partment or may simply work as an artist or artistic photographer. The graphic design operator, in cooperation with the technical editor, the book editor and the art editor, is involved in the composition of the cover and the text block. He is also in charge of the layout of illustrations (pictures, photographs, graphic symbols, etc.) and the attachments with illustrations. Each proof sheet of the book to be published is checked by a proofreader. The proofed text is sent back to the author for a quick revision. The proofreader is not allowed to make any major corrections in the text and illustrations (removals or additions of new texts). The book’s editor also reads the proof sheets and, if necessary, makes corrections. Prepared in this way with the corrections and improvements, the original of the book is printed on rice paper or a special type of foil, and submitted to the printing facility with the required order-specification. When digital printing technique is used, the original of the book is coped and transferred onto the disc of the computer printing system. Some marketing activities can be performed during the process of desktop publishing. They are intended to ensure the normal rhythm of the production process: • Purchasing the necessary computer systems, scanning machines and printers; • Purchasing and installation of efficient publishing software programs; • Creating a network of the computers and devices in the computer hall; • Purchasing the necessary printing supplies – toners, copy paper, rice paper, printer foil; • Purchasing protective glasses and screens for the computer operators; • Furnishing the offices of the Production Manager, the technical editor, the proofreaders (preferably adjacent to or inside the computer hall)

105 A well-functioning desktop publishing department and a company-owned printing facility could be an additional source of revenue for the publishing establishment. The Marketing Department can conduct a market research and come up with offers for desktop publishing services or printing services to potential customers (other publishing houses, private companies, advertising agencies, authors, etc.) through a well-organized promotion campaign. Then the Production Department, in collaboration with the Financial and Book-keeping Department, receive orders and make the necessary calculations for typesetting, pagination, font selection, scanning and graphic design. The team responsible for these additional activities is compensated with extra payments and bonuses, which are good incentives for the employees and have a positive effect on the work atmosphere. External orders, however, should not be an end in itself. They should be accepted and executed in a way that will not interfere with the planned desktop publishing of the selected titles. After all, the decision to accept additional orders for desktop publishing and printing from external customers is taken by the Production Manager and the Executive Manager of the book publishing complex, and the execution of these orders is considered a good means of stimulating the staff involved in the process. Ad- ditional incentives can be provided to encourage the good performance of staff members by offering bonuses for flawless typesetting and proofreading, for stylish and attractive design, for good composition, pagination, scanning, for creative font selection, etc.

3. Management of the Printing Facility

The medium-sized and big publishing formations usually complete the cycle of production activities. They have a well-equipped desktop publishing system, as well as their own private printing facility where the original prepared in the computer hall is multiplied. These structures nowadays go by the name of Publishing-Printing

106 Complex. In this type of structure along with the publishing house there is also a functional printing facility, which is run by a manager answerable to the Production Department Manager In the past the manager of the printing facility was called factor. In the late XIX century and throughout the XX century the manager of the printing facility was usually identified with its owner. In most of the cases a publishing house and a book store existed in parallel with the printing house. Over the past several decades the larger printing houses have proved the following structure most effective. At the top of the hierarchy of the printing house is the Man- ager (also known as Executive Manager in the Publishing-Printing Complexes). Under his authority are the Financial Manager, the Chief Financier, the Production Manager, the Head of the Produc- tion Department and the other employees of the printing house. The Production Department holds a very important position in the structure of the printing facility because it is in charge of the overall execution of the printing job. The Head of the Production Depart- ment controls and supervises the work of the production technologists and the heads of production units (lines) – montage, printing, book-binding. Nowadays most printing houses have their own computer equipment for desktop publishing and prefer to have a publishing unit for all desktop publishing activities. In effect, this kind of structure resembles a Publishing-Printing Complex with a focus on the printing, rather than publishing, activity. The focus is on exe- cuting orders and printing books, periodicals, advertising materials and stationery for other publishing houses, whereas the company’s own publishing activities come second. The advantage is that all publishing activities are provided with state-of-the-art equipment – printing presses for multi-color and monochrome print, exposure devices with color-separation features, folding and book-binding machines, varnishing and laminating equipment, etc. It is plain to see that such kind of equipment is beyond the financial possibilities

107 of a small or medium-sized publishing house, even if it is a well- functioning one. This is why most publishing houses prefer to work on a contractual basis with printing houses, which are, in most cases, privately owned or partially state-owned companies. The organizational structure of the printing house (Publishing- Printing Complex) is often encumbered with a number of additional managerial functions. We have not mentioned here some positions in the different production units: e. g. there are a few printing press operators in the printing unit; the book-binding unit is manned by operators of the folding machines, book-binders, operators of the packing equipment; the warehouses are also manned by at least one or two employees plus the unskilled laborers, etc. Some managerial functions in today’s market conditions need optimization. In some cases the Production Manager, who has special computer software at his disposal, can do the calculations on the orders placed by customers – publishing houses, and prepare the contracts with the help of the technical secretary. The head of the Production Department, in his turn, can calculate the so called “local orders” – placed by smaller customers, e. g. orders for posters, brochures, leaflets, adverts, local periodicals, etc. The head of the Personnel Department could assume the function of the head of the Payroll Department. And the Executive Manager, in parallel with the leadership and control over the PPC, could take on public relations, communications with the media and other related companies and publishers both nationally and abroad. He should also have among his priorities the biggest orders placed with the company, as well as the most important deals regarding the delivery or sale of paper, cardboard, inks and special supplies. We should not forget that many of the major publishing houses in Bulgaria nowadays also function as warehouses supplying the smaller printing facilities in the region with offset printing plates, book-binding cloth, cardboard, inks, developers and other printing supplies, which proves to be a good marketing approach in the

108 management of a printing business. The publishing unit functioning within the structure of the printing complex can also contribute to the success of the enterprise by coming up with breakout titles which can be easily reprinted as soon as they are out of stock. The printing house can make its vacant premises available to customers (publishers) to use as warehouses or to organize book markets at wholesale prices. When the printing facility is within the structure of the Pub- lishing-Printing Complex similar principles of marketing and management are at play. The management is in the hands of the Production Manager or the Head of the Production Department of the complex. The technical editor supervises the production process and is in close collaboration with the head of the printing facility in preparing the specifications for the orders, and monitoring the print of the books, journals, and other published materials. In smaller publishing houses the functions of Production Manager and technical editor can be entrusted to one person who supervises, manages and controls the production process. However the person who is directly responsible for the printing process is the Manager of the printing facility at the Publishing-Printing Complex. He is in charge of the team of montage experts, operators of the exposure and reproductive machines, the printing presses, the folding and book-binding equipment, the packaging machines and the general laborers. The printing facility is in close contact with the shipping unit of the Marketing Department. After the book is complete, bound and packaged (which is usually done by hand or with the use of special packaging equipment), the production is dispatched to the warehouses. The warehouses can be used as a company book store where the books can be sold at wholesale prices. As has already been pointed out, some marketing activities can be carried out in the printing facility, e. g. receiving orders for printing jobs from external customers, publishers, advertising agents, authors, companies, etc. This type of activity, however, should not

109 be a priority. It should by no means be done in pursuit of quick and sure profit, and should not interfere with the execution of the planned printing tasks of the Publishing-Printing Complex. And to complete the full cycle of marketing activities, the Publishing- Printing Complex needs to have in its structure books stores and book markets, which will be an additional venue for the sale of the published books.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Georgiev, Lachezar. Teoria na Knigoizdatelskia Protses. Aspekti. Problemi. Tendentsii. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity Press, 2004, 232 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Upravlenie i Marketing na Knigoizdatelskata Deinost. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2002, 232 p. 2 nd edition 2004. Georgiev, Lachezar. Book publishing and printed communications (Research on the book and media). – Veliko Tirnovo: St. Ciril and St Meth- odius University Press, 2013 – 424 p.; il. – Biblioteka Knigoizdavane. Georgiev, Lachezar. Strategicheski Podhodi v Knigoizdavaneto i Pe- chatnije Komunicacii. – Sofia: AN-DI, 2013. – 264 p. Gulenova, Maria. Osnovi na Marketinga na Knigata. Sofia, Fili- gran, 2001. 392 p. Eriashvili, N. D. Knigoizdanie, Menedzhment i Marketing. 2nd Re- vised Edition. Moscow, Yuniti, 2001. 304 p. Elizabeth Geiser, Arnold Dolin and Gladys Topkis. The Business of Book Publishing. Transl. from English T. Angelova. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 1996. 464 p. Eriashvili, N. D. Teoretiko-Metodologicheskie Osnovy Knigo- izdatel’skogo Marketinga. Ch. 1. Moscow, Yuniti, 2000. p. 622 Forsyth, Patrick and Robin Birn. Marketing in Publishing. Sofia, Slantse, 2002. 304 p. (The Way to Success Series)

110 Chapter Eight

POLYGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS

1. Paper and Print – From Century-Old Traditions to Modern Innovations 1.1. Paper – Retrospection and Modern Trends

Paper is a crucial factor in the production of printed matter, regardless of whether it is books, newspapers, journals, almanacs, advertising leaflets, or any other form of publicity materials. Paper used for books is another important factor in the book publishing business. The quality of the future book relies heavily on the choice of paper – its brand, type, and weight, as negotiated in the contract and specified in the production order submitted to the Production Department of the printing facility. Paper has been used since ancient times. Its inventor is believed to be the Chinese man Cai Lun (1st – early 2nd century AD). He was responsible for adding essential new materials into its composition – finely chopped hard bamboo bark, hemp, rags and fishing net. The mixture was chopped and made into a fine pulp. Water was added along with bleaching agents, fillers, mucilage, and the mixture was then poured into special screens which allowed the water to ooze out. The wet layer of paper pulp was then smoothed out and pressed down with smooth wood planks until fully dry. This invention was used in the 6th century AD by the Koreans. In the 7th century the Japanese improved the technology of papermaking by adding silk. The paper thus produced was used to help advance the cultural development of these peoples and was the medium of their first hand-written books. The Arabs later took up the production of

111 paper in Damask and Baghdad. In Cairo paper has been produced since the 10th – 11th century AD. The Arabic invasions into Spain helped spread the paper-making technique into Europe during the 12th century. Filigree symbols were later introduced into its production process to indicate the brand. During the Great French Revo- lution, L. Robert constructed a new paper-making machine which uses a pair of squeeze rolls and a constantly revolving copper screen to scoop up and drain the pulp. By the early 19th century such machines were already in production to supply the paper-making industry. The production process incorporated a sizing agent for the first time – a rosin which inhibits the capillary action of the paper and prevents the ink from fuzzing. When wood sawdust became the key ingredient in paper-making, and sulfite pulp was produced from wood fiber, there was a marked increase in productivity. So, in mid 19th century a machine was designed in Germany which could shred wood and extract the pulp with the help of caustic soda. Chemical methods were introduced to improve the production process. The production capacity of paper-making machines also increased. The first paper-making factories in Bulgaria were opened in the village of Knyazhevo, near Sofia, Kostenets station, Belovo station, Iskar station and the village of Kocherinovo. The wood fiber and pulp were imported. Paper-making production boomed after the 1950s. Along with the already existing paper factories, huge new facilities were constructed for the production of pulp and paper – in the towns of Miziya and Silistra, where the 1980s saw a marked increase in the production of offset sheet and roll paper. Wood fiber is a crucial ingredient in the paper-making industry. It is produced from coniferous trees which are cut into one-meter-long planks, then shredded under pressure in a huge grinding machine using the friction of sandstones and water which washes away the shredded wood. The pulp thus produced is sifted and sort- ed in sheets, while the wood that was not ground finely enough goes

112 through the process again. This process reminds one of grain milling with the help of millstones in flour making. In Bulgaria the production of paper and cardboard showed a marked increase after the 1950s. Huge new plants were constructed for the production of pulp and paper – in the towns of Miziya and Silistra, where the 1980s saw a boom in the production of offset sheet and roll paper. About two decades later, in 2002, the production of paper and cardboard was one third of what it was in 1989. The traditional markets in Russia and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) were lost. A considerable part of the invested capitals in the paper-making branch came from abroad – the paper-making factory in the town of Stamboliiski, the plant for multi-layered cardboard in the town of Nikopol, Rodina Ltd in Plovdiv. The “Trakiya Papir” factory in Pazardzhik underwent the process of privatization and modernization of the facilities for corrugated cardboard. The “Vitavel” company in Lukovit was equipped with a second production unit for corrugated cardboard, and increased the production of corrugated cardboard, offset paper and newsprint. The “Svilo- za” company in Svishtov also invested heavily in the production of sulfite pulp from coniferous timber. Unfortunately, in the conditions of economic downturn in 2008 – 2009 this and many other enterprises in this sector started experiencing serious difficulties. Over the last few years, import of paper from European producers has been in the hands of the “Concord Papir” company. “Dunapack – Rodina” PLC, Plovdiv, has shown an impressive growth since it was bought in late September 2002 by the Hungar- ian Concern “Dunapack”, which is an affiliate of “Hamburger-Mos- burger-Dunapack”. This company owns six paper-making facilities and twelve corrugated packaging plants in Central Europe. The plant in Plovdiv not only continues the traditions in the production of corrugated cardboard, inherited from the former “Rodina” factory, but upgrades the production with new facilities for multi- layer, brown and white finish, micro-corrugated cardboard, as well 113 as new machines for the production of packaging, allowing multi- color printing and lamination. There has been much talk recently about the so called “smart” paper which, unlike the traditional one, will have in its composition and in its finish such features that will enable it to communicate with the printing machines, or will have a surface which can change a few times per day, or a microchip in the product’s packaging for information transfer.

1.2. Paper Brands and Types

When defining the type of paper to be used for a given book, it is essential to define its brand name in terms of numerals. The better the quality of the paper, the smaller the number designating its type. The wood-free uncoated paper, or holzfrei (in German), is known for its quality and endurance. This paper is wood-free and very suitable for book-printing. Paper produced from rags with an additive of pure pulp is also quite expensive. The type of paper is defined depending on the printing purpose for which it is to be used. There are several types of paper – offset, deep print, high print, waterproof (for topographic maps because it is durable and tear-resistant), newsprint, copy paper, illustration paper, etc. Depending on the degree of smoothness, it can be classified into the following categories: matt finish, satin finish, illustration paper, chrome paper (with a pigment finish and high smoothness), as well as pigmented paper (smooth and bleached). In the group of special papers we can mention the following types of paper without finish – base paper, filter paper, decorative paper, photo paper, silicone paper, as well as the following types of paper with finish – manifold paper, label paper, thermal paper, inkjet printer paper, pigmented paper or special finish paper. The special types of thin paper are used for printing instructions for medications, drugs and cosmetics which require the paper to be thin, to be able to sustain

114 multiple occasions of folding and unfolding, to be white and non- transparent in order to allow for better legibility and greater size of the printed text. The production of the special types of paper (25 gr. / sq. m. – 280 gr. / sq. m.) requires special innovations and technologies because most of them need to have qualities such as electrical conductance, water resistance, chemical resistance, heat resistance, cleanliness, light transmission, transparency, smoothness, durability, thickness, etc. Thermal papers intended for direct thermal printing – a contactless method of printing on forms, receipts, tickets, labels, tags, etc., are increasingly gaining popularity. The requirements for the different types of paper are getting tougher when it comes to whiteness, smoothness, and finish.

1.3. Weight and Acclimatization of the Paper

Another important factor in determining the choice of paper is its weight – measured in grams per square meter of paper. The paper used in the printing business weighs anywhere between 30 and 170 grams per square meter. In the production of lower-weight paper more pulp is used to improve its strength. Another thing to be considered in the lower-weight types of paper is reducing its transparency. The paper acclimatization is done on the same premises where printing takes place. The paper is exposed to air with the right characteristics in terms of humidity and temperature. In order to prevent paper deformation in the process of printing when more colors are used, the paper needs to be formatted in such a way as to make sure the direction of the movement of the sheet printing machine is the same as that of the fibers. The technical editors and the technologists in the printing facility have to be well acquainted with the intended uses of each type of paper, and take into account the type of printing for every edition. With high pint, for example, the best choice of paper is high-

115 print paper, which is suitable for fiction books with line art illustrations; for half-tone illustrations on raster the best choice of paper would be smooth-surface satin-finish paper; for greater density of lines (40 – 48 lines per cm.) on the raster the best paper would be the illustration paper; if the density is above this (for higher lineage of the raster) the paper should best be one-sided or double-sided chrome paper, especially with signatures that contain attachments of photographs and half-tone originals. If deep print is to be used for the book, the best choice of paper would be smooth, slightly sized, satin-finish paper which should show good absorption of the ink. Offset paper is rough, hard-sized and water resistant. Another important factor is the quantity of illustrative material in the book. If it predominates, it is advisable to use higher-weight paper (120 – 130 g / sq. m.) to make sure the illustrations do not show through. This is especially valid when printing atlases, albums, books with art reproductions and double-sided attachments. In order to avoid the show-through effect, it is recommended that paper weighing 90 – 100 g / sq. m. should be used. If the technical editor wants to increase the thickness of the text block when the volume does not seem to correspond to the chosen format, he should either increase the weight of the paper or use thick paper with lower weight. And conversely, with books that are more voluminous (encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books) and are composed of more than forty signatures, the aim would be to achieve a less thick text block. This can be achieved through using lower- weight paper (40 – 60 g / sq. m.)

1.4. Paper and Pulp – Technological Cycle and Application

In the production of paper and in the preparation of special matrices – for water-free offset print, in the stereotype production (plastic stereotypy) and in other printing activities, macro-molecular organic substances are preferred, e. g. pulp and proteins such as

116 casein, gluten, starch and rubber, also known as natural polymers. The polysaccharides – resins, starch, and pulp have a place in modernday paper production. Pulp, which falls under the category of carbohydrates, has a stable fibrous structure; it is insoluble in organic solvents, and remains stable under temperatures of up to 150 degrees. In the process of pulp extraction, the substances (mainly the lignin) that are contained in the wood are chemically degraded. With the sulfite technology, the timber is cooked in a neutral calcium bisulfite solution (the end product is non-bleached pulp). With the sulfate technology, the timber is cooked in caustic soda or so- dium sulfite solution, the end product being very strong brownish paper suitable for packaging paper. The sulfite pulp can be bleached and used in the production of white paper with better quality indicators. The pulp quality is improved when the wood chips are cooked with chemicals in the innovative pulp production approach using the sulfate technology. This is done in a cooking vessel with the help of black liquor, which contains low residual alkali, which neutralize the acidity of the beech and poplar wood chips when they are cooked at a temperature of 100 – 120 degrees. This method allows for a more effective infiltration of the white liquor upon further cooking. The real cooking is done in digesters in the presence of polyethylene glycol at a temperature of up to 165 degrees. The pulp is subjected to oxygen-alkaline delignification and one-sided bleaching with chlorine dioxide. The pulp thus produced has low lignin content, a reasonably high percentage of total soluble mass – about 50 %, a good degree of whiteness and good physical and chemical properties. Research conducted by Bulgarian scientists shows that in the production of paper intended for packaging, in which strength is important, it is advisable that high-fibre 100 % unbleached pulp be used in conjunction with oak, rather than the traditional 100 % coniferous pulp. On the other hand, pulp derived from acacia timber has poor physical and chemical properties but it easily disintegrates, which makes it suitable for the production of sanitary paper.

117 The production of pulp from beech timber by the sulfate method yields better results when the cooking is done at a faster rate with a moderate use of alkaline agents. The increase in the temperature improves the oxygen-alkaline delignification and the bleaching with chlorine dioxide. The resulting pulp is characterised by whiteness and durability, while the residual lignin is easily removed. The materials used in the production of paper are timber and pulp, water, adhesive substances, fillers and coloring agents. The -di gester is a machine in which the fibrous mass of timber is mixed up with water and finely milled for a good casting of the paper sheets. The good binding of the fibers is achieved through the application of fillers such as gypsum, kaolin, barium sulfite, which make the paper smooth, non-transparent and solid. The sizing agents applied as emulsion solutions – starch, rosin, water glass – prevent the paper sheets from absorbing ink and water solutions and from getting wet or blurred in the process of printing. Coloring agents are used not only with colored paper but also with white paper – the yellowish fibrous tint of the white paper is removed when blue and green dyes are added to the emulsion. The paper pulp is washed to remove the grit and other solid particles, after which it is passed over to the screen in the machine production unit. There, the pulp is spread on a special screen for the water to drain. Further down along the production line the paper strip is pressed dry and moved on to the dryer, where the drying cylinders help achieve the desired degree of dryness. The offset and cartographic types of paper are treated with a sizing agent – a three percent solution of carboxymethyl cellulose, in a special sizing press positioned in the middle section of the drying unit. A mechanical calender comprising pairs of polished cylinders exerting great weight and pressure ensure the smoothness of the paper. When the paper is then passed through the next unit in the production line – the super calender, it becomes extra smooth. These types of paper are known as satin or gloss paper. Unlike the paper that goes only through the first type of mechanical calender,

118 the paper that goes through the supper calender is smoothed out on both sides. When more fillers are applied, the paper achieves a more satin appearance. Cutting the paper in strips with the desired format and rolling it into paper rolls completes the production process. When sheet printing presses are to be used, the paper rolls are cut in accordance with the existing standards. Thus, roll paper is cut according to the width of the rolls – into 60, 70, 75, 84, 90, 108 and 160 cm rolls, whereas sheet paper is cut into the following sizes in centimeters: 60х84; 60х90; 70х100; 70х108; 75х90; 84х108. The acceptable allowance is no more than 2 mm; the packages should weigh no more than 140 kg; the number of sheets should not exceed 50; and there are some requirements concerning the labeling of the packages, the more important of which refer to the standard, the brand name, the weight, the width of the rolls, the production date. The production of chrome paper is done in pigment coating machines, in which a suspension containing white pigments and film-forming agents is applied. The coating containing white pigments such as kaolin, blanfix, calcium carbonate, synthetic latex, carboxymethyl cellulose can be applied either on one side only – for unilaterally chrome paper, or on both sides – for bilaterally chrome paper. The paper thus coated is dried and pressed in a calender. The result is impressive – perfect whiteness and smoothness and excellent quality. The usage of such paper is huge. Chrome paper weighing between 70 and 80 gr / sq. m. is exceptionally suitable for high-quality color print. In the book printing business chrome paper with greater weight than that is used in printing color reproductions, illustrated books, albums, encyclopedias, etc.

1.5. Quality Requirements for the Paper

An important condition ensuring the normal print is for the paper to have the required thickness, caliper and strength. The higher grade of whiteness makes for better readability and contrast

119 of the printed material, also ensuring lower transparency and show- through effect. Another requirement guaranteeing a good print is the elasticity of the paper – its ability to withstand pressure, tension and other deformations in the printing process, and its resilience. Paper plasticity is an important property especially when it comes to book binding processes where the paper and cardboard are required to assume their new forms, as is the case with folding the signatures, creasing and trimming. High-quality satin paper has micro roughness, whereas with chrome paper, which is exceptionally smooth, the roughness is either non-existent or negligible. Smooth-surface paper is glossy, whereas matt-finish paper is rough- surfaced. The strength of the paper surface is important because it is exposed to the action of inks with different degrees of viscosity and volatility. The strength is improved if the production technology uses sizing agents containing special types of resins (e. g. urea resin) and starch. High-quality cardboard is produced from rags, pulp and waste paper (or trim waste) with good quality. The standard cardboard is produced from timber, straw and trim waste. Bindings are produced from brown cardboard timber with high density and smooth surface, without the use of sizing agents so that the binding canvas can be better glued to it. The Russian printing business uses brands such as A, B, C, D, which are also applied in Bulgaria in hardcover folders and cases. The packaging industry uses the flexible pressboard which has good strength, glossiness and high degree of rosin sizing agent. The hromerzats packaging pressboard, with either one-layer or two-layer pigmentation, is known for its good tensile strength, whiteness, high density and smoothness. Corrugated cardboard is made from a few layers of corrugated paper glued together. It has machine smoothness and thickness between 250 – 300 g. / sq. m. It finds its application in the packaging industry. Up to the early 1990s it was used in the stereotype production of matrices for high print and matrix cardboard, which, assuming it has the desired strength

120 and thermal resistance upon wetting, is used in the casting of matrices. The cardboard is cast in machines that can be flat-screen, two-cylinder, multi-cylinder and multi-screen, with varying characteristics of the screen element. The book-binding processes in the printing industry use also paper for white or color flyleaf, whose weight is anywhere between 80 and 160 grams per square meter, and which has important parameters such as high density, resilience, tensile strength and sizing. It is produced from coniferous or deciduous sulfite bleached pulp. The paper used in gluing the spine of the book should have important properties such as resilience, tensile strength, resistance both to moisture and dryness, and a weight of up to 65 g. / sq. m. This paper is produced from sulfate non-bleached coniferous pulp. The liner at the back of a cardboard folder (between the front and back covers of the folder) is produced from thin cardboard weighing about 200 g. / sq. m., with a high degree of sizing, good resilience and tear resistance. Thus the cardboard folder becomes stronger, more solid and resilient. Another widely used type of paper is the one used for book jackets, especially in the offset print. This type of paper should have the following properties: endurance to multiple uses, good degree of sizing, high torsional stability, gloss or matt finish. Other important characteristics of the different types of paper that can be mentioned here are: good absorption abilities, good dis- persibility (porosity), show-through effect when exposed to light.

1.6. Manual and Machine Typesetting

Until the XIX century the type for the texts of all published materials were composed by hand although there were some innovations in the making of the fonts. In 1884, however, the Ger- man-born constructor Ottmar Mergenthaler invented the Linotype machine in the American city of Baltimore. It resembles a typing

121 machine with a keyboard. When the operator presses a button it releases a matrix for the desired letter. The assembled line of letters is then cast as a single piece with a certain length. The linotype setting does not exceed 28‑pica line format. This technology allows for quick typesetting and easy composition of pages. It was used widely almost until the 1990s, when it was replaced by the phototypesetting technology and computer typesetting. The set of matrices of the linotype machine allows for the use of slanted fonts (italics) or boldface fonts. The most improved linotype machines have a so called mixer (magazine) which is used in composing a mixed or more complicated text with italic and bold fonts cast in the two sizes. In the 1890s Tolbert Lanston constructed the first monotype – a mechanical typesetting system, in the American city of Ohaio. Monotype setting consists of separate letters in lines which can reach up to 56 picas, and the framework of the machine allows for a great number of matrices (225, 255, 272). This technology can be used not only for the basic print types but also for italic and bold fonts, mathematical drawings and other signs and symbols. As the monotype machine is composed of two components (a punch- ing device for the paper tape and an apparatus casting letters according to the perforations on the paper tape), its maintenance is expensive, and it is therefore used primarily for setting titles and special symbols, and for highlighting some special font typefaces. It is rarely used for setting long and uniform texts. With the introduction of linotype and monotype setting technologies, book publishing was industrialized. The print run of books and periodicals was increased, the labor-intensive processes in the typesetting departments of printing houses were improved, new departments were set up for machine typesetting. However, the purchasing and maintenance of these new linotype and monotype technologies was expensive and their introduction on a mass scale in Bulgaria happened gradually – first in the capital, and after

122 the 1940s – in the bigger publishing and printing centers of the country. In the typesetting of some books and periodicals which have more complex text format, the mixed typesetting is preferred. The uniform parts of the texts are set using the linotype technology, whereas the more complicated parts of the text typically use the monotype technology. If monotype technology is not available, a different font is used for the more complicated parts of the text. The publishing business also uses flag typesetting (“dovetail” type) with an uneven right side of the printable area. This form of typesetting is easier to accomplish with the introduction of computer typesetting technologies. Working with lead mixtures in the linotype and monotype technologies presents an occupational hazard for the operators of the machines. The equipment is too heavy and cumbersome to be moved about, its maintenance is expensive, the combination of fonts and font sizes is difficult. This makes it necessary to search for new technological solutions, which leads to the introduction of phototypesetting. The photocomposition machine Monophoto is based on a similar principle to that of monotype setting. It makes it possible to compose texts mixing a few font typefaces whose size is between 6 and 20 points, with a format of up to 50 picas. The operator can change the form and the font size, as well as the line type. This machine is used for standard (uniform) typesetting. In the 1980s the electromechanical phototypesetting machines “Pho- ton”, “Lumitype” and “Fairchild” came into use. They allow for automatic fixing of the line, syllable division, change of font, font size and form without retyping the text. The book publishing business of this era used primarily the “Photon Pacesetter” phototypesetting machine and especially the “Lasercomp”, which allows for direct exposure on paper or film tape and the use of digital electronic programming. The advantages of phototypesetting machines lie in the fast rate of typesetting, the operators’ safety, the opportunities

123 for mixing fonts and font sizes, the indentation of lines, as well as centering and justifying the text. The “Lasercomp” machines, for example, can mix font sizes varying from 5 to 95 points on a format of up to 52 picas. Nowadays computer typesetting is used on a very large scale in book publishing business because of its wide range of functions. It offers a wide selection of fonts, quick and easy typesetting. Another advantage is the available computer software for picture scanning, color separation and text formatting.

1.7. High Print and its Ancient History

Among the other printing technologies, high print is the one with the longest history. Its first use came with the invention of printing methods for multiplication of books. This method was known in China in the 7th century and later found application in the Arabic countries of the Far East around the 10th – 11th centuries. The predecessors of European high print technology are the Dutchman Lorenz Costel, the Italian P. Castildo, the Frenchman Jean Breteau, as well as Prokop Waldvogel, Nikolay Jenson, Albreht Pfister. The new high print technology of Johanes Gutenberg comprises the invention of a letter-casting device, which is used to cast letters and punctuation marks, the introduction of a new type of ink – soot with flaxseed oil, and the construction of a printing press – a solid, firmly fixed, typesetting form with the letters, punctuation marks and separating material arranged on it. This press is placed on a solid board fixed on two wood beams, and is also known as a thaler. The form, which is inked, and the paper, which is moistened in advance, are pressed together with the help of another surface which is lowered from above through the turn of a screw with a handle attached to it for greater convenience. When pressure is exercised, the text and images are imprinted on the paper in a way similar

124 to the printing of images with the high print engraving method, which was known even before Johanes Gutenberg’s invention. In his new complete technology, Johanes Gutenberg uses for the first time the typesetting frame for grouping and storing the letters and a compass – a small device upon which literals are collected and then transferred onto the typesetting surface. Gutenberg invented also the letter-casting alloy which was 70 parts lead, 25 parts tin and 5 parts antimony – a mixture which was resistant, easy to melt and solidified quickly upon processing. This technology brought with it the first job differentiation in the book printing industry – type founders, typesetters, printing press operators, proofreader, paper, ink and water carriers, factor (supervisor, and later – manager). One printing press was serviced by at least five operators. In the 17th century the first manufacturing plants were set up in Germany – Co- logne, Augsburg, Nurnberg and they covered the whole of Europe with their subsidiary companies. The famous German printer An- ton Koberger organized a printing production business comprising twenty-four printing presses and employed over a hundred people in his manufacturing plant in the city of Nurnberg. New occupa- tions appeared – the metran page (the operator who arranges or “ties in” the letters and illustrations by pages), the engraving artist, the book binders. By the end of the 15th century there were 260 printing shops in Germany, and in Italy there were twice as many. The “cradle” period (from the Latin word incunabula) of printing business came to a close. This period covered the first fifty years after Gutenberg’s invention of high print, during which 35 – 40 thousand titles were printed with a total print run of over 12 million copies. It was during this period that printers started to establish pagination (the consecutive numbering of the pages) and the colophon at the end of the text which provided information about the year and place of publishing and also included the logo of the publisher-printer. The first title pages also date back to those years. Until the 1980s high print was the most widely spread printing method since it allowed for high quality reproduction and multipli- 125 cation of all types of texts, as well as unicolour half-tone raster and line art illustrations reproduced through photozincographic printing plates. The multi-color high print, however, demands a longer and less effective procedure – the preparation of a separate plate for every basic color. A sheet containing a color image goes through the printing process as many times as is the number of basic colors used in the image. With the high print method, the basic texts are printed on flat- cylinder machines, whose production capacity today is very high – 5000 sheets with very good quality print. The first flat-cylinder printing press was invented by Friedrich Koenig in 1803. The rotation roller machines which use the principle of stereotypy (they are poured from the typesetting form onto plastic or cardboard cast- ings – matrices) provide better capacity for high-speed printing. The rotation sheet machines, whose production capacity per hour can be as high as 30 000 prints also have good technological potential. They can be used for two-sided one-color printing, for one- sided printing, and for multi-color printing. The forms that are used can be both semi-circular stereotypic forms and flexible, thin pho- to-polymeric and microzinc forms functioning on the principle of stereotypy. To facilitate the process, the form cylinders can be taken off, he forms can be prepared for printing and tested. The quality of the print is better than with roller high print machines, and they can therefore be used for printing books abounding in illustrations and colors. Multi-color sheet machines used in high print are constructed in printing modules or arranged in a planetary pattern (with a shared printing cylinder with a larger diameter and smaller form cylinders arranged around it with their ink devices). Stereotypy was popular as a variation of high print as early as the 19th century for printing editions with high print run. Stereo- typy as a high print method was known from the beginning of the 18th century. In 1736 William Ged used a plaster matrix to make a stereotype form and at the end of the century the printer-publisher

126 Firmin Didot introduced the method of founding copies of the high print form. His work at the publishing company was continued by Pier Didot, who used stereotypy to prepare the publication of cheap small-format books with high print runs for their time. In 1848 the French inventor Lottin De Laval discovered the technology of making a new type of pressboard for stereotypic matrix-production. The moulds thus produced could be used for printing presses of varying types and formats. Over the years the proportion of the components used in the stereotypic metal alloy was perfected – 77 percent lead, 16 percent antimony and 7 percent tin. The durability of these types was great – 80 000 copies with flatbed stereotypy. The stereotypic printing method was used in Bulgaria until the 1990s, especially for high print run products, mainly periodicals (newspapers and magazines) using the high print technology. Two stereotypic methods are used in the printing business – with flatbed stereotypes (flatbed sheet machines are used for this type of printing), and curved stereotypes (semicircular stereotypic forms are cast, whose radius equals the radius of the form cylinder of the rotation printing machine). The stereotypic matrices are produced in hydraulic matrix presses. The matrix pressboard is wetted prior to the operation, and then placed on the high print typesetting form. After applying pressure in the matrix press, the letters, symbols and other graphic images are imprinted on the matrix pressboard. The matrix is then ready for casting the stereotypic forms. The casting itself can be a manual process, but over time the method has been perfected and the casting is done by automatic casting equipment. The rotation roller printing machines use continuous roll paper or curved (semicircular) stereotypic plates rather than sheets. The roll paper is passed through form and pressure cylinders. The printing module of the machine comprises two form cylinders and two pressure cylinders. Two curved stereotypic forms are placed on each of the form cylinders to print upon the upper and lower part of the paper tape. The machine also has an ink compartment,

127 a feeder for the roll paper, and a crease apparatus which cuts and folds the printed paper or sheet. In the process of book production, it is possible to print simultaneously a double signature of 32 pages (e. g. format 84х108 / 32). This technology is not recommended when printing books for which high quality is a must. Roller printing machines, however, have the advantage of printing on both sides of the paper simultaneously. The paper is passed consecutively through the first pair of form and pressure cylinders and then through the second pair of form and pressure cylinders. The metal stereotype composition lasts up to 50 000 printed copies per form. Rotation machines have a high production capacity, reaching a productivity of up to 35 000 – 40 000 newspaper copies per hour. The machine is produced as a system comprising several aggregates. (The ifagW rotation printing machine, which was produced in Switzerland, originally had six aggregates when first used in the production department of the state-owned printing facility “D. Blagoev” in the 1950s, and later two additional aggregates were ordered to meet the demands for the high print run of the national newspapers.) Im- provements in the technological processes imposed the use of plastic stereotypes (alongside the metal stereotypes), which are applied by using two-faced foil on the metal sheets, spread upon the form cylinders. Another possibility is to use elastic microzinc forms or photopolymeric forms with a steel base, which are applied with the help of magnetic surfaces. Another method involves electroplating the printing surface of the stereotypes with a layer of stronger metal, such as steel or nickel. Through the method of electroplating, the mechanically finished stereotype form is immersed in a galvanic bath with conductive galvanic solution which serves as a cathode, while a piece of nickel or steel is immersed into the solution to serve as an anode – the positive pole. When a weak electrical current is released, the ions from the anode rush to the cathode, the metal piece is thus gradually dissolved and plated onto the cathode end. The stereotype forms

128 that have undergone this electroplating can be subjected to hundreds of thousands of copy prints and are used in the production of high print run newspapers. When printing currency and securities, the method of electroplated stereotypy is used because it allows a much more precise copying of the original typeset form, especially with autotype plates. The print run with galvanoplastic forms also goes into hundreds of thousands copies. The matrix forms are made from wax or lead sheets, or celluloid. They are first treated with special solutions and substances, and then subjected to strong pressure in a hydraulic press upon which the copy assumes the mirror image of the original form. The galvanizing process is similar to the nickel electroplating of stereotype forms. It is done in a solution of sulfur acid and copper sulfate, with the form serving as a cathode, while a copper plate is immersed in the solution to serve as an anode. The new galvanized form is now a mirror image of the original in high relief, which is carefully removed from the matrix, and a stereotypic metal formulation is poured into its reverse side. The formulation has to fill the empty space very tightly without any air pockets, which guarantees a solid monolithic form similar to the zincographic plates, with the height of high print letter set. Galvan- oplasty was invented in 1839 by Moritz von Jacobi in Russia and was later improved to become one of the most outstanding and promising methods of its time – the galvanostereotypy, which was known in Bulgaria until a few decades ago. Platen high print machines are small format and have some additional functions in the book printing business. They are used primarily in the production of book jackets, covers and attachments. In Bulgaria these machines are known under the name of “the American” after the country producer of some of the systems. In the printing business circles these machines are also known as plate presses. They are composed of a vertical foundation upon which the high print form is mounted with all the types, plates and other ornaments. The form is prepared with the help of platens, which apply

129 and distribute the ink, then the sheet of paper is fed either manually or pneumatically. The pressure plate is then moved in to apply pressure upon the sheet and imprint the image, and retracted back into its semi-horizontal starting position. The plate is commanded with the help of levers and runs along special rails. The printed sheet is manually retrieved by the printing press operator, though in the more improved versions there is automatic feeding and retrieving of the printed sheets. In the not so distant past, the Boston, Liberty and Gali plate printing presses were widely used in Bulgaria. The major shortcoming of the plate printing presses is the small format – between 30х42 см and 35х50 см. Modernday machines of this type are semiautomatic, with manual feeding of the sheets and are used in printing small-format texts, stationery, advertising leaflets, etc. The more heavy duty machines, on the other hand, are used in printing multi-color editions with illustrations, and most of them have an automatic paper feeder – a pneumatic device that feeds the sheets and cardboard to the foundation with the form. The capacity of these machines can exceed 3600 prints per hour. Nowadays these machines are used in the place of printing presses for texts, illustrations that are not too big, and ornaments on hardcover folders. They can also be adapted for relief printing and hot-press printing with the help of line art plates. People in the printing business still remember the flatbed machines of the Victoria and Planet system (produced in the former German Democratic Republic) which, along with some other similar machines, comprised the principle inventory of every high print facility in our country. Most of these machines are semi-automatic and allow printing of bigger print runs, their hourly capacity can reach up to 5500 prints and the format of the printed sheet can be changed. They can be used both for uni-color text prints and for two-color prints (with the two colors being printed simultaneously at one move of the machine). The flat foundation of the machine upon which the typesetting form is mounted runs back and forth.

130 The paper is fed through a pneumatic device and drawn in by the gripping elements (grapples) of the pressure cylinder, which pres- sures the sheet against the form and, after the imprint has been made, retrieves the sheet upon the collecting top. In the more advanced machines this retrieval is automatic, with the printed side of the sheet up to prevent the wet ink from blotting and ruining the production. With one-rotation machines used in flat printing, the pressure (printing) cylinder makes only one rotation per cycle. In the first half of the rotation it presses the sheet against the form to produce the imprint, and in the second half of the rotation it gets back to its starting position without touching the foundation thanks to the smaller radius of the non-operative part. One-rotation flat-print machines are designed for smaller formats (45 х 60 cm) and find greater application in printing colored covers, stationery and smaller-format editions – leaflets, newspapers and magazines.

With the two-rotation flat-print machine, on the other hand, the printing cylinder rotates at a constant rate. During the operative rotation it presses against the sheet to produce the imprint, while during the non-operative rotation it is lifted with the help of springs a few millimeters off the paper and makes an idle rotation. The printed sheet is fed to a chain conveyor which retrieves the sheet and transports it to the top collecting the finished products. The grapples of the cylinder hold the sheet while printing takes place and protect it from lifting and blotting. The flat-print cylinders veha a system of rollers which apply the ink and spread it gently upon the form while it is moving forward. The machines whose printing cylinder stops (the stop cylinder machines) are a variation of this type of equipment and are intended for high print used on medium and small format editions. In these machines the pressure cylinder makes a rotation only when the foundation holding the printing form moves under it. The cylinder

131 presses upon the sheet and makes an imprint. When the foundation moves backward, the cylinder stops moving and stays in a position in which its concave (or smaller-radius) part is not in contact with the printing form. The reversing machines are, on the other hand, a variation of the stop cylinder machines. With these machines, after the print has been produced, the cylinder turns in the opposite direction without touching the form. When the sheet is gripped, the cylinder also stops for a moment before taking the sheet and producing the imprint. The flat-print machines are produced both as full-format and as half-format – e. g. 70 х 100 сm, 84 х 108 сm, 60 х 92 сm, 50 х 70 сm, 48 х 63 сm, 42х58 сm etc.

1.8. Deep Print – Simplified Printing and Complex Technological Processes in Preparing the Forms

The technology, also known as rotogravure, is used primarily in reproducing originals (landscapes, photographs, art reproductions and other illustrations with half-tone elements) using the photographic method. Unlike high print, where protruding surfaces (the linotype and monotype set text and plates) are printed, in deep print the texts and illustrations are engraved. Deep print allows the reproduction of illustrated material with high quality and is therefore used in printing luxury editions of illustrated albums, magazines and other books with multi-color illustrations. Deep print offers a few methods of treating and preparing the form. The pigment treatment of the form is the most widely used. The most important procedure here is to sand and polish the copper cylinder upon which the images will later be engraved using the method of electroplating. The process is rather long and laborious. First, the slides with the photographs of images and illustrations are mounted upon crystal glass. A copy of the slides mounted on the glass is made upon light-sensitive pigment paper, which is

132 pressed tightly against the gelatin-coated copper cylinder. After removing the paper form the gelatin-coated cylinder, a copy of the image is left upon the cylinder. It is developed, dried and strength- ened with asphalt-based lacquer. The deep-print raster image thus produced has the structure of a mesh of miniature non-transparent squares and transparent lines. The raster lines are at an angle of 45 degrees, and the lineature reaches 120 lines per centimeter. Copying the raster takes longer than copying the slides since the lines have to be positioned further than the depth to which the raster reaches. Developing the cylinder with the copy is done in a special apparatus where the copper cylinder is rotated and washed with water at a temperature varying between 30 and 45 degrees and going down to 20 degrees towards the end of the procedure. During this process the water washes away the gelatin layer which has not been fixed. Only the relief layer of gelatin is left on the surface of the copper cylinder at this stage, and its thickness can reach up to eleven millimeters in the most lighted parts and over one millimeter in the darkest parts. The raster lines are also fixed. The white spaces on the cylinder where there are no images are coated with an acid-resistant asphalt-based lacquer and black inks for deep print. The etching of the cylinder, after it has been dried and prepared in this way, is done in a few stages in iron trichloride solution. The procedure takes a long time with the first solution -be ing of higher concentration, followed by a few lower-concentration solutions. The iron trichloride gradually penetrates into the gelatin layer, first into the thinner layers and later into the thicker layers, down to 3 – 3,5 cm, without affecting the raster lines which are engraved deeper. While manual etching can result in some errors which have to be corrected in order to reveal the smallest details in the image, machine etching, which uses automatic devices, is elec- tronically controlled and the process is regulated and precise. The form thus produced and ready to be used in printing can be tested on the printing machine.

133 There are also some other methods that are used in the world of printing to prepare the form with the use of deep-print. Under the pigment-free method, with the help of a centrifuge the copper cylinder is coated with a light-sensitive film upon which the pho- to forms are applied (these are slides that have been rasted). The slides are attached with the help of vacuum. In order to be exposed, the cylinder is in constant rotation, during which the light passes through the transparent parts of the slides and a process of polymerization takes place on the copying surface of the cylinder. This exposure is done in a special apparatus in which the cylinder rotates, while the exposure solution is sprayed upon it, as a result of which the copying layer falls off leaving only the exposed areas. The white areas are treated with acid-resistant lacquers, after which the form is subjected to etching with iron trichloride, without changing the concentration of the solution this time. The printing areas thus etched have the same depth and varying width. The process is known as deep autotypy. This method can be perfected in order to achieve printing elements that vary in depth, which will result in a more accurate and precise reproduction of the different shades of the color in the original. This is achieved with the help of electronic or emulsion etching of the copper cylinder carrying the form and with rasters that have a more complex structure and varying lineature of the elements. This method increases productivity, cuts costs and saves time, but all this is at the expense of quality. It is therefore used for color printing when the quality requirements are not very high. The method employing electronic engraving of the deep-print form is done with the help of an apparatus which has sections for scanning and engraving. This is how the Computer- to-Cylinder technology came to be discovered. It is a technology based on a system in which a computer digitally controls a device with a cutter which engraves the form cylinder. Another promising modern innovation in deep print is electroplating the form cylinder with chromium, as well as removing the chromium or applying it

134 again (in case there are defects on the form or in order to improve its durability and prepare it for larger print runs). Even though deep print technology demands serious investment and is too expensive to be applied in Bulgaria, in the countries where the printing industry is well developed it still has its rightful place. And the new methods and innovations make it suitable for large print run editions with a relatively good print quality. As for printing itself, it is done in a printing press comprising a copper printing cylinder and a pressure cylinder. Some machines apply the ink by immersing the printing cylinder in an ink bath, or by means of a roller which spreads the ink over the form. The pressure cylinder then presses the sheet of paper against the copper cylinder. A steel blade is used to clear the convex surface of the copper cylinder from the ink. The image is reproduced from the concave (engraved) surface of the form exposed upon the copper cylinder. Along with the illustrations, some texts that are not too long and that are preferably in grotesque fonts can also be mounted on the light-sensitive rastered pigmented paper. A separate cylinder is prepared for printing every single basic color. With some editions it is preferred to separate the signatures into multi-colored and text sheets. In this case sheets with colored images are printed using deep print, whereas sheets containing only text or black-and-white images are printed using high print or offset print. Books containing both text and illustrations are more costly to print because illustrations have to be printed first using deep print and the accompanying texts and explanations are printed using high print. In this case a very precise model of the book is needed with very detailed instructions for the production department. This approach is suitable for large print run editions. Nowadays, book printing uses digital technologies for multiplication of the original and the book is printed on a printer (directly from the computer after the desktop publishing has been completed), or a computer is used to expose directly on the offset printing 135 plates, or even on the form cylinder itself, which saves the long journey of the original through the photographic section of the printing establishment.

2. From Surface Printing To Modern Innovative Methods 2.1. Lithographic Art Traditions

With surface printing the printable and non-printable elements are all placed on the same surface at the same height. The printing form has to be wetted in advance so that the water can be absorbed into the uncoated (white) areas, and then the grease-enriched ink is applied. It sticks only to the text and images that have been set. The text- and image-free areas of the form remain free from ink because the water does not allow the ink to sink in. When a sheet of paper is placed upon the form and moderate pressure is applied, the inked text and images leave an imprint on the paper. Lithographic printing is a variation of surface printing. The term is derived from the Greek words lithus – “stone” and graphein – “to write”. The technology was invented by Alois Senefelder (born in Prague in 1771, died in 1834). Together with the French graphic artist Philipp André he patented the invention in 1802. He publicised his findings in Vollstandiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerei, Munich, 1818, which was later translated into English: A Complete Course of Lithography, London 1819. As a printing form, this method uses lithographic stone, composed for the most part of calcium carbonate. The stone is subjected to sanding and polishing (either manually or mechanically) to make sure the pores in the stone are open, and retain the grease of the lithigraphic ink, the special lithographic pencil or crayon that the artist uses to draw the image on the form. After the image has been drawn on the lithographic stone, a physical process takes place – the grease-enriched ink penetrates into the pores of the stone. Then a

136 chemical process takes place – the drawn image on the lithographic stone is treated with a mixture of weak nitric acid and gum arabic, etching the portions of the stone which were not protected by the grease-based image. The surface is then moistened and ink is applied, which is repelled by the water retained in the etched areas of the stone, sticking only to the original drawing. In order to be able to sustain a greater number of prints, the drawn image is etched slowly and continuously with non-organic acids such as nitric, hydrochloric or sulfur acid diluted and mixed with organic components such as the above mentioned gum arabic, resin, or mucilage. The drawing materials the artist uses in making the image also need to be greasy and organic-based – tallow, wax, soap, resin – which are mixed at a high temperature. When drawing the image on the stone, the fatty acids bind with the structure of the stone and form acidic calcium of margarine fat which prevents the acid from etching the image. Lithographic printing forms are prepared manually by the graphic artist or photo-mechanically. The instruments used in manual drawing are ink, crayon, pencils and brushes. The image is drawn in the lithographic stone in the negative. The manual preparation of forms for multi-color printing is known as chromo lithography. The artist draws a form for every color of the image on a separate stone. In the process of printing every color has to fit into its exact place on the empty white space of the paper sheet. Colors are printed starting from the lightest and ending with the darkest. The most beautiful chromo-lithographic images are printed in 12 – 18 colors. The scheme for the simplified version of chromo lithography can include several printing forms – one yellow, two red, two blue, one grey, one dark brown, one black, but also some additional forms for the composite colors. In the not so distant past, this method was used with the help of lithographic printing machines to print advertising materials such as labels, posters, slogans, special announcements, invitations, etc. 137 There is another method used in lithography which can reproduce half-tone details in the original image. Gelatin or celluloid sheets with a relief image of a crossed, linear, granular or dotted mesh are inked and pressed against the lithographic stone using a hand-operated roller. As a result half-tone accents are produced serving as a background. The areas of the image which are not to be covered by such a mesh are covered in advance with a pigmented rubber solution in a way that leaves the areas upon which the mesh will be placed free of the solution. Under the lithographic black art, the stone form is inked with greasy black ink. Using a flat needle, the author draws in half-tones, lights and shades, and images. When the drawing is ready, the stone is etched and fixed, and printing takes place. With a view of all this, however, it ought to be pointed out that the original stone with the form is kept and not used for replication in the lithographic press. The image is transferred onto another stone. A few such forms are usually prepared in order to protect the original. This method is known as trasnferral. This means that the image (drawing) is imprinted on a transferral paper, and from the paper it is transferred onto the stone which is to be used for the replication. Special transferral inks containing plant-based oils are used in the process. On the other hand, the image can be drawn on the transferral paper in the positive, after which, with the help of a lithographic press, the sheet of paper can be pressed against the replication stone. After disengaging the paper from the press, the printed image needs to be fixed and, if there are any errors in the image, they are retouched. The disengaging of the sheet is done very carefully so as to avoid blotting or damaging the printed image. Transferrals can be done not only on lithographic stone but also on a special zinc print form. In the near past (the 1930s – 1950s) images were transferred from high print forms – line art plates, woodcarvings, stereotypic and electroplated forms, autotypic (half-tone) plates – with the help 138 of a hand-operated press or plate press. Special requirements were observed concerning the viscosity and greasiness of the ink, the paper which was used was grayish and moistened to a certain degree. A negative transferral of the image – a white drawing on black background, is prepared from a lithographic drawing, which also demands additional treatment of the stone and very precise operation in transferring the image from the grayish, moistened transferral paper. In the process of copying the image the following materials are also used: transparent paper, bronze powder and the stone is treated with chrome protein. Prior to the transferral, the stone is coated with an alum solution. The anastatic method facilitates the edition of books, especially those containing musical score and signs. The high quality originals that are used are printed on satin paper, treated in an acid bath (a water solution of nitric and hydrochloric acid), then placed on glass and coated very carefully with a formulation of light printing inks, turpentine and vermilion, and finally washed with water and dried. The paper original is pressed hard and copied on the lithographic stone with the help of a press, but it can also be copied upon the transferral paper. The processes that follow are the same as with the standard lithographic image. Another method which is applied in printing practice is the so called reversal of the lithographic image – a mirror image is produced, which is needed in the transferral of the image from the original stone upon the replication stone or the zinc print form – a process also known as counter transferral. With the photomechani- cal method (also called photolithography), in the preparation of the offset technology, the image is transferred upon the print form (initially lithographic stone or zinc plate, and more recently aluminum plates) through a negative. During the first steps of the offset technology, the original is photographed, upon which a negative is produced, which is copied on the chrome-gelatin paper. After its exposure the image is transferred upon the stone or zinc plate. 139 2.2. Modern Replication and Exposure of the Image on the Print Form under Advanced Offset Printing

With offset printing, replication is done with the help of large photographic devices intended for forms reaching a size up to 120x120 cm. Color filters are used as with photozincography, as well as retouching with a brush and colorants or a graphic pencil. One crucial operation is the editing of the text and negatives (slides are also used in the process). In more recent times, with the advance of computer technologies and editing software, the originals are printed by pages on rice paper or a special type of foil thanks to high quality laser printers. The image is reversed into its mirror equivalent (a very convenient option for turning the image and text 180 degrees is presented by the desktop publishing software program Adobe Page Maker 7.0 and its later versions). The copying is done in special photographic copying devices. The image is exposed to light and copied upon light-sensitive aluminum sheet (in the 1950s and 1960s zinc plates were still in use in Bulgaria). After that the sheet is exposed and the image is fixed. Nowadays, this rather long and laborious procedure is about to be relegated to the past of printing technologies, and fine arts in particular, because thanks to the advances in information technologies, Computer-to-Plate (CTP) technology is increasingly establishing itself in the world of offset printing. The new method involves the direct preparation of the offset print form on the computer. It shortens the production cycle, cuts costs, improves the quality and increases productivity. Without the use of a film, without the application of analogue samples, a high quality image is produced on a special offset plate. This method has some very significant advantages – accuracy in attaching the plate on the offset printing machine, reduction of the preparatory process, together with endurance for larger print runs, and lower costs. TheSilversmith CTP plates, produced by the world-famous Du Pont 140 company, began to be advertised and distributed in Bulgaria as early as the mid 1990s.

2.3. A Few Words about Offset Printing without Moistening

The trends in printing innovations in the preceding decades were outlined by Russian authors, whose writings quickly spread into Bulgaria and became popular even without being translated. The credit for this is to be laid at the feet of the Moscow publishing house “Kniga” (“Book”), whose publications were read by many Bulgarian specialists in the original. We cannot overlook the fact that many of our specialists in the world of printing of books, newspapers and magazines have graduated from universities in Rus- sia or the former Soviet Union. Veniamin S. Lapuhin’s research “Sposobuiy Pechati. Problemuiy Klasifikatsii I Razvitiya” (“Print- ing Methods. Classification and Development Issues”), which also became very popular in Bulgaria, is indicative with the approach it has adopted. It is interesting to note that the author draws his conclusions not only on the basis of his practical and theoretical observations of the Russian printing practice and production of different printed editions, but also draws extensively on a wide spectrum of American and English sources, mentioning innovations related to the publication of books and illustrated printed production in countries such as the USA, Great Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Democratic Republic of Germany, etc. Lapatuhin, for example, analyzes one relatively new and advanced method introduced in 1969 in England and later applied in practice in the USA. This method is flat offset printing without moistening. It is based on the use of new forms made from aluminum plates with a diazo copy surface layer and a silicone coating. In the negative copying, the diazo layer in the areas with copiable elements is subjected to the influence of light, upon which it is destroyed, and when exposure takes place with the use of organic solvents it falls off together with

141 the silicone coating in these areas. The print form is ready to use with the printable areas worn down to the aluminum plate which absorbs the printing ink well, while the white areas are left with a silicone cover which is ink-resistant. With the next patent, which leads to the improvement of this technology, the light-sensitive layer of the print form is prepared not from rubber but from a binding layer of polymer substances with good adhesion, along with the use of suitable copying solutions. Different methods for treating the form surface are suggested – mechanical, electrical, etc. The use of special inks is also proposed in combination with an admixture of resins to guarantee low polarity and stability in case of temperature fluctuations. This process -re duces exposure time, improves the quality of the exposed copy, cuts costs, and eliminates the procedure for maintaining and regulating the moistening solutions used in the traditional offset technology. The printing rate is also increased, the production capacity going up to 10 000 copies per hour. The shortcomings in this new method were eliminated in the subsequent decades. The plates for dry offset printing were produced with greater width, the upper limit reaching 120 cm. The technology found its way out of the United States, and started to be applied in other countries, such as England, FRG, Switzerland, Russia. New information technologies had an impact on this method, eliminating its shortcomings in the preparation of the form for printing and in the production of the printing equipment itself. Digital offset machines were introduced by leading companies such as Heidelberg, Manroland, etc. Nowadays, apart from the traditional offset printing method, the dry offset technology is also applied in the last decade. With this method the white areas on the aluminum plate are covered with a silicone polymer, whereas in the printable areas this polymer is destroyed in the process of copying with ultraviolet rays. Thus the text and the image are on the aluminum plate itself and are capable of absorbing the ink, whereas the remaining white areas are ink-

142 resistant. The Direct Imaging technology even allows the automatic positioning of the polyester roller plates and exposure within the printing machine itself through a computer and with UV rays. New machines were produced such as Quick Master by Heidelberg company, Karat by KBA, Kortina by KBA (for the publication of newspapers). As for the CTP technology, the machines that are used are Pearldry, Scorpion, Emerald, etc, which are designed for dry offset with silicone coating. It ought to be noted that these innovations are applied for small and medium print runs of color production, also called Printing on demand, and as a part of digital printing technologies. We have to point out that both globally and in Bulgaria the conventional offset printing continues to be the dominant technology, especially now in the era of global computerization of the printing process. The challenge today is to improve the efficiency and quality of the digital exposure devices used for conventional offset plates. Shortening the time from the moment that data is entered into the computer to the exposure of the ready print form is a chief priority for those working with Соmputer to conventional plate. On the forefront of this challenge is the German company Basis Print, which designed in 1993 an exposure device known as Ultraviolet Setter under the Digital Screen Imaging technology. It was perfected in the course of the next decade and put into serial production. The innovation was intended for conventional offset machines used in the production of newspapers and other large print run publications.

2.4. About the Structure and Functioning of Offset Printing Machines

In order to understand the nature of offset production, we need to explain the principle of operation of a modern offset printing machine. The machines that are constructed today are sheet and 143 roll offset printing machines. Besides, depending on the number of printed colors, the equipment may be designed for uni-color, two- color and multi-color print. The offset machines vary in size – from the smallest format 21 x 30 cm to 100 x 140 cm or even bigger. The sheet roll machines print publications with varying thickness and format of the paper and cardboard. Roll offset machines are faster, allow the possibility of color printing, and are equipped with a rebate device for cutting and folding the desired format. They can also be equipped with a device for assembling the product, and can be used to print both on the obverse and reverse side of the paper tape. The more advanced roll offset machines make use of a number of innovations and improvements which allow them to overcome the uneven folding of the paper and its creasing, or the spoilage at the beginning and end of printing. The roll offset printing method is applied in the production of both uni-color and multi-color text blocks and covers of books and magazines. With large print publications, newspapers included, the offset machines are produced in conjunction with aggregates containing different sections which can be combined or rearranged. They can also be equipped with devices for lacquering or drying of the production, devices for changing the paper rolls, devices for cleaning the offset sheet, moistur- izing devices, etc. Sheet machines for uni-color offset printing are equipped with a pneumatic device, which grips the paper and feeds it to the printing device, which is composed of a cylinder with an offset form attached to it, an offset cylinder (with a rubber canvass stretched over it), and a printing (pressure) cylinder. Besides, the non-printing elements of the form on the form cylinder are kept moistened by means of a roller system which applies the wetting fluid evenly upon the surface. The next step is to apply the ink on the form. The ink sinks into the text and image areas, whereas the white non-printable areas are ink-resistant. The three cylinders have the same diameter. Upon turning, the form cylinder transfers the image upon the offset cylinder – the rubber canvas spread upon it turns into a new print 144 form. The paper sheet is taken up by the grapples of the pressure cylinder and is then gently pressed against the offset cylinder which completes the printing itself. Another device takes the sheet and deposits it upon the collection top for the end product. A good printing press operator would be able to print covers and multi-color illustrations on a uni-color machine. It would, however, be very labor-intensive. The cylinders in the printing sections have to be very carefully cleaned with the use of special solutions before the next color is applied. The process is also time-consuming and the productivity rate goes down. This is why a reasonably well- equipped printing house should have not only uni-color printing machines, but also two-color and multi-color machines, which are designed to print two, four or more colors simultaneously, as well as multi-color book covers, illustrated magazines, art reproductions, posters, labels, advertising materials, geographic maps, atlases, etc. The greater printing houses in Bulgaria were equipped during the 1990s with roll offset machines Cromozet by Manroland and Man Plamag suited for high production rates – printing newspapers and illustrated materials with large print runs. These versatile machines allow both the printing of uni-color newspapers with small print runs, and four-color dailies of up to 40 pages. Cromozet may also be equipped with two modules type Y for printing newspapers in 4 / 2 colors. Good opportunities for the Bulgarian printing industry are also provided by the Uniset printing press by Manroland and Man Plamag. The modern newspaper industry in Bulgaria is now provided with sufficient capital and, strategicallypeaking, s the tendency is for the companies to buy their own printing equipment using company resources. In parallel with the impressive production facilities for the production of newspapers, concentrated in Publishing-Printing Complex Rodina, in the early 1994 the 168 Hours newspaper press group signed a contract with the Manroland company – Ausburg for the supply of two roll offset printing machines for the publication of newspapers and illustrated materials. Based on informa-

145 tion provided by the press group, the Geoman printing press has three printing aggregates of the type “eight-colored tower,” as well as six roll stars and three folding devices, one of which can be used for double parallel folding. Ink is applied through a central inking station, and the printed product is retrieved through roller transportation. The printing width is for rolls 1680 mm wide, the cutting length is 578 mm and the maximum speed is 35 000 rotations per hour. A tabloid is printed with a size of 289х420 mm16. The press group is also expected to be equipped with a four-section Poliman printing press, 965 mm in width, with a Stork-Contiweb roller device, and a cutting length of 630 mm. The machine is also equipped with an environmentally-friendly drying furnace, a very reliable folding device with a feature enabling it to retrieve the printed sheet. The maximum speed of the unit is 45 000 rotations per minute. All this equipment was to be delivered by mid 1995 and to be assembled in the privatized print shop of Dimitar Blagoev Printing Establishment. According to information provided by the Sofia newspaper Duma, the print shop Rotopseh of the state-owned Printing Establishment Dimitar Blagoev was sold at 31 million levs to 168 Hours PLC. The company was contractu- ally bound to keep the scope of activity and to invest another 400 million levs within the next three years, while preserving the 30 job positions until 1996. The 1726 sq. m. floor area of a production unit equipped for the printing of newspapers was to be maintained as such in the future. The Bulgarian press had good reasons to keep its focus on the privatization of the biggest printing establishment in our country. On June 17, 1998, the Sega newspaper publicized the news that Dimitar Blagoev Printing Establishment was sold to a management- employee company, which will buy 78 percent of its capital, while the remaining 22 percent will remain state-owned. According to specialists in the printing industry, over 70 percent of the printing business in the early 1990s used the offset

146 technology, with the remaining 30 percent taken up by high print technology. A few years prior to that, the only printing house in Bulgaria which used deep print was closed. The available rotation equipment for printing magazines, provided with a dryer to seal the multi-color production, is still not sufficient. Still, there are some printing houses in the capital (“St. Cyril and St. Methodius” and “Balkan Press”) which offer high-quality print. The work in the book-binding department of Dimitar Blagoev Printing Establish- ment and “Nauka I Izkustvo” is also impressive. The most powerful newspaper publisher of this period was PPC Rodina, in which the production of 187 newspapers, 15 of which dailies, was concentrated. The production lines for the preparation and exposure of the offset print plates had a production capacity of 260 A2 format pages per hour; both positive and negative copying were used; the roto machines were equipped with 10 aggregates capable of printing 2+1 colors, had 10 roll stars with automatic gluing of the paper tape and 13 folding devices (Colorman 35) by Manroland. Even at that time the printing machines of PPC Rodina worked at 32 000 rotations per hour, which made it possible to publish an 8‑page newspaper in A2 format in a print run of 6 300 copies. The equipment was operated from a central panel. The expedition was also technologically advanced – 10 automatic FERAG lines were in operation. The productivity was impressive with the scale of supplies that were consumed in a month – 3000 tons of newsprint and 25 tons of ink, the used offset plates amounted to the impressive figure of 28 000, and the printing complex employed 521 people, 137 of whom had a university diploma. Manroland Bulgaria PLC offered efficient preliminary adjustment of colors for Bulgarian offset machines through introducing the ColorPilot smart and PressManager smart- software. Some Bulgarian authors relate the production of modern print products with the application of the technical, physical and chemical methods of color science throughout the whole printing technology – from the preparation to the end product.

147 At the end of 2003 PPC Rodina was privatized by an association of shareholders called “United Bulgarian Newspapers”, which was a joint venture of six national newspapers – the Monitor, the Banker, the Meridian Match, the Duma, and the Telegraph. This step allowed the huge printing establishment to produce not only newspapers, but also multi-color, large print-run magazines, weeklies, catalogues, prospectuses, labels, and books. In view of accomplishing this strategic task, the PPC Rodina was equipped with ten roll machines with the Y-system of printing apparatuses and chro- minance 2+1 Colorman 35. The supply of Komori System40 II roll printing machine was arranged, along with the Müller Martini Star Binder, massive drum and flatbed scanners, and exposure devices. A managerial decision was taken to purchase CTP imaging technology and a digital system for color samples. Another commendable example is the application of the revolutionary technology of hybrid printing, which is very aptly used by the Sofia printing house Alians Print. The sheet offset printing machine that is used is the KBA Rapida 74, whose printing capacity is 15 000 sheets per hour. The hybrid technology offers many advantages, such as perfect adhesion of inks, wear-resistance, scratch-resistance, a stable ink emulsion and good transfer of inks, light-resistance, fast ultraviolet drying, which allows the finishing processes to be implemented right away – lamination and foil application, good glossy surface, good combination of the binding substances with the UV lacquer which ensures that the inks will absorb a minimal amount of lacquer which, in turn, results in a very smooth, glossy surface. Among the leader in the printing business in our country, whose priority is the introduction of innovative methods and products, is the former state-owned printing house Geogi Dimitrov nowadays known as Nauka i Obrazovanie Ltd. It was founded in 1881 with a decree issued by prince Alexander of Batenberg and was specialized in the production of textbooks and handbooks for the elementary and secondary school level during the socialist years. This trend

148 continued into the 1990s, along with the production of sewn note- book magazines. In the mid 1990s, however, the trend was inter- rupted after the introduction of the so-called heat-set technology, and most magazine publishers started printing in the new printing facilities – Vatz Printing Holding, Rotoprint, Delta +. The policy in publishing school literature was also changed. The big printing facility found new customers abroad, purchased modern high-tech production lines, and started publishing tourist maps, catalogues, sketchbooks, hardbound encyclopedias, biographic editions, etc. Since 2003 it has a company desktop publishing studio, equipped with a Swiss CTP exposure device. Among the newest and most advanced machines is the sheet printing press Heidelberg Speed- master CD 102 designed for printing upon cardboard weighing up to 500 gr. / sq. m, and equipped with a lacquering section with an infrared, computer-operated drying unit. Other machines worth mentioning are the half-format roll offset printing presses Zircon RO 66 and Zircon Supra 660, which are equipped with a gas drying chamber for the heat-set offset printing technology, 4x4 colors suitable for producing luxury books and catalogues. As for the finishing processes, the printing facility has installed paperback binding production lines from the Muller Martini, thread sewing machines, and a rotation machine for the production of hardbound books. The end of 2004 marked the 140th anniversary of organized printing business in the town of Ruse and the setting up of the big joint stock printing company Dunav Press. This anniversary was celebrated by means of investing resources into new technologies and equipment. A CTP technology was implemented. An Italian flexographic machine E-combat, produced by Gudue company, was put into operation. The latter machine has seven flexographic sections offering a wide selection of printing options – with UV inks, foil and cardboard, lamination and extras, such as automatic passer, tautness control, antistatic and dust collecting devices, etc. But what does flexographic print owe its recent success to? 149 2.5. Flexography – an Innovation in Printed Communication

Flexographic print is also popular under the name of aniline print or flexo. Even though it is a relatively rare printing method in book publishing (mainly used for large print-run production of covers, special illustrations within the text block or for printing upon foil, cellophane and other elastic, ink-resistant materials), it is widely used in the production of labels, aluminum foil, wallpaper, cardboards, packaging materials, polyethylene, etc. Some of these materials are subjected to additional chemical, electrical or thermal treatment. The inks have low viscosity, hiding power, pigmentation and contain volatile resins, solvents and pigments, and are usually dissolved in spirit and water in combination with coloring substances. Non-toxic inks are used with a pigmented water-spirit formulation. The machines are equipped with a special fast-drying unit for the inks. The term flexography is derived from the Latin word flexus – folding, and graphy – to write. The technology is used in printing large print runs of colored production at a fast speed, while retain- ing the elastic form for a longer period of time. This is achieved thanks to the weak pressure applied during the printing process and the elasticity of the print form, which is produced from rubber and photo polymeric substances. The rasters are usually ow-lineature,l but the more advanced photo polymeric formulations optimize the quality of the illustrations. Flexography allows the use of line-art and raster images. Flexographic printing machines are constructed on the principle of rotation. The most popular are the ones that print upon roll paper and are used for labels and polymer and aluminum foil. The method, however, also allows printing on sheets. There are also machines designed in combination with devices producing polyethylene bags and sacks, which can print, seal at high temperature and cut. These machines are used in book publishing

150 to print pocket editions. Flexographic machines are designed for uni-color and multi-color print, as well as for printing on one or both sides of the foil or paper. Planetary machines with a common printing cylinder are among the most typically used for one-sided, multi-color print, with the number of printing sections corresponding to the number of colors to be used, which can be as many as eight. The printing section has an ink device and a printing device. The principle of operation is reminiscent of the principle used in high print or deep print because of the use of roll paper feeders, the presence of a rebate device to cut the desired format, and also because of the presence of a few cylinders operating on the rotation principle, which is a reference to offset printing. In flexography the operation is simplified. The ink device is filled with the help of an ink pump. A rubber cylinder rotates in an ink bath and passes the ink to a roller which turns in the opposite direction. The roller applies the ink upon the cylinder with the polymer print form. At the same time the roll paper or foil unfolds and is fed to the rubber- coated printing cylinder which presses gently against it. This completes the printing of the first color, after which the paper or foil is moved to the next printing section. Finally the paper or foil tape is passed through the dryer, after which it is rolled again into small rolls or cut to the desired format. After that, it is transported to the collection top for the end product. Flexography has a number of advantages – it provides large print runs at a relatively high print quality, which of course is dependent on the preparation of the print form. This method also considerably reduces the costs of the production. Among the conveniences offered to the consumer nowadays is the Computer-to-Plate technology used in flexography by the Plov- div-located printing company Polyflex, specializing in the production of photo polymeric plates1.

151 2.6. Serigraphy and Screen Printing – Traditional Models and Modern Practices 2.6.1. Origins, Definition and General Characteristics of Screen Printing

This technology is also known as serigraphy. The term is derived from the Latin sericum – silk, and graph – to write. Printing is accomplished with a considerably thick layer of ink applied on textile, synthetic materials, paper, cardboard, plastics or glass, with the help of a mesh stretched tight over a screen frame containing a stencil of the image to be printed. The ink should have properties which allow it to seep through the mesh openings of the exposed form (stencil) without spreading upon the printing surfaces. The thickness of the layer of ink is considerably bigger than it is with the other types of print. Ink penetration is facilitated with the help of an elastic fill blade or squeegee. In some cases – in more primitive uses or when applying art decorations onto clothing – a brush may be used instead. The method of replicating an image with the help of a stencil (silk printing) has been known since ancient times. In ancient Chi- na, for example, people used to print patterns cut out on parchment paper or inked paper on silk or cotton fabrics. A similar method was used in Europe during the Middle Ages to print ornaments on textile. The modern silk screen process originated from patents taken out by Samuel Simon in 1907 in Manchester, England. His recommendations were to use a silk mesh similar to the one that was used at the time to sift flour. Later the images of the print forms were attached to a screen mesh with the help of shellac, a mixture of egg white and potassium (or ammonium) bichromate, gelatin and poly- vinyl alcohol. More recently, the texture of the screen mesh is produced from polyester or polyamide fibers.

152 2.6.2. Preparation of the Screen Print Form

The screen fabric has to be wear-resistant, stretch-resistant, stable to the chemical and physical action of inks, and should be suitable for large print runs. Depending on the specifics of the material which is to be printed – be it textile or graphic, the screen mesh should have a certain number of fibers per linear centimeter, which defines its designation. The frames upon which the mesh is stretched, with the help of a special stretching machine, are most commonly made of wood or aluminum. The mesh is attached to the frame with special stretch-resistant glues, or, in the case of a wood frame, nails are used. A light-sensitive layer is applied upon the stretched screen fabric with the help of a squeegee. When the layer is dried, it is ready to copy the image through exposure to light. The original of the stencil should be high quality, and it is recommended that the positive of the film or slide should be copied on the side where the film emulsion is. In offset printing, the originals are produced on printers or exposure devices in their mirror image – at 180 degrees, whereas with screen printing they are not reversed – the polyester foundation, and the film upon it, face the emulsion mesh, which allows direct exposure, without dissipation of smaller details and half-tones. Under the screen printing technology, the raster films for full- color print are prepared using a technique known as amplitude- modulated rastering (an analogous transferral of the new image on the film, thus forming a raster mesh which is invisible to the naked eye, but can be subjectively perceived as a fusion of tones, and an uninterrupted tone image of raster dots). Another technique that is used is the frequency-modulated rastering. The dots, which are equal in size, are saturated to a greater or lesser degree depending on the intensity of the half-tone in the original. This is achieved with the help of laser digital exposure devices, which are capable of differentiating the intensity of the half tones much more precisely than the technique of amplitude-modulated rastering can allow.

153 Among the more recent innovations in serigraphy we need to mention the Computer-to-Screen method. The data is sent from the computer to the exposure device, which in turn, using an inkjet plotter, spurts ink or wax fluid directly upon the emulsion-coated screen fabric. Afterwards, the process is the same as with traditional exposure and washing with water to reveal the stencil. As with the Computer-to-Plate technology, this saves a lot on films and slides, as well as time and labor. The inks that are used can be: solvents (with fast-drying lacquers, resins or organic solvents); two-component (whose formulations include synthetic resins and curing catalysts for printing upon high-molecular plastics, polypropylene, metals, etc.); water pigment pastes (binders – acrylic co-polymers, fixatives, softeners, waterproof emulsifiers – against water penetration and fusion of water droplets); plastisols for direct printing or transfer printing on white or dark fabrics; inks enriched with UV fast-frying components and good adhesion to diverse surfaces; as well as different types of inks depending on the printable material – metals, textile, glass, ceramics, or special materials such as illuminated, erasable, magnetic surfaces, etc.

2.6.3. Copying and Printing

Copying the raster image from the film (slide) upon the screen fabric, which is coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, is accomplished in a special vacuum copying device. The original is pressed tightly in the absence of air in the copying device, where it is subjected to ultraviolet light, and then retrieved and washed with water using a water jet device. On the lighter areas, under the influence of light, the emulsion on the screen has polymerized and water does not affect it, whereas on the darker areas of the film the emulsion on the screen is unaffected and the water washes it away. Thus only the image from the film or slide remains fixed on the screen form. The

154 screen is dried and placed in the screen printing machine. Ink is applied manually in the most basic versions of the machine with the help of a squeegee (a rubber fill blade with a handle), or automatically (in the semi-automatic and automatic machines). The so called transfer printing is applied in practice, in which the original image is printed on silicone paper and then, with the help of a transfer press and high temperature, the image is printed on textile. A similar method is used for printing on other types of materials. Another innovation in screen printing is the use of indirect films for making screen print forms for high quality requirements. The specific moment here is that these films are exposed and- de veloped prior to being placed on the screen fabric. The fibers do not affect the quality of the image. Quite the opposite, the resulting printed image is very high quality and high resolution. In the process of exposure, the emulsion is cured and the resulting thickness of the stencil is even, which prevents the formation thicker selvages. The use of indirect films shortens the time needed for developing. In the mid 1990s, the British company Autotype started producing indirect gelatin-based films, which could withstand a print run of 3000 copies (the Five Star; the Alpha Star and the Green Star, among others). The indirect polymer filmNova Star was put into production, its advantages being durability, chemical-free development – only water (warm or cold) is used, hot-air drying, and, last but not least, high quality print, which finds application in display and advertising materials. There are also capillary films made from light-sensitive, pigmented and water-soluble polymers and polymerizing resins applied upon polyester-based foil. The films themselves are sensitized direct diazo-photo-stenciled foils.

155 2.6.4. Drying up the Printed Production

The drying unit (the dryer) is an important element in the seri- graphic printing facility. It is indispensable when printing upon textile surfaces, where the print and polymerization take place at high temperatures (up to 170 degrees), but it also has a place in printing on other materials – polymers, paper, plastics, etc. The drying racks adapted to drying at room temperature are the most widely used. But they may not be enough. In textile printing, for example, there should also be drying machines in between the print of the different colors as well as tunnel dryers equipped with an ultraviolet drying section. An indispensable practical necessity is the availability of drying racks for drying and storage of the stencils.

2.6.5. Screen Print and Screen Print Machines

Classified according to their technical equipment, the screen print machines can be hand-operated, semi-automatic and automatic; according to the use of colors – uni-color and multi-color. Depending on the material that they are used to print upon, the screen print machines fall into two groups – specialized in printing on fabrics (textile, bookbinding canvass) and universal (which can be used on cardboard, paper, metal foil, ceramics, plastics, etc.). Besides, there are machines for sheet and roll-fed printing material. Depending on the principle of printing, the machines can be plate presses, flatbed or rotary. The type of print can be manual or automatic, textile or graphic, line-art or half-tone, direct or transferred, flat or volume printed. According to their purpose, they can be multi-colored textile carousels, flatbed screen printing machines, machines designed for print on cylinder objects, machines with a rotation screen for continuous print. The most widely used machines for printing on textiles, wallpaper, labels and foil are the roll screen-print machines. The sheet screen-print machines, on the other hand, are very suitable for 156 printing on elastic and soft materials but also for cards, art reproductions, colored posters, advertising materials, leaflets, brochures, labels, etc. Screen plate presses, which are characterized by a simplified printing mechanism, are a good choice in the print of stationery including graphic images, book covers, book-binding cloth, folders and other finishing book-binding operations Another innovation in screen print is the method used in printing on buckets, bottles, pens and other cylindrical objects. In this case the screen frame is mobile, the stencils are direct and elastic, while the squeegee is fixed and its blade is double-bevel (unlike the squeegees used in the other types of machines). Screen print machines with a cylindrical print stencil are gaining popularity recently. In these machines the squeegee is fixed and static in the cylinder, while the stencil rotates and prints upon the surface of the object, fabric or foil. The roll rotary print with a cylindrical stencil is another method used in practice. With this method the materials are in rolls – paper, foil, artificial fabrics. Whatever the type of screen-print machine, however, the quality of the print depends, on the one hand, on how good the stencil is and, on the other hand, on the adjustment of the squeegee (in most printing machines, except for the cylindrical, the squeegee is adjusted at an angle of 75 degrees or thereabout). Other important factors are the quality of the squeegee rubber, its precise shaping, the printing speed, and the ink viscosity.

2.7. Digital Printing – Benefits and Challenges in Competition with Conventional Printing Technology

The world companies specialized in manufacturing modern printing equipment do not develop only conventional offset printing machines but also innovatons for the production of digital printing presses. For example, MAN Roland has opened up a lot of opportunities for our printing facilities with its system for digi-

157 tal printing applicable to offset technology. We speak here of DICO Web for offset printing which does not involve plates. The print job is directly applied to the image carrying cylinders of the offset press on modular basis which requires the use of laser heads and ther- moplastic transfer medium. When the print run is completed, the image on the cylinder is automatically erased to ready the cylinders for the next print job. The innovation includes also the use of ferro- electric plate cylinders with memory ceramics. The capcity of DICO Web is impressive – up to 3 000 impressions per minute. Polygraph engineeres distinguish between two types of digital systems in printing industry: one is xerographic (based on electrog- raphy and the use of toners), and the other is a proper type of digtal printing system such as the above-mentioned DICO Web, or Cor- tina – a paper roll printing machine for dry offset, etc. Another author focuses on the intensive development of new information technologies in printing, taking as an example the installation in Germany of the first digital machine NexPress 2100 SE InteliCoat (a product of Kodak, formerly known as Heidelberg- Kodak), which prints four colors per one revolution, varnishes front and back, and has an option for partial varnishing. The combination of NexPress 2100 SE InteliCoat with Nex-Glosser allows the application of wide-glossy coatings comparable to UV varnishing and laminating. In the attempt to highlight the advantages of color digital printing, some specialists point out this system gives more creative ideas to designers, enables them to take quick decisions and, they can also see the result of their labor immediately without cutting quality and lowering the value of the product. Color digital printing is a fast growing business, and its development requires large investments into high-end color digital printing systems maintained by highly qualified specialists, as well as investments into quality print materials, systems for color management and controlled parameters of the work environment. Howard Fenton defines on-demand printing as digital multi-color printing

158 and print on demand designed for short runs, not exceeding 5000 copies. In digital printing, there are no cameras or chemical treatment. Also, there are no mark-ups in the assembly of photoforms or print forms. Therefore, the preparation of the original for printing does not involve much time and labour, and, at the end of the day, the digital files are reproduced directly onto paper. Most devices for digital printing and printing on demand accomplish binding processes in the final section of the system, i. e. inline; but if the finishing touches are performed with a different device, this is -of fline finishing. Also, H. Fenton defines print-on-demand machines as systems which are able to print small runs on demand relatively quickly and fast. Printing can be peformed not only through conventional printing machines and high-performance color copi- ers but also through the utilization of hybrid machines and high- qulaity printers. The terms printing on demand and demand printing are substitutable. According to the author, any printing in which digital files are used is defined as digital printing. Printing on demand is economical and fast, and it is ideal for short runs, whereas digital printing (i. e. printing from digital files) is not restricted to short runs. Unlike digital printing in which only digital files are used, printing on demand works with digiatal files or the traditional printing plates. According to Fenton, multi-color digital printing machines are ideal for print runs from 100 to 1500 copies. However, short print runs require advance preparation of a large number of files. The files must contain the whole information that is necessary for the technological process. Therefore, a new strategy has been put into practice, i. e. distributed demand printing, which, as the name suggests, refers to the distribution of demand printing. Unlike traditional printing, under this strategy, electronic files are received through the Internet, fiber optic cables or other network communications. The received files are distributed into the print devices via satellite connection. Thus, they can be stored for later

159 printing if necessary, or, after the end of the printing process, they can be delivered to the client who has placed the order. This strategy is different from the traditional “print and distribute” method and does not require the building of warehouses for storing the production as it is immediately sent to the consumer. In addition, the new type of ptinting offers on-demand-publishing in which data are stored in the form of linked pages and are delivered for immediate printing. In fact, this strategy can be successfully used for periodical publications (newspapers, magazines, bulletins) and, especially for their regional supplements which have to be printed on location. In this connection, H. Fenton recommends using electronic formats PDF (Portable Document Formats), Adobe Acrobat and No Hands Common Ground for the allocation of the links and the preparation of the printed pages and document files. Of course, the author prefers to be on the safe side when he says: “new technologies such as “computer-to-plate” and automatic printing presses allow for fast makereadies, and, in this way, shorter run lengths can be printed. Therefore, print on demand does not rule out the use of traditional printing machines. Print on demand which makes use of electrographic technologies is ideal for print runs not exceeding 1000 pages. As for print runs from 1000 to 6000 pages, there is over- lap of printing methods.” It turns out that today the choice of suitable technology which saves time and resources depends on the specific parameters of the order, e. g. whether it refers to printing a book, periodical or advertising material. Modern publishing and printing strategies in Bulgaria are undoubtedly associated with the introduction of digital printing, which was originally used mainly for the production of leaflets, brochures, flyers and short manuals. Obviously, this technology has proved to be suitable for specialized editions with small print runs, such as scientific books, university textbooks and fiction written by Bulgarian authors. In fact, talking about authors, we should say that the main consumers of digtail technology are university lecturers,

160 authors of poery and fiction collections, and authors of specialized books which are more difficult to sell. However, publishing houses have gradullay turned to the new technological product, and now it is an indispensable part of their strategic process. The question is why digital printing technologies are on their way to displace offset printing which is cheaper. The technological line DOCU TECH 75 (introduced by XEROX); the top model XEIKON 5000 (developed by Bulged Ltd) with its high speed, width of 50 cm, continuous printing and the ability to print 5+5 colors; the solvent printers of the South Korean company DGF (recently presented in Bulgaria by PrintPress) with their high print resolution, automatic cleaning of the heads and protection from collapse in the press – all these innovations meet the demands of the global world in which quality, ergonomics and design have become the cornerstone of publishing industry. The main advantage of this equipment is that when the first print run is out of stock, there is a possibility for second printing without losing any time on makereadies because the edition is stored in the system memory, and the author himself has a digital copy of his work. The important point is that the whole technological process takes less time because, after the final editing and pagination, the original is reproduced directly from the computer, and there is no need to use offset plates. Some of the strategic advantages are: • reducing the time for the execution of the order; • one-sided or duplex printing on A3 and A4 paper sizes; • combination of monochrome with mulicor printing mode (e. g. printing both the text block and the covers of the book); • work on finishing touches (stitching, binding, trimming); • option for dynamic change of variable information: consumers may ask for some editorial changes and corrections in the second printing, which is not a problem for the publisher. 161 In Bulgaria, we have several years of experience with XEROX digital printing system DOCU TECH 75 installed in St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, Veliko Tarnovo. The investment was made at the end of 2013. There is a computer room with common control board – a computer with software for two printing machines – monochrome and multi-color. The submission of the information and the transfer of the originals from the technical editors operators to the common control board is done through the internal network. Each of the editors operators can exchange, transmit and receive information. The proofreader monitors the screen until the original text or image is entered for printing. This printing system achieves maximum productivity and simplifies the processes. The modules are not difficult to replace and diagnostic tests are easy to perform. The machine prints on A3 and A4 paper size on both sides of the sheet in high resolution 1200х600 dots per inch and with a speed of 4500 images per hour. The print mechanism is a xerographic duplex laser system with raster output of 600 dpi. Of course, the prepress printing process requires reading of the markups assigned to every operator (editor) but this does not hin- der the work of DOCU TECH 75. The network color laser printing system Xerox Docu Color12 is used for printing book covers. The machine works with a new technology, i. e. intermediate belt transfer technology in which the color image is transferred at once, with one pass of the belt, whereas other laser printers need four passes to perfrom the transfer of the color image – one pass of the belt for every CMYK color. The technology offers excellent registration and image quality in the use of heavyweight cardboard (up to 250 g / sq. m.) of A3 or A4 format, as well as high productivity of duplex printing. Also, the machine can reproduce finished sets of documents which have been scanned by the automatic document feeder and, at the end of the process, they can be even stitched together with the help of a built-in stapler. This option of the machine is known as Electronic Precollation. The autorotation of the machine allows for

162 automatic switching from one paper tray to another which saves the operator time and effort. Also, paper can be manually fed without compromising the printing speed. The operator can easily replace the toner and the xerographic module. Some of the operations in St. Cyril and St. Methodius Univer- sity Press are still carried out in the old fashioned manner, e. g. the printed materials are moved to the adjacent room where a folding machine is used to fold the signatures into one or two mutually perpendicular folds; book covers are attached to the text block with semi-automatic binding machine; the trimming operation is performed with one-sided bookbinding knife. Large printing houses perform this operation with three-side bookbinding knives for cutting the appropriate format. The Xerox Docu Color which provides excellent performance is promoted in Bulgarian specialized journals. Emphasis is laid on the specifications of the model Docu Color 8000: resolution 2400x2400x1 dpi; work with formats within the range of 182х182 mm to 320x488 mm; image sharpness and uniformity; improved consistency of inks. The industrial large format digital printing is increasingly applied in advertising and information activities and meets the diverse needs of companies. The Nur Blue- board has a major contribution in this area. For example, the wide- format UV inkjet press Nur Eexpedio is capable of printing output up to 5 metres. Such high-tech machines have been demonstrated at the international specialized exhibition for printing and advertising ЕxpoPrint&Pack in Sofia, at the international fair in Plovdiv, etc. In recent years, larger printing houses in Bulgaria have begun to apply the digital technology Computer-to-Plate (CTP). In CTP, there is no need to output the computer file onto a photographic film. As a result, labor and material costs are reduced, possible im- position errors are eliminated in the prepress printing process, and the whole prepress process takes less time and effort. Also, high-lineature conventional rasters are provided. A combination of several 163 methods is used: frequency modulated (FM) rastering, amplitude (AM) rastering, and especially XM rastering introduced in Bulgaria by AGFA. Thus, automatic rastering is achieved which has a resolution of 2400 dpi. The technology is part of the so called Imaging Sys- tem in which the platesetter, the offset printing plates, the chemicals used, the paper, the inks and the printing system have to operate in synchronization, as a single system, under certain requirements in order to achieve high quality of the original which is first exposed, and then reproduced. At the beginning of the third millennium, AGFA presented in Bulgaria its patented Sublima XM technology adapted for different types of printing machines and different types of offset printing paper in roll / sheet, as well as for flexo printing, newspaper printing, etc. The Bulgarian-German company Alfa Plast Group LTD which is exclusive representative for Bulgaria of VALSPAR, one of the top producers of lacquers and varnishes for all printing processes, has been engaged in the finishing touches of offset printing since 2005. The company offers in Bulgaria hot and cold laminate, a wide range of varnishes for the printing industry – UV varnishes and water dispersion varnishes with low, medium, high and ultra high gloss. In addition, Alfa Plast Group LTD offers double-sided laminate, UV selective lacquer, UV scratch silver, and coconut scented varnish. In the Bulgarian market of printing equipment, Bulged LTD provides high quality digital printing machines – HP Indigo 3050 and HP Indigo Press 5000. The prices for short and medium print runs are attractive. Also, no special preparation is needed for the press and no drying time is required. All processes are fully automated. Despite the economic problems, the innovations in book publishing gradually make their way to Bulgaria. Most of the large printing houses in Bulgaria have been equipped with modern pla- tesetters for CTP technology. Finishing touches such as laminating, varnishing and packaging of the book production have become an

164 important part of book publishing business in the world of print communications.

2.8. Bookbinding and Book Covers

Bookbinding is a vital process in the creation of a book. Apart from being aesthetic, the book cover secures and binds together the pages, makes the book more attractive on the market, and facilitates the distribution of the book production. High quality book covers which are beautifully designed raise the profile of the author, enhance the reputation of the publisher and boost sales. Most often bookbinding is done with the same material: cardboard, leather, binding cloth. In this case, we can speak of complete bookbinding. The other option is composite bookbinding made of binding cloth and paper or leather and cloth. The recent practice is to lay coats of transparent lacquer over book covers. For better protection of books, lamination is applied to book covers or the whole hard cover if it has a paper coating. Lamination adds gloss and shine but when soft covers are used, the laminating foil should be thin because thick foil may cause bad effects such as turning of the cover or its distortion. A large variety of effective materials can be used for different types of bindings – plastic, artificial and genuine leather, vinyl, textiles, toalor, conrit, calico, pegamoid, matlaynen, tilt cloth, paper, etc. There are eight types of bindings in book publishing. The choice of a suitable binding depends on the book covers (soft or hard), the specific features, significance and relevance of the edition, as well as the print run and book size. Binding No 1 (referred to as “brochure type”) is used most often. It consists of a whole piece of cardboard and a straight spine. Also, it is trimmed on three sides and has no edges. This type of binding is relatively cheap. Therefore, it is widely used in most genres – scientific, fiction and reference books.

165 Binding No 2 is made of cardboard but it has edges. The spine can be straight or curved, and the text block does not usually exceed ten signatures. Pocket editions are avoided because they require more specific work. This type of binding is stronger, and it is used for company books, manuals, directories, guide books and editions for the general public which do not need sophisticated design. Printing can be done on colored cardboard. Binding No 3 is soft too. The spine is made of binding cloth; the front and back boards can be made of cardboard (duplex chromium, type “Bristol”, etc.) but artificial materials can be used as well. This type of binding is pliable, and can protect the book for a long time. Therefore, it is used for advertising and promotional materials, pocket reference books, and for books which are inexpensive but durable. Binding No 4 is one of the most widely used bindings in book publishing. It is rigid and the hard cover has a paper coating on which colourful images are printed (illustrations, ornaments, fonts). For better protection, the hard cover is laminated with a suitable foil. It is advisable to glue typhon to the spine. Decorative creasing is recommended as well. The spine usually contains the logo of the publishing house, the book title and some small ornamental details. Binding No 5 is rigid, with edges, and consists of two types of bookbinding materials. The spine is made of binding cloth, whereas the front and back boards have a paper coating (other paste materials such as conrit, shagreen, etc. are rarely used). In some cases, depending on the genre of the edition, it is possible to use leatherette fabric, i. e. cotton fabric base with nitrocellulose finishing on the front, which has decorative and protective functions. The base of leatherette is grey cloth to which suitable dyes are applied. Also, it is possible to use leatherette paper. In this case, elastic coat of nitrocellulose is laid on solid waterproof paper made from unpeeled kraft pulp. The use of binding cloth is appropriate for the spine because this material ensures better protection and adds pliability which

166 makes it possible to increase the body of the book. The use of paper for the front and back boards provides the opportunity to print colourful illustrations on the book cover. Lamination protects the paper parts and creates conditions for long-term use of the book (if leatherette paper is used, lamination is not needed). The application of colourful ornaments and illustrated flyleafs increases the aesthetic value, which is very important in pursuit of harmony in the design of the book. Binding No 6 is soft. It is made of binding cloth, fabrics, artificial or genuine leather. Other materials can be used: conrit, learth- erette, matleynen, pegamoid, linen, calico, denim, muleksin, etc. The spine can be straight or curved. The base of the soft cover is cardboard type “Bristol” or other cardboards of a similar quality. This type of binding is used for pocket editions, reference and specialized books. Binding No 7 is one of the most widely used bindings in book publishing because it is easy to produce. Due to its strength, this binding is used for multivolume works, dictionaries, encyclopae- dias, novels, monographs, books with reproductions of paintings. The whole board is bound in binding cloth and the above-mentioned artificial materials, especially conrit and imitation leather. These materials allow long-term use of the book. The editions with a curved spine inlaid with ornaments and inscriptions of gold, silver and bronze foil look beautiful. Similar ornaments on the front also add to the aesthetic value of the book. Flyleafs with beautiful edges, ornaments and illustrations, which are part of the overall composition of this type of binding, make the book look attractive. Binding No 8 is rigid and consists of two components. It is made of two types of materials. The spine is usually made of binding fabric or hemp-based cloth, denim, shagreen fabrics or the above- mentioned artificial materials. The curved spine looks stylish and beautiful, and it is also more flexible. It is not advisable to use too many ornaments. The name of the author and the title of the book

167 are laid through a special colorless technique or die stamping with a gold-press. The inside of the front and back boards is made of cardboard but, from the outside, they are bound in genuine or artificial leather. The binding is performed with edges. Its two-component structure allows for effective color combinations and flat colorless printing with no use of dyes. It is also possible to use other special bookbinding printing techniques for the application of texts (mostly author and title) and small ornaments (e. g., publisher’s logo; logo of the library series). Multicolor printing involves the use of basic and composite colors in hot or cold print, or through foil application. Small ornaments are laid on the front and back cover, as well as on the spine. The beautifully curved spines, the printing of the publisher’s logo or the logo of the library series, as well as the printing of texts, lines and ornaments across the wide spines of bigger books complete the design of book covers, make books more attractive, and contribute to the orientation of the readers who can easily find the desired book in the public library or private book collection. The process of stitching and binding is performed in the binding shop of the printing house. The shop has folding equipment required for the folding of signatures. This operation is performed manually in the small printing houses which do not have any folding machines. There are two types of folding machines: semi-automatic with manual feed of the paper sheets which have to be folded or fully automatic. The big printing houses are equipped with printing presses (mainly roll printing machines) which have a section for cutting the paper sheet and folding it into a predefined format. Depending on the type of the printed output, modern folding machines can be programmed to make one, two, three or four mutually perpendicular folds, and to produce respectively a folio, quarto, octavo or sextodecimo signature. The roll printing machines for printing books in the most commonly used format in Bulgaria 84х108 / 32 produce double signatures which make room for more

168 printed text. As a result, the book becomes more economical in terms of production costs. The signatures are successively collected into special signature- gathering automatic machines running on the principle of conveyor belt. The modern stitching of hardcover books is performed with a thread book sewing machine. The signatures of smaller books are sewn from the spine but with large editions the thread passes through the typhon (gauze) glued to the hard cover. Saddle stitch staplers are used mainly for books and brochures which do not exceed 48 pages. Books which have more pages should not be stapled because the wire rusts over time, and the book is wasted. As for Binding No 1, the cover is attached to the text block through completely automated assembly lines (milling the spine; feeding the signatures and book cover; pasting and even sorting operations) or through semi automatic machines (in which the text block is compressed manually, but there is mechanical milling of the spine and automatic transfer to the glue tub; the gluing operation is performed with cold or warm adhesive). The books have to stay for about 24 hours before being submitted for cutting in the appropriate format). The cutting operation should not be performed with a one-sided bookbinding knife. In fact, even small printing houses in Bulgaria have started to trim the text block with a three- sided knife properly adjusted to fit the predefined format. The- de signer of the book has to leave enough space for cutting which is from 5 to 7 mm. In the preparation of the hardcover, the cardboard is glued to the binding cloth by hand or machine. The spine of the book is curved by special devices. The trimming operation is performed before the flyleafs are glued to the board and text block. The text on the board is laid through flat colorless technique or a gold-press which applies gold, silver, bronze or some other foil. In fact, the application of foil is performed through special presses for hot stamping. The images laid on the board can be concave or embossed. Spe- 169 cial dyes and inks are applied in a similar way (through flat colorless technique with no use of dyes). Nowadays finishing touches like varnishing and laminiation of paperback books are performed in the printing industry. Modern offset presses have special sections for laying effective UV varnishes. Lamination applied to paperback books and some hard covers is another extra. Varnishing and lamination build up and enhance the design of the book, and give the finished book an attractive appearance. Also, the book becomes more durable and suitable for long-term use.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berezin, Boris Iv. Poligraficheskoe Materialovedenie. Mocow, Kni- ga, 1984. 256 p. Bulgarian Book. Encyclopaedia. Sofia – Moscow, Pen- soft, 2004, 390 p. Vidulov, Vanyu. Bezemulsionni Filmi za Sitopechat na AUTO- TYPE.// Poligrafia, 1996, No 2, pp. 23 – 25. Georgiev, Lachezar. Strategicheski Podhodi v Knigoizdavaneto i Pe- chatnije Komunicacii. Sofia: AN-DI, 2013. 264 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Book Publishing and Printed Communications (Research on the Book and Media). Veliko Tarnovo: St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2013. 424 p. – Biblioteka Knigoizdavane. Katsev, Dimitar. Vavedenie v Sitopechata. Sofia, 2003. 136 p. Kachin, Natalia B., Isren Spiridonov. Pechatni Protsesi. Part I. Te- oretichni Osnovi. Sofia, Pleyada, 2000. 191 p. Crouch, J. Page. Flexography Primer. Translated into Russian by V. A. Naumova. Moscow, MSPU Press 2004. 167 p. Lapatuhin, Veniamin S. Sposoby Pechati. Problemy Klassifikacii i Razvitija. Moscow, Kniga, 1976. 272 p. Pikok, Dzhon. Izdatel’skoe Delo. Kniga ot Zamiysla do Upakovki. Shag za Shagom. Second Edition, amended and revised. Moscow, Je- kom, 2002. 424 p. – Sovremennye Izdatel’skie Tehnologii.

170 Polyansi, Nikolai N. Tehnologia na Poligraficheskoto Proizvodstvo. Translated by N. Kamburov. Sofia, Tehnika, 1986, p. 114 – 120. Soldatov, A. A., Pechatniku-Ofsetchiku. Slovar’-Spravochnik. Mos- cow, Kniga, 1984, 176 p. Fenton, Howard M. On-Demand and Digital Printing Primer. Trans- lated from English by M. Bredis. Moscow, MSPU Press, 2004, 131 p.

171 Chapter Nine

LANGUAGE AND PHILOSOPHY OF PRINT ADVERTISING

1. On the Philosophy of Print Advertising in the Book

The advertisement in the book is one of the most important characteristics in the preparation of the manuscript for printing. Advetising is not only for commercial purposes. Apart from facili- tating the distribution and promotion of the various types of book editions, advertising is within the context of the theory of the book publishing process when it comes to the composition of the book, its technical editing and layout. In addition, advertising is a carrier of marketing elements in the book editions, but it also contributes to building up the reputation of the author and improves the image of the work presented to the reader. An effective advertisement in the book prepares the reader to accept the book, provokes his interest, and stimulates the sales of the book. In other words, advertising of the book has an impact on a number of artistic, production and economic factors. The advertisement in the book is characterized by the following features: permanence; invariability; stable presence in a certain print area; direct perception on the part of the consumer; direct visual effect in the communicative act: book – reader; opportunity for the most rational choice of place for the advert in the text block, or on the book cover, dust jacket or package (i. e. mobility in the composition of the advertising text and image); relatively easy processing using the available computers without additional technical or printing costs. When considering advertisements in the book, we should start from without inward, i. e. from the package and dust jacket to the text block, text characteristics and advertising methods.

172 The packaging of the book may be used for advertising purposes and may even cause strong initial interest in the offered work. The book is usually available in large quantities in the form of a package, say of five, ten, fifteen or twenty copies. The title, the- au thor’s photograph and the colorful facsimile book cover are successfully placed on the packaging foil, cardboard or paper. Addition- ally, short impressive excerpts are prominently printed or put in the form of stickers depending on the packaging format. As for bibliophile or specialized editions which are usually very expensive, books are placed in special boxes. The number of books in the box depends on the fomat. From the outside, the boxes are covered with leather, mahogany or walnut veneer and the effective logo of the publisher is laid on them, whereas the inside part is luxu- riously padded, the bottom of the box is really soft, and there are other extras which increase the aesthetic appeal and raise the price of the edition. The box or the package may have artistic inlay designs and can be sold along with the book to meet the demands and interests of collectors and bibliophiles. For example, in Bulgaria, the specialized editions of Likovski Publishing House in Sofia will satisfy the most demanding of bibliophiles. Their exquisite books made mostly by hand have often been displayed at national and international book fairs. The titles are printed on the hardcover of the books in specially selected small format 60 х 90 / 64. The text blocks are mostly printed on 115‑gram magnomat paper delivered from Austria. The serial number of every bibliophile copy is placed on the verso of the title page along with the stamp of the publishing house. The imprint indicates the print run which oesd not exceed 500 copies. The books are bound and stitched by hand. Some of the editions have the so called two-component binding. They are skillfully and exquisitely made. The library series Nasledstvo is a model of quality craftsmanship in the printing industry. The publisher, Nikolai Likovski, has included in this library series the works of outstanding Bulgarian poets, among whom are Sirak Skitnik, Mara

173 Belcheva, Ekaterina Nencheva. How are these specialized editions advertised? The advertisement is in the high quality of every single detail and ornament, in the seal of the publishing house on the verso of the title page, in the elegant mahogany boxes with beautiful lining where cute little hardbacks coated in gold foil sink into the brilliant softness of the inner lining. All these elements reveal the specific style of the publisher. This type of advertising could be provisionally called “subtext advertising” with an emphasis on quality and originality of the publisher’s brand. The dust jacket is suitable for advertising. In fact, it provides a great deal of advertising solutions because its print area, which also includes the insert flaps, is bigger than the print area of the book format. An annotation between 15 and 20 lines of a standard page and the author’s photograph can be placed on the insert flaps. Tra- ditionally, the annotation includes short biographical data about the author and provides information about the author’s famous works as well as the theme, ideas and objectives of the current work. De- pending on the amount of space available, there can be some details about the plot of the book (if it is fiction), the scientific or educational problems raised by the author (if it is a scientific, educational or informative book). The conclusion of the annotation could point out the intended audience for the book: for example, “the book is intended for students, teachers, specialists in the respective field as well as a wide range of readers with interests similar to the studied issues”. Of course, the clichés in such advertising annotations should be carefully used. The text should guide the readers and engage their attention without unnecessary ostentation and hollow phrases. The important point is that consumers (wholesale dealers, retailers, middlemen, regular readers) should be convinced of the need and benefit to own a really valuable, useful edition. Apart from the insert flaps, the back panel of the dust jacket can contain a more detailed annotation. For example, when it comes to library series, the advertising solution of the publisher is to promote vol- 174 umes that have already been published in the series. The information about them is usually printed on the back flap or the back panel of the dust jacket, whereas the annotation about the current work is placed on the front flap. However, the designer of the book has the final word in deciding whether the emphasis should be laid on the author and his current work, or on strengthening the importance of the library series and the publishers’s brand. Another option is to focus on simiar books that will be published in the near future. However, we must not forget that apart from indicating prominently the name of the author and the title, the front panel of the jacket can give information about the name of the library series and distinguish the current volume within the series with appropriate number, color effects and diverse fonts. Also, the publisher’s logo can be successfully placed on the front panel and a smaller version of it can be printed on the back panel of the dust jacket. The name of the publishing house is usually placed at the bottom of the front panel and on the back panel of the dust jacket near the Interna- tional Standard Book Number (ISBN). Some publishers print the dust jacket as a poster folded in the desired form (folding generally is more complex as it includes one or more creases) and when readers unfold the jacket, they can see a large portrait of the author, an advertising poster of the publishing house or a calendar. Such ingenious solutions are implemented by Zahari Stoyanov Publishing House for some of their series, e. g., Bulgarian Classics Series. If the hardcover has no dust jacket and the cardboard is glued to the front cover, the spine and the back case, the advertising elements will look nice on the back panel of the book cover. These elements are as follows: book annotation and the library series; volumes that have been printed or will be printed in the near future; other books thematically related to the current work which are accompanied with a scanned copy of the front cover of a certain book. The texts are printed in one color, on offset paper, and they are accompanied with additional drawings and illustrations,

175 the aim of which is to promote the book production and help readers make their choice. The advertisements, the printed texts in general and the graphic illustrations could be additionally emphasized with ornamental lines, filigrees, vignettes, as well as varnish and lamination. The use of effective capital letters, bold and italic fonts underline the high quality of the edition. Nowadays the computer design of books allows for half-tones, shades, gradient colors, grid technology, etc. in printing. The annotation is not only a means of introducing the content to the reader, but it also has advertising purposes. However, the annotation, situated at the top of the title page verso or on the back panel of the book cover, rarely includes only advertising texts. In most cases, these texts are combined with biographic information about the author, the content (plot) and the intended audience of the book. Publishers often revert to a well familiar advertising trick such as putting the author in the focus of the annotation, especially if the author is an outstanding writer, journalist or scientist. They usually highlight the author’s contribution points and most famous books, his participation in blockbusters as a scriptwriter, as well as his high-profile publications in newspapers and magazines. Also, emphasis is laid on the author’s latest book: e. g., “… and now in his new book, the eminent writer (or scientist) offers us another fabu- lous story (or interesting study) which will appeal to the reader’s interest. Of course, such statements should correspond to the expectations of the readers, which means that the content, subject, ideas and problems discussed in the book must be the same as those stated in the annotation. The annotation which aims at adveritising a new or less known author is different. Obviously, special emphasis should be laid on the merits of the work – its literary or scientific contribution, high cognitive value and originality. Short information should be given about the author which proves he is a really good specialist in his field, an expert on the issues explored in the book, or a direct

176 participant in the events. The reader expects something different: new names in the literary world, new facts, new evidence, sensational events, and here is the publishing house with its most recent book – ready to meet the increased public interest and to make an important communicative act building up its image in the media. Therefore, the annotation plays a very important role as a means of communication through the book. However, if the technical solution is poor and inefficient, all the efforts of the publisher may go down the drain. The annotation should follow the general principles of the edition layout, and it should be in harmony with the graphic design. For example, the annotation which looks good on the title page verso should be aligned with the first paragraph of the main text of the book (the introduction or core part) that begins on a new odd page with indentation. The font style of the main text is regular or italic. In some rare cases, when alignment of the last signature is required, the annotation can be placed on the verso of the title page in alignment with the author’s name. In this case, the imprint along with other editorial and bibliographic data is placed on the title page verso (page 4). A single line or a combination of lines with various thickness can be used to draw a box round the annotation. It is rarely printed on halftone grid pad; the text can be in bold type. On a dark background, the letters of the annotation are changed to white – an operation which requires little effort thanks to the use of prepress software. When the annotation is printed on the back cover (i. e., page 4 of the book cover), the text can be larger than usual – up to 15 – 20 standard typewritten lines depending on the font size of the letters. If the background of the book cover is ligher, the font should be bright or light italic, but for dark background, the practice is to use white letters “punched” on a negative, or some kind of contrasting bold font. The size of the letters corresponds to the size of the letters in the main text of the book, or it is one point smaller than them. The author’s photograph is indented into the text of the annotation. At

177 the bottom of the book cover, below the annotation, symmetrical balance is achieved by placing a decorative element or the name of the publishing house along with its logo and the ISBN which is another sign for the legitimacy of the edition. There are other ways to advertise in the text block. As an exception, flyleafs can be used to display a list of published editions and most recent books, or to shed more light on the author and his new work. Such brave decision which in practice does not fit the conventional theoretical rules for the layout of the book has to be planned carefully in view of the positive aspects and some negative points which may result from improper composition of the advertising texts. Preferably, when some text and illustrations are used for advertising purposes (i. e. the intention to boost book sales), the focus should be on the personality of the author, the qualities and content of his work. The advertising flyleaf can grab the reader’s attention as soon as he opens the book and impress him so much that he can make an impulsive purchase. The front matter of the book is most suitable for short advertisements and information about sponsors of the edition and advertisers, their brand names, logos, symbols, ex libris and other graphic signs. These elements are placed at the top, or in the middle of the title page or its verso; they are put in frames, on pads, and there are decorative ornaments as well. The sponsors of a certain book are usually cultural institutions – foundations, embassies, non government organizations from the country and abroad, private and state-run companies, ministries. To express acknowledgement and respect for the authority of the sponsoring institution, the publisher, by way of exception, can place the name and the logo of the sponsor in the middle or at the bottom of the half title page, but the text, the author’s name and the title have to remain at the top of the printable area and they have to be separated by appropriate stylistic ornaments. The last pages of the book remain most suitable for advertising. An advertisement of the publishing house presenting its book 178 production could fill the blank pages of the last signature. In this way, the publishing house can successfully promote not only its overall output but also periodicals, separate books, library series, book mail, etc. As for paperbacks, the common practice in book publishing is to place a great variety of marketing and advertising texts on the inside of the book covers. These texts accompanied with appropriate illustrations can be as follows: tickets for sale with relevant discounts; announcements about distributors; information about new books with updates about price and points of sale in the outlets, etc. The illustration has an important place in this type of advertisng. As whole pages are used, the text of the advertisement is successfully combined with photos of the specified editions (books, periodicals), the author’s photographs (portrait and reportage photos or photos from various events), pictures of the publishing complex showing the publisher’s offices, the prepress rooms, the printing -fa cility, the company bookstores, etc. In exceptional cases, after the main text, content and imprint, it is possible to place a colorful an- nex promoting the work of the publishing formation, its available book production, manufacturing capacity, etc. However, this type of advertising is expensive; it must be in line with the publication without violating its overall composition, the author’s idea and the main objectives of the book on its difficult path to the reader.

2. Advertising in the Bulgarian Information Daily

Press advertising in Bulgaria has long-standing traditions which can be traced back to the Bulgarian National Revival. Apart from commercial advertising, the information dailies in Bulgaria published some facts and announcements related to books that were under print or were about to be printed. Some publishers even released lists, i. e. catalogues providing information about book titles and prices. Also, there were advertising texts calling for sponsorship

179 of manuscripts that were under print or ready to be published. The advertisements in the press also promoted various textbooks, reference books, handouts, translated fiction, manuals, atlases, Greek dictionaries, French and English dictionaries which appeared later, and even economic editions. The most popular way of advertising in the press at that time was the note, i. e. large text-only item, favored by Bulgarian national revival writers and publishers, which called for the purchase or support of a particular edition and announced forthcoming periodicals as well. Back then, Bulgarian publishers of periodicals were still concerned about their upcoming ventures. Therefore, the first issues of their periodicals had mainly advertising and introductory functions. In addition to book advertising, newspapers and magazines during the National Revival published a wide variety of adverts related to education, theaters, libraries, medicine, pharmacy, commerce, as well as the fledgling industry and real estate sales. The advertising design relied mostly on font diversity, ready-made printed or painted ornaments for putting the advert in a frame, as well as graphic symbols used for emphasiz- ing the important texts. The development of the periodical press after Bulgaria’s Liberation of the Ottoman Rule gradually imposed the variable and multi-functional image of media advertising. As a result, advertisements found their way in long-lived famous newspapers like the Mir, the Utro, the Dnevnik, the Kambana, the Zarya, the Zora, the Slovo, the Den, as well as in many other political and tabloid dailies or weeklies. The wide array of literary, philosophical, women’s and household magazines complemented the multi-lateral aspect of press advertising in Bulgaria which existed until Septem- ber 9th, 1944 – a turning point in the Bulgarian history. Afterwards, many national dailies were forced to shut down, and after the private property nationalization, which started in the fall of 1947 and continued till March 1948, the whole printing and publishing business became state-owned. This definitely put an end to the last link in the chain of the private press advertising market. However, the

180 print advertising which existed before 1944 played an important role because it provided interesting and smart decisions, made a major breakthrough with the introduction of the advertising illustration – photo or garaphic – and, also, attempts there were some to print in color. It would be wrong to say that during socialism, press advertising in Bulgaria was nothing else but dull, nondescript and ideologi- cally burdened. But even the most creative layout solutions inevitably clashed with the awkward and heavy style of a bureaucratic system that was becoming increasingly regimented and relied mostly on stereotypes in advertising projects. The responsible operator and his assistants placed the advertising texts where they deemed most appropriate. The theory of periodical press in Bulgaria and West- ern Europe still elaborates the layout of the newspaper page. The entire process including the illustrations, ornaments and columns is referred to as the architecture of the newspaper. Emphasis is laid on the choice of fonts, main and accompanying texts. The concept of graphic design emerged only in the 1990s when the numerous newspapers and magazines dramatically changed their appearance and color printing began to be widely used in newspaper and magazine production. After the democratic changes of 1989, the clichés were gradually overcome. The first private editions contained garish, even grotesque strokes and there were many unsuccessful attempts resulting from the poor layout resources of the modern software for newspaper and magazine graphic design. After several years of searching and ex- periments, today advertising in Bulgarian periodicals is so diverse and rapidly changing in the new conditions of social and political life that the incredible solutions in this area are remarkable in their originality. Owing to the various opportunities of the computer programs for newspaper graphic design, press advertising evokes great interest. The decisions related to the placement of headlines and illustrations go beyond the era of high-tech printing. The small tech- 181 nical capacity in printing puts restrictions on operators engaged in the preparation of magazine and newspaper page dummies. Nowadays advertising in periodicals can be defined as follows: subscription advertising which is related to annual or periodic subscription campaigns carried out by a particular newspaper or magazine, as well as to subscription payments for other periodicals (newspapers, magazines, almanacs, bulletins, periodical collections); information advertisng (small, medium or large advertisements) which provides certain facts to the reader; commercial advertising which focuses on the marketing of a certain product; event advertisng which promotes a certain advertising event; accompanying advertising (within the context of a certain genre) – comment, report, interview, information article, etc.; sports advertising which is specialized in the field of sports and tourism; cultural and entertainment advertising – e. g., advertising of books, fimls, plays. De- pending on the location on the page, advertisements can be divided as follows: advertisements on a whole page which fill the entire printable area; strip advertisements situated in a horizontal plane throughout the width of the printable area, or strip advertisements which do not take up the whole printable area (their span width is between 2 and 4 columns); vertical advertisements which extend from top to bottom of the printable area, usually in one column; block advertisements, i. e. a single block (box) which includes one or more advertisements (limit or ordinary lines are used for drawing the box), or block advertisements which can be put in a frame, as well as on pads in different colors or with various ornaments; small ads, i. e. small text-only items included alone or in classified ads. According to the number of colors used, advertisements can be classified as monochrome, two-color or multi-color. The subscription campaign sometimes becomes an occasion for refreshing and renewing the advertising communication of the periodical edition. In this respect, new color solutions are sought, and the illustration begins to play a dominant role in the the adver-

182 tising text interspersed with unconventional graphic ideas. A photo with relevant advertising text can be placed as a distinctive feature on the front page of the newspaper near the masthead and below the most important news. Also, it is possible to place a miniature headmast of the edition along with appropriate illustrations and ornaments reavealing the style of the advertised newspaper or magazine. The subscription is encouraged by promising readers free gifts and prizes. The information daily the Trud, for example, uses brief and compelling ads of the type: “Choose The Best!”, which are accompanied with appropriate photos. Another daily newspaper the Sega lays emphasis on no-background photos of free gifts given as prizes to the most active winning subscribers. The Sega sends direct advertising messages to the hesitant reader, such as “Subscribe!”, “10 percent Discount”, “Everybody Wins!”, “A Gift from the Sega”, “Take EuroLine from the Sega” (i. e. EuroLine credit card). Sub- scription advertising does not use only static illustrations (showing prizes and free gifts given as a bonus to the winning subscribers) but also photos, drawings and cartoons where characters are dynamic and in motion. As a result, the advertisement becomes more relevant and instantly grabs the attention of the reader. Recently, more colors, fonts and pads have been added to advertising. Also, illustrations are increasingly being used in the graphic design of magazines and newspapers. Photos, caricatures, colors, ornaments, infographics have turned into an effective means of communication with readers in the conditions of increased competition with the electronic media outlets. Since the number of people who do not only read but also browse periodicals increases, the above-mentioned artistic elements in design have become more necessary, especially when the advertising presence is becoming increasingly dynamic on the pages of the daily press. In actual fact, there is an integrative organization of a new type of editing which combines the work of authors, editors and designers into a single mental mix. And this is where advertising comes into the picture –

183 apart from everything else, it has an important marketing function because it ensures the main part of the proceeds required for the support of the edition. Advertising is also an act of communication as it stimulates the visual need in a new world on the borders of text, imagination and colors. Graphic designers manage to find the most unexpected and fantastic solutions where to place the advertisement. Over the last few years, the practice has been to put the advertisement round the masthead of the newspaper or magazine which is the most expensive solution but, in this case, the advertisement is most conspicu- ous and impressive. The aim is to use frugal but original, high impact advertising elements which do not exceed the color intensity and the graphicness of the masthead. Such advertising elements have a leading role, and they are intended to remind from the most prominent position on the newspaper page about the power of the advertiser, the quality of his procucts, his good manners and merits in general. Even only two colors in this type of advertising are sufficient to convey the message, to promote the publlisher’s logo and ex-libris, and hence, direct communication with the readers is achieved in the existing variety of newspapers and magazines. Monochrome advertising is used for the middle pages of the periodical, and here monotony is avoided through diversification of the form – e. g., the rectangular ad format combines horizontal and vertical planes; sometimes a square ad is added, or black and grey grid pads are used as a background against which the most important and distinctive headlines stand out conspicuously on the page. Another way to diversify the advertisng space is the choice of fonts. Along with the use of font sizes from the same family, custom solutions can be applied: painted font, bold font with expressive lines, bold block grotesque and suitable decorative symbols. Moreover, it is possible to enclose photos of the advertised sites in motion. Capi- tal letters, text spacing and light italic fonts can be used as well. Political advertising appears in newspapers most often during election campaigns to present the candidates for MPs, mayors and 184 municipal councilors. Periodical editions are willing to publish this type of adverts as they generate high profits. Political advertising can be concealed or in the form of an interview with the candidate. Also, political advertising is associated with reports, articles or correspondence materials related to a particular issue. Brief information notes can be used as well but they should be accompanied with suitable illustrations. Direct advertising is a preferred method of at- tack against opponents but it also causes interest among potential voters. Since the illustration effect should be in the forefront, the image usually has no background. The photo background is cut out. Thus, the focus is on the expression of the portrait and the message it conveys. The fonts used in political advertising are block, left or right justified and their color is dark brown. They typically have appropriate indentation, different sizes and enough “air”. Sometimes newspapers publish anti-advertisements, but this is not a common practice. Most often these are photo montage images with highly impressive texts and suggestive subtext illustrations. A major question arises regarding the position of the advertisement in the overall composition of the page. The designers of the national dailies and weeklies do not specify a particular place. The advertisement can be placed in one of the following sections: political or public life, finances, economy, sports, etc. It is important that the graphic, color and illustration elements of the advertisement comply with the general concept of the page. Thus, disharmony will be avoided in the overall graphic appearance. The combination of political advertising with the journalistic genres is even more important. Political advertising co-exists with reports, comments, editorials, interviews and correspondence materials. As a rule, the political advertisement is put next to or below the most important news stories, but it should not outweigh them in the overall composition scheme even when the advertisement is placed on a middle page, or takes up one or two columns which extend from top to bottom of the printable area (i. e. barrier type advertisement). The 185 placement of the advertisement at the top of the page requires careful thought and consideration on the part of designers. The advertising space in this case is relatively small and unnoticeable. Some- times graphic designers use the so-called boot type combination: the advertisement extends from top to bottom on the right or left side of the printable area in a span width of at least two newspaper columns and continues onto the insert which complements the base of the page. The configuration described above resembles the shape of a boot, hence the name boot type combination. In other words, advertising texts are most often placed at the bottom, aside from the leading news stories, in consistence with the proportions of diagonal layout of the illustrations. Also, designers take into account some other guiding principles such as hierarchy of headlines; viewing the photo and caricature images within the printable area; putting the leading news story, illustration or photo report in the optical center of the newspaper page. As we know, the illustrations in advertising can be static, bring- ing balance and peace, but they can also be dynamically positioned which allows them to render movement, tension and eventfulness. At this point, designers can use a combined solution which involves additional graphic ornaments, stroke and decorative accents. If the picture is taken from an elevated position, it should be placed at the bottom of the advertisement and the advertisement itself should be placed at the bottom of the page. The other question which arises is related to the format of the advertisement. The options are as follows: band advertisement which runs across the lower part of the composed page; barrier type advertisement which extends from top to bottom in one or two columns on the left or right side; low insert which is placed in the lower part of the printable area taking up all or most of the columns. Also, the advertisement can be laid sideways in one or more columns on the left or right side of the page. The other option is to use win- dow type advertisement which means that the advertisement is sur- rounded on all sides by journalistic texts.

186 For many years, newspaper designers have been paying attention to the originality and ingenuity in the creation of advertising texts and in the use of illustrations and auxiliary ornaments. The conversion of an announcement text into a spectacular advertisement which aims at generating interest and boosting sales is a difficult and responsible task. The advertising designer has to sift the important details and ideas from those which are less important, and find appropriate font solutions for them. The advertising text often is quite extensive and needs more precision. All corrections and changes related to the length of the text must be approved by the advertiser. However, every advertising text and every advertising slot generates high profits. Therefore, most advertising designers are forced by the circumstances to find quickly the most appropriate solution for achieving unity between texs and illustrations. The insignificant details are typed in small fonts, whereas the highlights, e. g., the promtotional prices are given in much bigger font sizes. The important information is printed in bold or italics. Words that have a symbolic meaning, for example, the largest, most delicious, leading, first, exclusive, shocking discounts, unbelievable prices, promotion, many gifts, only, unique, etc. are invariably present in the advertising stylistics, especially in the most essential part of the advertisement which focuses on persuasion and communication. In order to avoid the overload of the texts, advertising designers apply some of the well known layout tricks, e. g. leaving white spaces between text components, placement of color backgrounds (pads) and color frames, printing headlines in different colors, using white letters against a black or color background negative, giving the logo in a color different from that of texts, etc. There is only one goal – i. e. achieving maximum effect using a wide array of basic and auxiliary resources – lexical, decorative, illustration, color. The advertiser is not the only one who benefits from a well-designed advertisement. A good advertisement inevitably brings new

187 orders, new commitments and builds the image of the periodical edition. Also, it is a criterion for the professionalism of the editing and artistic team.

3. Adevrtising Attributes of Publishers and Print Advertising 3.1. The Calendar – in the Forefront of Advertising Strategy

The calendar is a systematic listing of the days in the year which also indicates public holidays and weekends. The church calendar indicates holidays for worship and service, whereas the secular calendar has various forms and functions. There is a great variery of calendars: e. g. pocket calendars, wall calendars, card calendars, desktop calendars, notepad calendars. Depending on the way of making, calendars are divided as follows: calendar leaflets, calendar booklets, spiral calendars, paperback calendars, hardcover calendars. Calendars are most suitable for promotional gifts and for upscale advertisng which lays emphasis on a particular service or product. Also, calendars as a form of advertising make a lasting impact on the recipient. Most publishers usually make calendars in the months of the previous year and use them as promotional gifts for their business partners and clients in book publishing, or provide them to the general public (depending on the number of copies in the print run). According to their purpose and function, calendars are divided into the following types: wall calendars which are suitable for hanging on the wall (they show the date and have illustrations, some of them are known as work calendars); pocket calendars which are in the form of a card (they have an illustration on the front part, and the months of the year are on the back of the card); desktop calendars which are placed on a desk or table; notepad calendars in paperback or hardcover (they indicate the months of the current year and next 188 year as well; they also have info pages (boxes) with important phone numbers, zip codes, phone codes, distances in kilometers, guidelines for services and transport links; city maps; phone number and address index, etc.). Typically, in notepad calendars, a full monh is laid out on several pages, and there is enough space to allow the user to write in notes on each date. The publisher applies his knowledge and expertise to achieve the best layout, composition and printing of the calendar because the production of the calendar reveals his competence and professionalism. Emphasis is laid on graphic symbols, fonts, illustrations, binding (i. e. the way in which pages are clamped together) and hanging up of the calendar. The effect of symbols and subtext is used not only in the advertising text and headlines but also in the illustrations where one can see photos of book productions as well as views of the publisher’s offices, retail outlets and classic artistic reproductions. Also, the illustrations show landscape pictures and photographs of architectural landmarks, authors, celebrities, etc. Calendar designs have different formats. A great variety of printing materials is used for their production. Designers make use of multicolor print, embossing foil, leather and special binding cloth. Also, the calendar has to be convenient for the user and durable.

3.2. The Booklet – Strong Appeal and Rich Illustration

The booklet is an advertising edition produced through multiple folding of sheets which contains a wide range of illustrations and effective fonts for texts. They all enhance the aesthetic appearance of the booklet. Depending on the format, there are different ways of folding, but most often folding is done along the length or width of the paper sheet. The advertising booklet in the publishing business relies on a combination of text and illustrations intended to provoke

189 the curiosity of the readers, raise their interest and increase their desire to purchase a certain book or several books which are part of a series. In fact, booklets are successfully used in the organization of exhibitions, bazaars and fairs related to the book production. Moreover, booklets are suitable for advertising thematic lines and series as well as highlighting the capcacity of the publishing house to produce high-quality books and periodicals. Finally, booklets play a great role in advertising equipment, technological processes, bookstores, storage areas, etc. Serious investment is required for the preparation of the booklet, its graphic design and multicolor illustrations. Also, the printing paper used for the booklet is expensive. Booklets can be easily distributed at public events, or they can be used as a form of individual advertising (e. g., sending by mail).

3.3. The Leaflet – Fast Printing and High Circulation with Great Effect

The leaflet is printed on both sides of the paper sheet with minimum costs and in short terms. It is intended for mass distribution, and no folding operations are required. Also, leaflets allow inter- operability, fast printing and high circulation. Printing is done in small formats (А4, А5, А6, В5) in one or several colors. If the printing is on one side of the paper, leaflets are known as flyers. Cheap paper can be used for printing. The preparation of the material does not take a long time. Leaflets are intended for wide distribution and direct advertising. There are leaflets which are -de signed for use in books and especially in newspapers, magazines and bulletins. They are enclosed in books as coupons, cards, tickets, etc. Prospectus-leaflets referred to as prospectus sheets are printed on both sides of the paper. They are printed on high-quality paper in different colors, with many illustrations and effective fonts. Pro- spectus-leaflets are used in file-cases, catalogues, folders and other

190 advertising materials. They can be easily distributed at bazaars, fairs and exhibitions. The leaflet is enclosed in the package of the product in accordance with the commonly accepeted rules in bookstores, or when there are specialized seasonal sales. Leaflets are handed out near book stalls at book fairs and bazaars, as well as at book premieres and artistic meetings. Typically, the text of the leaflet is concise, accessible and readable. Another feature of the leaflet is the catchy title.

3.4. The Prospectus – Striking Effect in Building the Company Image

The prospectus in its form is a folded sheet of А3, А4, А5 or similar format. Folding is done along the length or width of the paper. The prospectus contains a detaied description of the book production (thematic groups of books, several titles in a library series, works in several volumes of a famous writer, etc.) accompanied with illustrations. The prospectus should have an impressive title (front) page, entertaining illustrations with photos of the advertised covers and text block. It is advisable to include excerpts from the advertised edition. Also, it is important to include a general annotation related to the subject matter of the prospectus and short annotations for the offered products (books) and services. Prospectuses are printed on chrome, large paper weight which is of high quality. The illustrations are expressive and have different colors. Also, multicolor printing is used for some texts, logos and symbols. Color pads and frames are widely used as well. The aim is to emphasize the quality of the product and to raise the interest of consumers. The publisher’s prospectus is intended for more specialized readership – book traders, booksellers, publishers and clients from cultural institutons. It is suitable for readers who show interest in a particular book series, thematic groups and textbooks. Typically,

191 print runs are not large. The publisher’s prospectus can be sent to partners and potential customers in schools, libraries, museums, universities, etc. The high-quality printing is expensive and desktop publishing is time consuming. Two types of prospectuses can be distinguished in book publishing: general prospectuses presenting the most recent book productions and thematic prospectuses presenting a book series, a thematic group, collected or selected works, etc.

3.5. The Magic of Catalogues

In marketing and advertising, catalogues serve as comprehensive directories of services, goods and book productions. Catalogues provide systematic information about them and are of great help to distributors and clients. Any modern catalogue is characterized by information completeness, concise but comprehensive annotations and notes. Typically, modern catalogues have outstanding graphic appearance, multicolor and monochrome illustrations, backgrounds, frames, references and diversity of fonts. Most catalogues are printed on both sides of chrome illustration paper which creates high quality results. General catalogues advertise a particular manufacturing company and lay emphasis on its range of goods and services. Specialized catalogues present specific activities, services and goods. Their aim is to focus on a particural area and to highlight the individual qualities, models and specifications of the man- ufactured products. Sample and fair catalogues play an important role in business. They are most suitable for merchandising activities and expositions. Address catalogues are designed to meet the needs of a specific audience. Apart from the advertising catalogues which aim at providing information, there are other catalogues which go beyond stimulating sales. They are designed to build and promote the company image, to raise the consumer awareness, to form aesthetic tastes and to show the best practices. They rely on effects that build loyalty to the brand.

192 The publisher’s catalogue presents the available book production of the publishing house and the titles that are under print providing basic information about them – e. g, format, price, type of binding, ISBN, the author’s name, book title, series and year of publication. The text of the book annotation should not exceed 800 words. The annotation summarizes the plot of the novel or the problems discussed in the scientific work. In addition, emphasis is laid on the contribution points of the book which make it useful and valuable to the reader. The most important aspects of the work can be outlined in the annotation, and it could also inform the reader of the most interesting facts in the author’s career. The catalogue annotation specifies the price of the book. Some publishers prefer to include in the catalogues which are intended for distribuitors information about the print run and the type of binding as well as the In- ternational Standard Book Number (ISBN). The annotation in the catalogue is usually accompanied with a scanned copy of the front cover of the edition, but the author’s photo can be placed as well. The titles in the catalogue are usually arranged according to themes, e. g., fiction, educational, scientific, reference, children’s literature. The most important titles are accompanied with annotations from which the reader can learn some facts about the author and read about the problems discussed in the book. The annotations also focus on the highlights of the book. The introductory part in the catalogue examines briefly the history of the publishing house, its achievements and capacity as well as future prospects. The layout of the catalogue requires the use of various fonts, indentations, margins and grading of titles. In addition, various illustrations, color backgrounds (pads) and multicolumn typesetting are widely used in the preparation of the text block. Traditionally, the introductory articles present past activities of the publishing house, its artistic development and production as well as the achievements over the years. These articles lay

193 emphasis on the themes, library series, leading publications, prominent authors and contributors to editorial departments. The placement of company identity signs, the publisher’s logo as well as the book series logo on the title pages and covers of the catalogues has a high impact on the audience. Apart from improving the aesthetic appearance of the catalogue, these signs have certain advertising and marketing functions. The beautiful, painstakingly-crafted catalogues are intended for distributors but they can be also used at promotions organized by the publishing house and at major forums such as national and international book fairs, exhibitions, bazaars, regional and national book markets. The following types of catalogues are distinguished in book publishing: planned catalogues which are prepared in accordance with the annual, half-yearly, quarterly and monthly plans of the publishing house; theme catalogues which include a particular thematic group or library series; advertising catalogues which aim at promotion and stimulation of sales; book trading catalogues which are designed mainly for distributors, wholesale dealers, retailers and bookstores; reference catalogues which are arranged according to the bio-bibliographic requirements in order to meet the needs of reference and bibliographic departments of major bookstores, bookstore chains, cultural institutions (e. g. libraries, museums, community centers) and government institutions (e. g. ministries, regional and municipal authorities). However, most catalogues combine the features of one or another publisher’s catalogue with the required information but they are by no means exhaustive. Catalogues do not have only marketing functions in regard to boosting sales. They are the most documented and visualized connection of the publishing house with the public. Thus, they promote the philosophy of the publishing communication, complement the image of the publishing house, provide information and guidance, 194 form tastes and create a need for valuable and useful editions which are important for the spiritual growth of the personality.

3.6. The Advertisng Band and its Contribution to Promoting the Book

Recently, publishers have started using their favorite trick – a strip of paper which wraps the book, most often, in the form of a ring. Such paper strip is referred to as advertising band. The advertising band shows the logo of the publishing house and the logo of the book series. Also, it contains brief information about the prize won by the writer and assures the reader that he holds in his hands a bestseller which has a large print run. The purpose of the advertising band is to identify the corresponding edition and to grab the attention of the reader. This is a good way to boost sales.

3.7. The Bookmark – Reminder Advertising

The bookmark plays a big role in reminder advertising. It is made of thin strips of cardboard or other materials like foil and plastic plates. Traditionally, the logo of the publishing house, the sign of the corresponding series, the author’s name and the book title are printed on it. The purpose of the bookmark is not only to di- vide pages and mark a place in a book but also to constantly remind the reader of the author and his work as well as the contribution and importance of the book.

3.8. The Memo – Customer Support

The memo contains directions and diagrams with instructions for using a particular product or service. Also, the memo includes information given by the manufacturer and some other data which may focus on advertising.

195 3.9. The Advertising Brochure – Convenient for Tourist Promotion

The advertising brochure is usually up to 48 pages. Typically, its pages are stitched along the fold. It has front and back covers. The text block affixed to the brochure incorporates mostly advertising illustrations, brief advertising and information texts, short annotations as well as lists of activities, goods and services which are helpful to the customer. The most commonly used brochures are those which promote cultural tourism, hotels, transport services in the tourist sector, pilgriamage tourism, destinations, etc. Of course, advertising brochures are suitable for promoting a great variety of industries and company activities. Also, they provide advertising opportunities for settlements, municipalities, district centers, etc.

3.10. The Art of Advertising Paper

The advertising paper is a poular periodical edition which is easily accessible and often distributed free of charge. That’s why it is most suitable for advertisers and marketing professionals. However, it would be wrong to pack the advertising paper with commercials and announcements arranged haphazardly with no proper graphic design because the paper in this case would be nothing but a mere catalogue of goods and services. In fact, various journalistic techniques and a wide range of journalistic genres should be employed in the advertising paper so that it could advertise not only through the forms of print advertising but also through the so-called concealed advertising. Therefore, the published materials should have appropriate advertising suggestions and subtext messages. Even though the advertising paper is distributed free of charge in stores, supermarkets, gas stations, universities, theatres, cinemas, museums and libraries, it should contain all elements typical of this edition – information, comments, publicistic materials, etc. The ad- 196 vertising paper should combine together entertaining, advertising and serious texts. All materials should be grouped appropriately to match the illustrations and to create unity in design. In this way, the paper will not only draw the attention of the public, but more people will want to buy and read it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Annual Book of St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. Facul- ty of Journalism and Mass Communication. Vol. 9. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2003. Georgiev, Lachezar. Upravlenie i Marketing na Knigoizdatelskata Deinost. V. Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2002; 2004, p. 232. Georgiev, Lachezar. Ezik i Filosofia na Pechatnata Reklama v Kon- teksta na Izdatelskia Protses. // Filosofia i Ezik. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2004, p. 203 – 223. – Diogen. Georgiev, Lachezar. Kniga i Pechatni Komunikatsii. Veliko Tarno- vo, Faber, 2009. 240 p. Doganov, D. and Ferenc Pálfi. Reklamata Kakvato E. Sofia, Prin- ceps, 2000, p. 234. Ilchev, Ivan. Reklamata prez Vazrazhdaneto. Sofia, Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House, 1995, pp. 52 – 53. Valkanova, Veselina. Dizain na Vestnika. Sofia, Faculty of Journal- ism and Mass Communication, 2008. 180 p. Kaftandzhiev, Hristo. Vizualna Kominikatsia. Sofia, Open Society Institute, 1996. 160 p. Kaftandzhiev, Hristo. Harmonia v Reklamnata Komunikatsia. Po- prezaredena. Sofia, Siela, 448 p. Harrower, Tim. The Newspaper Designer’s Handbook. Translated into Bulgarian. Plovdiv, Pygmalion, 2007. 252 p.

197 Chapter Ten

THE BOOK AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE NEW AGE

Today’s global world has forced us to conform with factors which, only a decade ago, would have seemed impossible and incon- ceivable. Until the 1980s, for example, British publishing business was concentrated in the UK and was owned, for the most part, by British people. The big global market, however, was open to it and it gradually deployed worldwide thanks to its growing popularity and the traditional communication network with the former colonies and the other English-speaking countries, to reach the figure of 40 percent of export of its book production, in the conditions of severe competition from US publishers. In order to cope in the face of severe competition resulting form conglomeration and globaliza- tion, the publishing business started a process of consolidation and creation of a new type of corporations. Some of these were within the UK, as was the case with the merger of the British publishing houses Penguin and Longman into the Pearson Group, which now incorporates a number of publishing houses and newspapers. For the most part, however, the new global corporations are US based. It is in the United States that the biggest mergers and acquisitions take place. One such example is the Time Warner Corpora- tion which incorporates publishing houses vulnerable to economic downturns, but is practically dominated by the powerful worldwide internet provider America On-Line (AOL). The German Bertelsmann Group acquired the American publishing house Random House, which was founded in the 19th century. The famous US publishing house Harpers, when it merged with the British publisher Collins, formed a new publishing structure HarperCollins, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s multinational News Corporation, which is considered to be a vertically integrated global media holding company illustrating

198 the globalized nature of publishing industry. Murdoch’s company spans not only newspapers and magazines, but also film production, satellite and cable TV broadcasters. Some traditional family businesses in publishing have opted to keep their trade name as a symbol of reliability and trustworthiness in the field of publishing, but ownership of their business has gone into quite unexpected structures. Such is the case with the Macmillan publishing business, which was founded in 1843 and the family name has been pre- served in some 16 subsidiaries worldwide, while the company itself is owned by the German family corporation Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck. The structure incorporates companies specialized in different thematic areas, e. g. Pan Macmillan offers fiction and documentaries for children and adults; Palgrave Macmillan specializes in publishing academic and university editions in the sphere of humanities and business studies; Macmillan Education is specialized in publishing teaching materials and textbooks in English as a foreign language, as well as other educational materials; Publish- ing Services is a company dealing in distribution and sale of books and periodicals, information products and electronic editions; and, finally, Nature Publishing Group focuses on publishing scientific journals and reference books in the sphere of medicine, science and technical studies. The inevitable commercialization of publishing business is another new challenge on a global scale. On the one hand, the author loses his original significance in the new reality of consolidated global publishing, giving way to the literary agent, who looks after his interests and negotiates on his behalf with the multinational companies on issues related to basic and additional royalties for subsequent editions, filming, translations into other languages, reprints in periodicals, etc. In the new corporate environment, however, commercialization reflects on the accuracy of the editorial work. The constant rush to accomplish tasks interferes with the quality of the editorial work and even overrides the work of the editor – the theme lines of yesterday and the idea of a well-edited text

199 have given way to the effects of visual communication. The policy in respect to the publishing repertoire has changed too. There is a marked preference for editions that sell quickly – textbooks and handbooks for studying foreign languages (mainly the most popular European languages), biographies of famous public figures, best- selling novels, and juvenile literature by popular authors. Mergers and commercialization have affected book trade as well. The bigger publishing houses rely on contacts with wholesalers, offering greater rebates for quick and secure revenues without delay. There is an increase in the sale of cheaper paperback books which sell quickly right after publication. A new style of selling books was invented among retailers. Tim Waterstone opened his own bookshop in London in 1982, starting a new style in book sale – his bookshop is well-lighted, spacious, customer-friendly, and the staff are young, energetic shop-assistants, willing to provide profuse information on every book that is on sale. The merchandise is offered in attractive form. The traditional approach in selling paperback and hardcover books is obliterated in the name of the reader. Following the innovations in marketing thinking, the bookshops have turned into an important and indispensable part of the big trade centers, while the name Waterstone has become a byword and is even used as a logo in the bookshops and stores of the United Kingdom and the other English-speaking countries. In the 1980s new bookstore outlets appeared, which tried to compete with the long-established WHSmith bookstores, which sold stationery, newspapers, magazines and limited numbers of books. The assortment of items was later diversified with DVDand audio recordings. With the appearance of new bookstores, the competitive environment brought new types of offers – stimulating regular customers with price discounts, offering three books for the price of two, discounts for members of book clubs set up by the more established publishing houses, special price promotions, etc. The global trend is for family publishers to give way to the modern corporate structure of business in which holdings are set up, professional management

200 takes over, and the mechanisms of modern marketing, advertising and PR communications are used in book publishing and trade. In the era of commercialism, advertising approaches are essential. The investment adem in advertising and promotional activities by the British publishing house Simon & Schuster (which was founded in 1924) forced them to continue publishing books intended for the general public. By the late 1930s Dick Simon and Max Schuster had already founded the publishing house Pocket Books in partnership with the American publisher Robert Fair de Graaff. The large print-run editions of paperback novels consolidated their market positions in the time right after World War One, when the company was acquired by Marshal Field. Following Field’s death, his heirs sold the company back to its previous owners. The company went through a number of metamorphoses of publishing part- nerships and expansions until it was acquired by the international corporation Gulf & Western. Other acquisitions of companies followed, one of which was the publishing giant Macmillan Publish- ing Group in 1994. A new restructuring followed under the name of Paramount Communications, and in 1998 it became part of the structure of the international publishing corporation Viacom, under which it published a diverse repertoire of electronic and paper books aimed at readers from dozens of countries around the world. The editions ranged from fiction and teen books to business publications, preserving the traditional approach of massive advertising of the published products. Academic and scientific book publishing in Europe and the United States also followed new trends in its development. An il- lustrious example from the United Kingdom is presented by the two centuries-old publishing houses Oxford University Press and Cam- bridge University Press. Oxford University Press’s annual output is 4500 published titles, which are sold not only in the United Kingdom, but in dozens of English-speaking countries throughout the world. It has offices in over 50 countries and provides employment for over 3700 specialists

201 in the sphere of English publications and printed communications. Its repertoire includes textbooks, handbooks, and monographs on all subjects taught at the university, as well as Bibles, art books, children’s books, English textbooks for foreigners, business publications, reference books, dictionaries, journals, etc. The editorial process involves strict monitoring and control over publications, especially academic writings. The applications from authors are discussed at the regular meetings of delegates elected from the circles of the academic community whose job is to plan and control the published production. Once an application is approved, the author is offered to sign a contract and start working on the material. The finished manuscript is evaluated by a delegate and there is a discussion with other specialists in the respective field. The remarks and comments are discussed with the author and editor, and the text is thus improved and corrected prior to going into production. The publishing house makes a profit of 9 million pounds a year, 30 percent of which goes into the university. As it functions within the structure of the university, Oxford University Press is treated as a charity organization and is therefore tax exempt. The profit is reinvested and offered as a contribution to Oxford University funds. The publishing establishment is equipped with a high-tech printing facility deploying the newest printing innovations. The internet edition of the Oxford dic- tionary, the electronic journals which are available online and the CD ROM editions have gained popularity in recent years. It is no wonder that Oxford University Press has firm positions and a significant share in academic publishing in the United States. The other major publishing house Cambridge– University Press is another high-tech publishing-printing establishment with an impressive international team of authorized editors in Cam- bridge, New York, the Californian city of Stanford, Cape town, Mel- bourne, Sao Paulo in Brazil, the Far East cities of Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok. The publishing house has a state-of-the-art printing facility equipped with both traditional (lithography and copper engraving) and modern technologies such as digital print-

202 ing in cooperation with the world-famous IBM company, which has supplied a modern printing system incorporating digital technologies in the management of the typographic and printing processes. Besides, the printing facility has a workshop for the manual binding of Bibles, hardbound books and leather cases, crafted with precision, style and fine artistic taste. There is also a very well organized marketing network in dozens of countries throughout the world. Cambridge University Press editions are in the sphere of humanitarian and public studies, natural sciences, specialized books, about 150 journals – published on behalf of the London Mathematical Society, the Physiological So- ciety, the Zoological Society of London, the British International Studies Association, etc., and their on-line equivalents. In parallel with this, Cambridge University Press publishes dozens of English textbooks and handbooks, educational editions for the elementary and secondary school, college and university books, textbooks and other study materials. A significant and lucrative share of the production is the publication of bibles. Among the most popular editions are those dedicated to the arts and history, e. g.: Cambridge Studies in Early Modern History; Freedom: A Documentary His- tory of Emancipation – about the transition period from slavery to the liberation of the Southern American Provinces in 1861 – 1867; Masterpieces of Western Art; the Cambridge books on History of Art; the Cambridge Film Classics series; Contemporary Artists and Their Critics series; the Cambridge Music Lessons series; the Ad- ventures in Music series, etc. The wide spectrum of publications of Cambridge University Press is a very good example of a diverse and well-organized structure incorporating different forms of printed communications, which builds a prestigious image of the publishing establishment. One of the most solid publishers of science and popular science editions – House of Elzevir was founded as far back as the late 16th century. The founder of this family publishing house, which gained popularity through its long family history, is the Dutchman

203 Lodewijk Elzevir, who settled in 1580 as a book seller in the Uni- versity of Leiden – the first Dutch university founded just five years prior to that. The work of Lodewijk Elzevir was continued by his sons Matthijs and Bonaventura, and later by his grandsons Isaac and Abraham. In 1620 Isaac Elzevir became the official publisher and printer for Leiden University, a position the family held until the early 18th century. The publishing house was noted for its unique esthetic layout and presentation of the books which it published in ancient Greek, Latin, Dutch, French and Arabic. Among its published editions, we need to mention the works of antiquity (Aristotle and Vergilius), the theologic works of Catholicism (Albertus Mag- nus), the works of Reformation (Calvin), and books by outstanding thinkers of the time such as Galileo Galilei, Erasmus Roterodamus, Machiavelli, Grotius, Descartes, John Locke. A very successful collection for the time was the Republics collection, which comprises small-format volumes, each one of which deals with the geography of a country, its inhabitants, economy, governments and history. The collection was translated into many languages and was successfully sold not only in the European countries but also in the colonies. The Elzevir books are distinguished with the diversity of logos. One such logo bears the motto Non Solus, and uses a symbol from antiquity, adopted by Isaac Elzevir – Lodewijk’ grandson. In the early 18th century the family publisher Elzevir ended its activity, but in 1880 a publishing association was founded in Roterdam, which assumed the motto Non Solus as well as the traditions and trade name of Elzevir. Among the first publications of the new company were scientific and literary periodicals, pocket editions, a Dutch encyclopedia by Winkler Prins and adventure novels by Jules Verne in Dutch. By the end of World War II, the company had expanded the range of its publishing interests and specialized in the edition of professional and Enlish-language scientific journals. In 1980 it received the award of the Dutch national press for high achievements in the sphere of spoken and written education. Besides the Dutch- language editions, after the 1980s, the Elzevir Group steadily boost-

204 ed their market share in the English-speaking countries. A wide repertoire of professional and business publications was offered in the United States, and in March of 1991, the company secured good positions on the American market when it bought the British office of the Oxford publisher Pergamon Press. The long-standing presence of Elzevir and its successor Elzevir Group in the world of publishing is an example of asserting strong traditions in the sphere of printed communications at an ever faster rate of growth and prosperity, going far beyond the boundaries of Dutch book publishing, and finding their rightful place in the big family of scientific and professional English-language publishing community. Universities, which officially do not do publishing business, have found a way to publish using state university funds granted for scientific and research projects, or the funding provided under different EU programs. In the heart of Europe, small European towns become hubs of scientific and university publishing activity. An example of such a town is the university town of Leuwen, not very far from the European capital Brussels. The university center, which attracts thousands of students, houses offices of the powerful publishing group Wolters Kluwer and the world-famous publisher of science and popular science literature Peeters. The Antwerp publisher Standard is present with a well-arranged Standaard Boekhandel outlet. The picture of scholarly publishing is completed with the publishing formation ACCO (Academic Cooperative) founded in 1960, which specializes in the publishing of academic literature – textbooks, teaching materials, monographs, which are presented on Dutch-language book markets and at the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair. ACCO functions as a well-organized publishing-printing complex with its own printing facility and a good marketing and distribution network for the published production. Its board of managers comprises both publishing specialists and members of the academic community at Leuwen University – teaching staff and students who own shares of the Academic Cooperative.

205 The Italian Mondadori is one of Europe’s top publishing companies. The Mondadori publishing complex, located in the Segrate suburb in the industrial area of Milan, occupies an impressive five- storey building in the form of a parallelepiped. A beautiful lake and the undulating architectural constructions of the surrounding buildings make up the exterior of one of the world’s top publishing complexes. Its founder Arnoldo Mondadori began his work as a printer and publisher in 1907 in the village of Ostiglia, region of Lombardy. He published his first magazineLuce (Light) when he was only eighteen years old. His intention was to attract the attention of the young people from the rural regions, and thus he started the juvenile series La Lampada (The Lamp). During the war he published magazines for the soldiers on the frontlines. By 1919 Edizioni Mondadori had already established its business in Milan, and had set up a printing house in Verona. He published Italian classics, and outstanding contemporary Italian authors like Luigi Pirandello, Grazia Deledda, Giovanni Verga, Giovanni Pascoli. He also worked with Gabriele D’Annunzio and purchased copyrights. Among his other publications we need to mention the Romantica series (1931) under the editorship of Giuseppe Antonio Borgese. Enciclopedia dei Ragazzi (Children’s Encyclopedia), whose major topics were geography, history, music, literature and science, was released in 1922. From 1929, he started publishing Il Giallo Mon- dadori – a very popular Italian series of mystery and crime novels. In 1935 he signed a contract with the American company Walt Dis- ney and consequently published dozens of children’s books. He also started the series Omnibus Fantastica, followed by Margaret Mitch- ell’s novel Gone with the Wind. The following year he launched the first weekly women’s fashion and design magazine Grazia, which is today published in 16 countries around the world, Bulgaria included. Between 1939 and 1945 he issued the news magazine Tempo. For a short time during the war, the headquarters of the publishing house were moved to the town of Arona, after his initial headquarters in Milan had been requisitioned at the time of the German oc-

206 cupation. After he regained his property, Arnoldo took advantage of the mass-scale Marshall plan for economic recovery in post-war Europe, and expanded his printing technology equipment with machines for printing newspapers and magazines. The publishing house picked up speed in post-war years with the literary series Biblioteca Moderna Mondadori (1948); in 1950 he started issuing the heavily-illustrated Epoch magazine, while at the same time building upon the science fiction line with the series Urania. In 1962 he launched another magazine – Panorama, which is considered to be the first news magazine in the new Italian print history. 1969 marks the beginning of a new series of world classic writers under the name of Meridiani. The authors included in this series were all well-established, e. g. Hemingway, Sartre, Remark, Montale, etc. In 1949 Mondadori opened his first overseas branch in New York, and in the 1950s, he set up a chain of company bookstores and offices all over the world. His death in 1971 put an end to a period of fast growth and stability for the publishing house. The management of the company was taken up his son Giorgio Mondadory; between 1991 and 2002 at the head of the publishing house was his nephew Arnoldo Mondadori. After Arnoldo’s death in 2002, in February of the same year, the management was taken up by Marina Berluskoni – the daughter of the former Ital- ian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. In 1976 the publishing house started issuing La Republica magazine, which is one of the most influential printed media in Italy nowadays. In 1998, the first Ital- ian information megacenter called Mondadori Informatica Multi- center was opened in Milan. The new image of the present-day big publishing corporation is made up by the multi-storey bookstore offering books, magazines and previous editions, situated on Pi- azza del Duomo, along with other book centers and modern marketing structures throughout the country (Mondadori Franchising bookstore included) and the acquisition of the distribution network Gulliver in 1998. Since 1999, the company has worked in cooperation with the global media companies Bertelsmann and Hurst Pub-

207 lishers. In the early 1990s the two companies Mondadori Group and Bertelsmann Group founded a consortium with a view to publishing the very popular monthly magazine Focus. This decade wit- nessed the issuing of other magazines as well – the teen magazine Top Girl, the IT magazine Jack, as well as the newer editions of Focus Extra, Focus Junior, Focus Storia, Focus Pico, Focus Geo, etc. In 2000 the Hurst Mondadori Consortium was founded in collaboration with Hurst Corporation. This new consortium specialized in the publication of the Italian version of the Cosmopolitan. The beginning of the new millennium was marked by the foundation of another consortium – Mondadori Rodale (a joint venture of the Italian publisher and the American Rodale Press) with the idea of issuing a monthly magazine Starbene, and the Italian version of Men’s Health magazine. The traditional book publishing business is concentrated in the Books Department of Mondadori Group, under the leadership of the General Manager Gian Arturo Ferrari. Mondadori Books work along several theme lines – editions intended for the general public, children’s literature included, contemporary authors, literary classics, education and art books. The publishing group has a subsidiary company – Random House Mondadori. In 2008 alone, the company’s output amounted to 2695 new titles and 5 225 second and third editions, with revenues totaling 434,3 million Euros, which represents a solid 28,8 percent of the overall published production in Italy. In this respect, Mondadori Group outstrips its traditional competitors RCS Group, GEMS Group, Feltrinelli, etc. The structure of Mondadori Group incorporates also: Harlequin Mondadori (a joint venture with the Canadian Harlequin Enterprises from 1981) – specialized in publishing fiction for women; the Electa holding – specialized in publishing history of art books and illustrated editions; the publishing houses Edizioni Mondadori, Edizioni Piemme and Giulio Einaudi Editore. Mondadori Education (Edizioni Mon- dadori) (since 2008) is a company with offices in Milan, Bologna and Florence, which covers all spheres of Italian education – from

208 elementary to higher education, publishing specialized periodicals alongside the educational materials. Art Mondadori is another structure within Mondadori Group, specializing in art books intended for non-specialists, and offered in attractive graphic designs and layouts. Mondadori Digital is a publishing structure within Mondadori Group since 2008. It unites the activity of digital media in Italy and France in 26 web sites, offering the electronic equivalents of Donna Moderna, the Cosmopolitan, TV Sorrisi e canzone, Grazia, and the French Auto Plus, Auto Journal, Closer, Top Sante, FHM, etc. More recently, license agreements have allowed the publication of periodicals such as Flair Mondadori (with a version in Austria), the Thaiinterior design magazine (a version of the popular Casaviva magazine, which is also issued in Bulgaria, India, Greece and Serbia), the Interni magazine for interior design and architecture (with a Russian version). Since 1980 the Mondadori Group has incorporated a publishing house with a long history and traditions in Milan publishing – Sperlig & Kupfer, which was first founded in 1899. Nowadays its repertoire includes titles in the sphere of science fiction and popular science, translated world-famous authors such as Danielle Steel, Mary Higgins Clark, Stephen King, and contemporary Italian authors. There are two divisions in this publishing house: Francinelli – a publisher with a wide literary profile, founded in 1931, and Mon- dadori Informatica – publishing books aimed at professionals in IT technologies. The distribution and advertisement of the published production and the printed and electronic media of the publishing group is in the hands of an independent structure – Mondadori Publicista. Towards the end of 2010 the total published output amounted to 54,4 million copies, 2379 of which were new titles, with the revenue totalling 413,9 million Euros. In 2010 the Mondadori Group occu- pied a little over 34 percent of the magazine market and 27 percent of the book market in Italy. The group’s catalogue for the Frankfurt Fair included 800 titles of printed editions and another 400 digital 209 ones. In the summer of that year an electronic library and an on-line book-store with titles in both English and Italian were launched. A contract was signed with the international structure Amazon for distribution and sale of their production. The modern distribution of book production assumes diverse forms such as book mail and book clubs (women’s literature, men’s literature, children’s literature, music books, religious books, books aimed at the general public). But along with these, there are also retail sales and direct marketing accomplished with the support of Cemit Interactive Media. The Mondadori Group invests also in Eastern Europe: it has shares in Atika Media Bulgaria Ltd – the company issues the Bul- garian equivalent of Grazia magazine and Maxim magazine, and is a licensee of Playboy magazine for our country. Bulgarians have also worked for Mondadori Group through the years. The artist Ivan Gongalov worked in the Milan office in the early 1970s and was even promoted to the position of art director. He took part in international book exhibitions presenting the Ital- ian book illustration. One such exhibition was held in Bratislava in 1971. Zornitsa Krachmarova is an editor of the Mondadori’s economic magazine Economi. She is also author of journalistic investi- gations with repercussions across the whole of Italy. The activity of Mondadori Publishing Group was not free from scandals, which resounded in the Italian press. After twenty years of court trials at all levels of the judicial institution, the Fininvest holding, controlled by Silvio Berlusconi’s family and managed by Silvio Berlusconi’s eldest daughter Marina Berlusconi, which had the control package of Mondadori, was sentenced, in the middle of 2011, by the Milan Appellate Court, to pay a solid sum (about 560 million euro) in damages to its media rival CIR, controlled by Carlo De Benedetti. Most recently, the media corporation Media- set, thought to be one of the most powerful corporations in printing business on the Apennines, issues some of the most popular printed media in Italy: the Grazia magazine, the Il Giornale newspaper, and the weekly Panorama. Of course, we cannot overlook La Republica newspaper, which was founded at the time of Giorgio

210 Mondadori, and has earned a rightful place in Italian printed media. It needs to be mentioned that the Grazia magazine earned its world renown under the management of Carla Vanni, who managed to find the perfect correspondence between graphic design and adequate thematic content, with attractive illustrations and “live” photographs, effective color pictures, catchy headlines, good backgrounds and illustrative materials. The Grazia magazine is published not only in Italy, but in many other countries around the world: the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Australia, India, China, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. A good example of gradual development, expansion and diversification is the multilateral and enduring business of the Dutch publishing house Egmont. The foundations were laid in 1878 in the working class neighborhood of Copenhagen. Today it is a powerful and successful Scandinavian company which has spread its business on the territory of 32 countries – Denmark, the United King- dom, Russia, Ukraine, China, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Check Repub- lic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, among the others. The headquarters is now located in Vognmagergade. Egmont Harald Petersen is the founder of the company. He started the business with a small monochrome printing machine, which, with efficient and high-quality work, returned the initial -in vestment in just one year. With the support of his mother Petrin, he showed exceptional talent in illustrated printing. He took publishing risks, supplied new equipment, hired staff and gained popularity in Denmark with the good quality of his editions. He followed closely all innovations in the world of printing and applied them in his company. In 1892 he was the first in Denmark to print a colored image. In 1895 twenty-five people were employed in Egmont Peter- son’s company. In the mid 1890s an important client of the company was the lady’s magazine Damernes Blad. At the turn of the new century, Egmont Petersen credited the magazine, made it over 211 into a family magazine and changed its name to Home (Himiet). The print run has boomed from 2000 copies at that time to 24 000 copies nowadays. In 1914 Egmont was awarded the title of “Printer of the Danish royal court” for his exquisite work in graphic techniques and his achievements in the sphere of printing. Unfortunately, on the 5th of August that same year he passed away. The name of the company was changed to Gutenbergus. From a printing house, the business gradually turned into a leading publishing structure under the management of Jens Christian Petersen. The company started a publishing business, started dealing in paper, and set up an advertising agency. The headquarters were moved to downtown Copen- hagen, and the number of customers boomed. The number of employees also rose to a thousand people, and the number of printing presses – to two hundred. After Jens’ death, the management was taken over by Axel Eg- mont Petersen – Egmont’s eldest son. Four years later the singer and song-writer Dan Folk, who worked in the US, joined the management board, and secured a license for the company from the Ameri- can magazine Reader’s Digest. The Norwegian and Danish version of the magazine gained popularity and boosted the image of the company. Folk was also the driving force behind the magazine Alt for Damerne (All for Ladies) since 1946. Two years later Folk purchased from Walt and Roy Disney the copyright to publish the Donald Duck comics in Scandinavia, targeted at children and juvenile readers. The copyrights for other Disney characters were also purchased. Authors were invited to create original new stories. The Gutenbergus Publish- ing Service subsidiary was established. In the late 1950s, the Donald Duck magazine reached a print run of 140 000 copies for Denmark alone, from a monthly edition it became a weekly, and was circulated in other European countries such as the Netherlands and Germany. The Asterix comic series also gained popularity. In the early 1960s, the Aschehoug printing facility was bought, which allowed faster publication of books. Publishing subsidiaries were set up – originally in Germany and later, in the 1970s – in the United Kingdom.

212 The global trend for corporate restructuring and forming larger and more powerful publishing structures affected the Gutenber- gus too. In the mid 1980s the company acquired new structures – the Norwegian publishing house Damm (1984); the Munich-based Danish publisher Franz Schneider Verlag (1985); even the Forlaget Litas company was bought, which specialized in children’s toys and children’s literature. The final step in the consolidation of the company was the acquisition of Lademan Group (1988), which had control over Comma Press, Holkenfelt and Sesam publishing houses. Duting the first years of the democratic changes in the former socialist countries – the early 1990s, Gutenbergus opened subsidiary companies in Poland, Russia, the Check Republic. In that period the company completed a merger with the long-standing film company Nordisk film, and changed the name to Egmont. In 1991 the publishing house Egmont – Bulgaria was set up, and in the years that followed it established itself as a leader in publishing children’s literature. In the United Kingdom, Egmont bought the children’s division of Read Publishing (1998). In Denmark, at the turn of the new century, Egmont acquired the Dutch publisher Bonnier (2007), and its subsidiaries Aschehoug and Lademan were merged into one joint subsidiary under the name of Aschehoug (2003). The company also established itself in the distribution of electronic entertainment and products such as the Play Station game and its equivalent Play Station Portable in the Scandinavian region. Nowadays, Egmont creates and publishes a considerable number of diverse comic books, textbooks, pre-school teaching materials and magazines, in cooperation with the world leaders in copyright ownership. Among the popular brands that were established over the years we can mention Winnie the Pooh and Bratz. The company owns five publishing houses in Scandinavia, has firm positions on the children’s books market in Europe, enjoys a good reception in Asia, and ranks second in the sale of children’s books in the UK. It publishes books in about twenty countries, and is one of Europe’s top publishers in the sphere of children’s books. It is a

213 leader in all publishing spheres in Scandinavia, with firm positions in film advertisements and film copyright business. Through Nor- disk film, Egmont has a part in producing feature films, advertisements and TV shows. Egmont is in television and printed media business. The development of this major Scandinavian company epitomizes the trend for growth and expansion of the publishing industry in Europe, its consolidation and diversification into all spheres of publishing and media business.

* * * The contribution of the different publishing associations to the development and growth of modern printed media is not to be overlooked. For example, the General Assembly of European Book Publishers is a very active organization. TheInternational Publish- ers Association (IPA) is an international industry federation rep- resenting all aspects of book and journal publishing. Founded in 1896, it represents the world’s national publishers associations in all international forums, most importantly before WIPO, WTO, UNESCO, etc. In the words of the Secretary General of the Inter- national Publishers Association, Mr. Jens Bammel, speaking for the Bulgarian magazine Izdatel (Publisher), “Associations can assist in developing standards. Open standards such as the reformed ISBN, the digital objects identifier, ONIX, EPUB etc. create a level playing field and create the conditions for open competition and a diverse internet infrastructure.” (Izdatel, 2012, № 3 – 4, p. 6). He also said in the same interview that today, more than ever, copyright protection is the most important legal instrument through which IPA can assist the work of authors and publishers on a global scale (Ibid.). Among the American professional associations, we can single out the American Booksellers Association, the National Association of College Stores, the American Library Association, the Children’s Book Council at the International Author’s Club (PEN), the Inter- national Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publish- ers, the Society for Scholarly Publishing, and the American Medical

214 Publishers Association. From among the most authoritative related organizations contributing to the success and prosperity of the publishing business, we should give credit to the Association of Ameri- can Publishers, a structure which encompasses upwards of 300 organizations, with the publishing units known as university presses included. This huge association is involved in a number of activities related to promotion of reading and monitoring the freedom of speech and press; it provides updated information to its members on book sales and book trade, announces government decisions bear- ing upon the publishing business, as well as practical programs for successful management of publishing companies; it promotes the communication with related organizations and associations. There are a number of committees working within the structure of this association: the Freedom to Read Committee, the Copyright Commit- tee, the World Press Freedom Committee, the Postal Committee – a body regulating and coordinating the activities related to postal expenses, and also committees on legal, insurance and statistical mat- ters. Under the Association of American Publishers, there is a De- partment for publishing professional literature and scientific works, which clarifies the specific aspects of the publishing process in each thematic line. The International Department of the association contributes to boosting sales through organizing seminars, courses, participation in international book fairs, involvement in publishing projects and purchasing copyrights for editions in English. In the United Kingdom, Publishers Association UK has a solid impact on the printed communications of the country. The number of its members amounts to 4410 publishers, who are responsible for 80 percent of the turnover in book publishing business. The UK publishers with the greatest contribution in this aspect are: Black- well Publishing, Simon and Schuster, Penguin, Macmillan, Taylor and Francis Group, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Edinburgh University Press, Orion, Hodder and Headline, Random House Group, Elzevir Ltd., Walkers Books, Faber & Faber, Facet Publishing, etc.

215 In Bulgaria, a big contributor to printed communications is the Association of Bulgarian Book Publishers, which was founded in 1994. Today it is known as Bulgarian Book Association. It is a union of a large number of publishing houses which are actively present on the Bulgarian market. It is actively involved in the organization of many national and international book fairs, Christmas book fairs and scientific forums both in the country and abroad. It is also responsible for organizing and supporting its members in participating in the big Frankfurt Book Fair with their own exhibition stands. The Association works in the sphere of legal initiatives related to intellectual property protection, and is a vocal advocate for publishing business in the cultural policy of the country. Most recently, the Association has created an Ethical Charter of the Bul- garian Book Publishers, Book Dealers, Literary Agents, Libraries and Translators. No doubt, one of the greatest challenges of the modern world is the struggle between printed and electronic media to win the attention of the general public. In this long-lasting and severe battle, the global network proved to be a decisive factor. The bookstore outlets are becoming more effective in selling books online. The book is increasingly perceived as a form of printed media which becomes more attractive, more communicative, more marketable and more profitable when offered on the internet. Periodicals, when offered online, are perceived on a par with their original and traditional printed versions, and are seen as complementing each other. The dynamic development of printed communications has posed a challenge in terms of innovations in the publishing and printing production processes. We all remember that in the late 1980s and early 1990s the former socialist countries members of the former Council for Mutual Economic Assistance started a process of sweeping democratic changes. The changes in the relations within society, the radical replacement of totalitarian ideas with democratic ones went in parallel with the replacement of printing equipment and the introduction of the first innovations in the printing

216 and publishing houses, after years of firmly set and dogmatized approach revolving around the traditional, the established and the “usual” practices and processes. Many production units equipped with linotype and monotype printing presses were closed. The practice of using the poisonous lead-and-tin formulation in linotype and monotype setting was ended. The line-casting and single character casting technologies used in high print were replaced by computer typesetting and modern publishing software. The form- setting department stopped functioning, the photozincography method, which presented an occupational hazard, was phased out. The new production units of the printing facilities started using the first originals of books, newspapers, magazines, advertising materials and stationery printed on laser printers upon rice paper or foil. Hardly any publisher would have guessed at the time that sustained growth would be impossible without new investments – into well- equipped computer halls for publishing and editing activities both for books and periodicals, into desktop publishing software which was steadily and inexorably taking over, into new studios for modern graphic design. What publisher of large print-run periodicals could have sus- pected that it would take very fast orientation and adequate investment into innovations of modern printed communications in order to stay in the printing business? That the urge would be to supply new production lines, to replace the existing printing methods with fast and effective new production technologies that meet the demands of the ever more diverse types of printed materials. To take an innovative approach in monitoring the quality of the product and to provide a constant flow of feedback all along the production line. Thus both publishers and printers were faced with a new challenge in the middle of the 1990s – the need for quick, adequate and timely investments in expanding the production of both books and periodicals. The first steps in Bulgaria were to -re place all high print technology, even its culminating version – the stereotypy, with the conventional offset printing technology, and

217 later by the waterless offset, in combination with the options provided by the computerization of printing. It gradually became clear that this was not enough. What it took was also efficiency, cutting down production time and production costs – a feature provided by Computer-to-Plate technology, in which a computer system, in conjunction with an exposure device, transforms the image of the text and illustrations in the offset aluminum plate. Thus, at the turn of the second millennium, a new challenge loomed before printing specialists – the ever increasing need to digitalize the processes in the sphere of printed communications. Initially, digital print looked like an expensive asset, but it soon became clear that, in the case of small and medium print runs, it is both convenient and practical and considerably shortens the path from the original to the printing press. It is a preferred method for university publishers, advertising and publishing houses, printing houses working both with the conventional and digital printing methods, especially with smaller print runs and high-quality production. The digitalization in the sphere of printed communications has led to the creation of modern configurations – a combination between digital and waterless (dry) offset printing. Some of the biggest producers of printing equipment – Heidelberg, Manroland, Komori – are working in this direction. The DICO-WEB method allows the computer to complete the exposure directly upon the form cylinder, upon which the old information is deleted and new information can be exposed. Of course, digitalization in the world of printed communications goes hand in hand with modern nano technologies used in preparing the form for printing. As for deep print, which is almost completely out of use in our country, it is still being applied in the countries with well developed economies, and is successful thanks to the symbiosis of information and printing technologies – through the method of electronic engraving upon the form cylinder and the computer-to- cylinder technology, which was only recently introduced. In the theory of printed communications it is an accepted truth that printing is the technological foundation of the publish-

218 ing industry and that the innovations in printing have a profound impact upon the work of publishers. The main implication of technical prosperity is the reduction of publishing and printing costs and the corresponding reduction in the price of the end product. Even though printing developed as a separate business through the centuries, it was not until the middle of the 20th century that the printed production of books was defined as a separate industry in terms of large print runs, specific characteristics and diversification of the activities. The newspaper industry is not far from book publishing as regards the common technological processes. Computer innovations during the 1980s, thanks to which journalists could typeset their own articles, rather than submit them to typesetters and linotype press operators, led to serious discontent in the trade unions. They were, however, finally forced to resign to the new developments, and so, in the British capital, for example, the newspaper industry moved out of the proverbial Fleet Street and into new well-equipped premises in the City. The Australian tycoon Rupert Murdoch bought the Times newspaper and settled on the prestigious market of the United Kingdom. The acquisition, however, led to some complications because of Murdoch’s decision to move the headquarters of the Times in 1986 to a modern well-equipped facility in Wapping in East London. This move was followed by the other big newspaper publishers. The effect was revolutionary – the newspapers now had more pages, multi-color illustrations, columns, supplements and sections thanks to the advance in information technologies and the innovations in desktop publishing and printing. Thousands of jobs were made redundant, the costs of publishing and printing were markedly reduced and profits skyrocketed. Even though the 1980s were not very favorable for the newspaper industry in Europe and the world, the second technical revolution had a great impact on publishing both periodicals and books. On the one hand, there was an increase in joint ownership of periodicals and publishing houses, as was the case with Murdoch, on the other – the domination of computer innovations in publishing

219 business forced new approaches and radical changes in the structures and in the communication between authors, publishers, editors and printing units, and thence the change in the overall economic relations within the branch. There are innovations in the management of the big publishing structures in the sphere of printed media in the US too. A good example of this is the control of the Sulzberger family over the New York Times. In 1963, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger became publisher of the newspaper and also chairman of the Board and chief executive of the New York Times company. At that time the newspaper had an established name, regular subscribers and numerous unsubscribed readers who bought the newspaper, yet the time was also characterized by financial volatility. Arthur, however, had the necessary qualities of a good manager and succeeded in leading the publishing company to prosperity. In 1992, Arthur Sulzberger Jr. took over the management of the publishing house from his father, and in 1997 he inherited the chairmanship of the Board. “The Times was now national in scope, distributed from coast to coast, and it had become the heart of a diversified, multibillion-dollar media operation that came to encompass newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations and online ventures. The expansion reflected Mr. Sulz- berger’s belief that a news organization, above all, had to be profitable if it hoped to maintain a vibrant, independent voice.” These were the words of Clyde Haberman in his memorial speech, published in the New York Times issue from September 30, 2012, at the death of Arthur Sulzberger. President Obama also held him in high esteem and praised Mr. Sulzberger as “a firm believer in the importance of a free and independent press, one that isn’t afraid to seek the truth, hold those in power accountable and tell the stories that need to be told.” (Ibid.) The foundations of The New York Times were laid on Septem- ber 18, 1851, when the first issue of the new newspaper was published in New York. Its founders were Henry Jarvis Raymond and

220 George Jones. In the inaugural edition they declared their intention to make it a daily newspaper, issued every morning, with the exception of Sundays. The daily was intended as a cheap newspaper, sold for only a penny, and it claimed to avoid sensations and present its content in a concise and objective manner. The first issues of the newspaper brought success and popularity because its managers opted to cater for the interests of the intelligent and culturally aware readers, rather than the general public. The crisis in the East and the national liberation movements on the Balkan Peninsula were also covered by the newspaper. However, high moral attitude, objective journalism and well-balanced articles were, unfortunately, not enough in the severe competition with other New York City newspapers. The publishers were forced to raise its price, but the newspaper was making losses of 1000 dollars per week. To avoid bankruptcy, the owners sold the newspaper to Adolph Sulzberger Ochs. The flexible editorship allowed the newspaper to cover and analyze important events – such as the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, and the major events during the two World Wars, which boosted its public image. It won its first Pulitzer for the accurate and objective articles and reports on the final stages of World War One. The newspaper stayed with the typical eight-column format until 1976, but then switched to six columns, following the other big newspapers, which had already adopted the six-column format, in order to make it more convenient both for their readers and their advertisers. In the early 1960s, the management team made an unsuccessful attempt to create a national edition, which was to be distributed in the West of the country, all the way to the Pacific coast of the US. But in 1976, under the suggestion of the manager of the newspaper, it started publishing in four sections (rather than in two, as it had previously). The newspaper started publishing an independent business section and a section dedicated to news from New York. In the same year, they added four Sunday regional sections aimed at the rich suburban dwellers of the megapolis. Each issue was sup-

221 plemented by mini magazines focusing on recreation and leisure activities for New Yorkers. In 1980, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger was personally in charge of the launching of a new nationwide edition. Having learned from his previous failure, he commissioned the printing of a version of the newspaper to regional printing houses and divisions throughout the country, which was in effect a lot cheaper than the distribution of the New-York-printed newspaper to the different states by plane. This time the national edition succeeded and part of the reason for this was the launching of advertising activities. More recently, the circulation of this national edition of the printed newspaper amounts to 779 731 copies (http://www.nytimes.com / 2012 / 09 / 30 / nyregion / arthur-o-sulzberger-publisher-who-transformed-times-dies-at-86). Even in the years when the company was financially stable, the control remained in the hands of the Sulzberger family. The publishing family managed to overcome internal struggles, confron- tation and envy, which typically ravage most publishing dynasties and have a negative impact on the overall corporate business. In this connection, Clyde Haberman was right to point out: “At Mr. Sulzberger’s death, The Times was being run by a fourth generation of his family, a rarity in an age when the management of most American newspapers is determined by distant corporate boards. A family trust, unaffected by his death, guarantees continued control by Adolph Ochs’s descendants. It was no coincidence, Mr. Sulzberger believed, that some of the country’s finest newspapers were family- owned. “My conclusion is simple,” he once said with characteristic humor. “Nepotism works.” (Clyde Haberman, Ibid). Let us, however, go back to one very important characteristic of the managerial approach of the Sulzberger family – the incredible flair for introducing innovations in the work of The New York Times. New technologies were constantly implemented, circulation was going up. In 1995, the idea for an online edition was launched; an important innovation in the following year was the web-site, which was to attract large readership in the years that followed.

222 Color photography started to dominate the printed edition after 1997. Special editions for the regions of New England and Wash- ington were launched during this period. In 2005 the publishing house started offering the special subscription service Times Se- lect – which allowed subscribers access to the online edition of the newspaper, but two years later the service was discontinued and all the content – news, editorials, articles and much of its archive – was made available to the general public. The newspaper invested almost one billion in new printing facilities, however incredible it may seem in the eyes of the skeptics in the world of publishing. It was not long before the innovative approaches in printing technologies started to yield good results. An important step in the management policy of the Sulzberger family was the launching of the electronic version Times Reader in 2006. This allowed subscribers to download the latest issue of the printed newspaper. Improvement of the conditions for publishing and editing was also a priority – the following year The New York Times headquarters were moved to a new building on Eighth Av- enue in Manhattan. Seeking not to fall behind its competitors, the company reconsidered its role in the context of the free-of-charge and freely-available internet content. In 2011, The Times implemented a subscription plan for its digital edition, which restricted access to its content. Thanks to his ingenuity, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger managed to transform the media. During the 1970s, when the other related publishing structures sought to reduce costs, The New York Times manager expanded the newspaper from two to four sections, adding two new sections for city news and business news, and introduced new columns catering for his customers’ interests. Even though the initiative was risky, it was based on the idea that the columns would attract new customers, especially women, as well as advertisers. As Clyde Haberman pointed out in his memorial speech: “Some critics dismissed the feature sections as unworthy of a serious newspaper. But the sections – Sports Monday, Science Times, Living, Home and

223 Weekend – were an instant success, without compromising the paper’s hard-news core. They were widely imitated. Over the next two decades, a billion-dollar investment in new printing facilities made still more innovations possible, among them a national edition, special regional editions and the daily use of color photos and graphics. (Clyde Haberman, Ibid). The philosophy of the notable manager Arthur Ochs Sulzberg- er is definitive and firm, it is a life-long and unwavering position – a news publishing structure ought to be financially independent and economically powerful enough to withstand its firm and independent positions. As Clyde Haberman pointed out in the above quoted speech, “Mr. Sulzberger’s insistence on independence was shown in his decision in 1971 to publish a secret government history of the Vietnam War known as the Pentagon Papers. It was a defining moment for him and, in the view of many journalists and historians, his finest. In thousands of pages, this highly classified archive detailed Washing- ton’s legacy of deceit and evasion as it stumbled through an unpopu- lar war. When the Pentagon Papers were divulged in a series of articles in June 1971, an embarrassed Nixon administration demanded that the series be stopped immediately, citing national security considerations. The Times refused, on First Amendment grounds, and won its case in the United States Supreme Court in a landmark ruling on press freedom.” (Clyde Haberman, Ibid). And indeed, in the memorable 1971, the media group was in the center of a dispute after publishing a series of reports based on the Pentagon Papers – confidential government papers on the US involvement in the Vietnam War, which were secretly leaked to the newspaper by a government employee. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the publication was protected by the freedom of speech clause in the First Amendment of the American Constitution. The Pentagon Papers won the media company the Pu- litzer award a year later.

224 (http://www.britannica.com / EBchecked / topic / 412546 / The- New-York-Times). Other more recent examples of asserting the freedom of speech and press are the firm stand that The New York Times took in the case of Julian Assange and the Wikileaks site (2010), and later the publications in The New York Times regarding the information leaked by Edward Snowden on operational details of a global sur- veillance scheme run by the National Security Agency (2013). By 2011, the newspaper had won 106 Pulitzer awards, outstrip- ping many top American and World media outlets on this indicator. In separate sections and columns, the newspaper often includes news, articles, reviews, and comments on bestsellers, new books and readers’ preferred book series, which in effect keeps the readers’ interest in books alive. Based on data provided by the Editor and Publisher magazine, the on-line equivalent of The New York Times for February 2007 had about 13 million customers and 456 million visits registered per year. It is also a leader in terms of the average time spent in the on-line edition – 37,9 minutes (nytymes.com – Most Popular Newspapers Site – Here is Top 30. //www.editordandpublisher.com [online Editor & Publisher]). This is the most visited media site with an online version of a printed edition, followed by the Wash- ington Post, the USA Today, the Los Angelis Time and the Wall Street Journal. Having survived the vicissitudes of time, often finding itself in the center of major information events accompanied by scandalous disclosures and hovering more than once on the verge of prosecu- tion, the management team of the big publishing company, together with its regional subsidiary media outlets, and thanks to the innovations and modern publishing and printing technologies, continues to thrive today and remains a paragon of stable and advanced management in the world of printed communications and in the face of severe competition and the challenges of the global market.

225 * * * Catering for the modern aspects of printed communications is still on the European agenda. At the end of April 2008, the so called Printing facility of the future was opened in Dusseldorf on premises provided by Print-Plus Media North Rhine-Westphalia. This is a non-profit association which serves as a kind of a know- how center of innovations, technologies and digital print, providing a wide circle of specialists with information on the latest developments and equipment for their publishing and printing facilities. At the end of October 2008, under the auspices of the Manroland company – a big supplier of technologies and equipment in the sphere of printed communications, the Third Balkan Printing Forum took place in Istanbul. In her speech, Beatrice Cloze – the Secretary Gen- eral of Integraf (European Federation for Print and Digital Commu- nication, with headquarters in Brussels) dwelled on some trends in the development of printing industry – the number of employees on the territory of the European Union is going down due to a drop in profitability; the number of specialists and managers in this branch is also going down, with the US and Japan expected to continue this trend in the near future; bankruptcies and mergers are not un- typical in the branch. According to Cloze, efforts should be made to reduce production costs, which will open new opportunities for growth; investments are needed in the sphere of human resources, employee health care and improvement of the working conditions; complex solutions in the sphere of communications and value-added services should be offered to customers (the printing business can influence the process of increasing the quality and value of production by setting aside from their own profit margin for “content and performance”). According to statistical data from Integraf, in 2005, there were 130 000 operational printing facilities in the 27 member states of the European Union, with 870 000 employees and specialists involved, the Republic of Bulgaria still not included in this statistics. In the branch of printed communications, the number of small businesses and “micro” enterprises is important, their

226 business targeted at the domestic market and dependent on advertising, their investment mainly in equipment and very little in research and development. The share of digital printing has been increased considerably – 14 percent, while the share of offset printing has dropped from 91 to 57 percent. The share of the other printing services is also going up. Import from China is also on the increase, the leaders in import being France, the Netherlands and Spain. Books, catalogues, magazines and user manuals for a wide range of products are among the most typical imports. There is a growing need for unification of standards in the branch. Special emphasis is laid upon education and training of young printing specialists. On the 7th and 8th November, 2008, a scientific conference was held in Barcelona on issues related to the opportunities for growth and development of young specialists in the branch. A few years later, after years of economic crisis and stagnation, Integraf depicted a picture which was not much different from the first one. It even outlined some negative trends. The summarized data in Integraf’s annual report, which was released in 2013 and included statistical data from the Bulgarian printing industry as well, shows that there are currently 121 000 printing business and companies in the European Union, with 714 000 people in employment and a total turnover of about 88 billion Euros per year (Poligrafia, 2013, № 4, р. 31). A few words about the printed communications in Russia. The Federal Agency for print and mass communication (Federalnoe agentsvo po pechati i massovyi comunikatsii) is a very active factor there. It uses an internet site to provide information to thousands of managers and specialists in the branch about different initiatives, scientific forums, promotions and presentations in the sphere of communications. A national program is implemented with the support of the government, seeking to promote reading. The Rus- sian Book Union has earned a place of authority in the country, implementing important initiatives to promote the book and encourage publishing business and book trading. In the sphere of applied scientific research, there have been held branch conferences, among 227 which we can mention Sredtstva massovyi informatsii, knigoizdanie, poligrafia: itogi 2005 goda i perespectivyi razvitiya” (Mass media, book-publishing and printing) (2005); “Knigoizdanie v Rosii. Sostoy- anie, tendentsii i persepectiv razvitiya” (Book publishing in Russia. The current state, trends and growth prospects) (2009). FAPMK’s leader, M. W. Seslavinski, studied the dynamics of the media industry and his report was released on the agency’s web site. According to its statistics, there are 59 184 registered printed mass media outlets and 12 770 registered electronic mass media outlets in the Russian Fed- eration, with the CTC Media singled out as the biggest investor. The printed periodicals that were sold in 2006, for example, amounted to a total value of 67,9 billion Russian Rubles. The most sensational deal of the year was the acquisition of the publishing house Kommersant by A. Usmanov, Director General of Gazprominvest holding. Other companies with strong positions during this period were: “Bazovyi element” (Base Element) – owner of OVA Press and holding a large share of stocks in “Gruppa Expert” (Expert Group); “Proff Media” – owner of the “Afish” publishing house and three TV channels; Be- rezkin’s ESN group, which bought the control package of shares at “Komsomolskaya Pravda” (Komsomol Truth) and also owned other newspapers and magazines; the “Media Press” publishing-printing complex, which owned the newspapers “Argumentyi i faktyi (Argu- ments and Facts) and “Trud” (Labour) as well as some newly acquired publishing and printing structures; and last but not least – Radi- onov Publishing house – owner of magazines such as “She”, “XXL”, “FHM”, “Тop Sante”, as well as some electronic media. It is obvious that the Russian market was also characterized by mergers and acquisitions, resulting in consolidation of the media assets and an increase in investment over the last years. According to data provided by Seslavinski, the total circulation of Russian newspapers in 2006 amounted to 1,85 billion copies, about half of which were printed on luxurious glossy paper, and 600 000 copies were printed in foreign printing facilities. In the period 2003 – 2006, 18 new printing facilities were opened for the printing of newspapers and magazines; 27

228 federal and 9 republican publishing-printing complexes were set up for color printing of periodicals. The production of printing presses for newspapers and periodicals was restarted in the Russian city of Rybinsk by the Industrial Venture Company. The Inter-regional As- sociation of Printers is another active organization in the Russian Federation. The process of reforming the state-owned companies continued. But 57 out of 6000 printing companies continued to hold 65 percent of the publication of black-and-white books. In the sphere of printing school textbooks, their share was 80 percent, while in printing newspapers their share was much smaller – 40 percent of the printed periodicals. Some of the bigger state-owned publishing structures continued to work successfully, especially in the sphere of scientific and academic publications. We are well acquainted with the books published by the “Piter” publishing house in St. Petersburg, as well as the “Unity-Dana” and “Kniga” (Book) publishers in Moscow. Special- ists are also acquainted with the specialized edition “Poligrafist – Izdatel” (Printer-Publisher). A major contribution to the study of printed communications and technologies is provided by the series “Tehnologii Print Media”(Print Media technologies) issued jointly by the Moskovskii Gosudarstvenyi Universitet Pechati (Moscow State University of Print Arts), the Russian-American Center for Print- ing Technologies and the Komline company. The series was launched in 2004 in Russian language, and its authors were involved in the activity of major branch associations in North America, such as GATF and NAPL. The research and production enterprise “Nauka” Publishing house, Moscow, is another impressive example. In practice, this is the biggest publishing-printing complex for scientific literature, which has its own printing facilities, publishing house and a chain of company stores. A successor in spirit to the Academic typog- raphy from 1727 in St. Petersburg, this big Moscow-based printing house started business in 1922 in the Soviet capital. In 1945 it was passed over in the hands of the Soviet Academy of Sciences,

229 and in the 1990s turned into the leading publishing and printing structure of the Russian Academy of Sciences with a total output of over 2500 titles per year and a total print run of over four million copies of books and magazines. The desktop publishing and printing process use the best of modern technologies – multi-color and uni-color print, digital print, automated book-binding processes for both paperback and hardbound books, illustrated albums and encyclopedias. There is also a special department for hand-made art book-binding. On December 18 – 19, 2008, a major scientific forum was organized on the premises of the printing house – the international conference “Knizhnaya kultura. Opyit proshlogo i Proble- myi sovremenosti: K 280‑letyu akademicheskogo knigoizdatelstvo v Rosii” (Book culture. The experience of the past and the problems of the present. Towards the 280th anniversary of academic book publishing in Russia). Nauka publishing house published a voluminous scientific collection of the materials presented at the conference, among which there were studies of the book of science and of the academic publishing activity in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belarus and Germany. Modern printed communications encompass many diverse activities in the sphere of publishing business, printing techniques, the print of periodicals and books, and the distribution and storage of printed production, and they need the support of the branch organizations, the trade unions and other organizations within the member states of the European Union. In the difficult and dynamic new age, the newly acceded member states need new concepts, new strategies, and new regulation in order to cope with the new challenges and to keep pace with the European trends. At the start of the new millennium, Bulgarian book publishing is characterized by certain trends which rank it with the other member states of the European Union both in terms of publishing business and in terms of the theoretical and practical aspects in the preparation and production of the Bulgarian book. The model which the Bulgarian book is following provides good grounds for

230 optimism. The breakdown of ideological structures responsible for centralized and planned book publishing is complete now. Book publishing business has been transformed for the most part into stock companies and a number of smaller sole traders. There are serious publishing ventures on the part of public institutions, organizations, universities, academic units. Modern Bulgarian book publishing is increasingly characterized by marked trends towards profiling and specializing; insti- tutionalization; orientation towards market economy and a sharp decrease in the share of state publishing. State book publishing is in effect limited to academic and institutional literature published on behalf of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, some of the larger universities and some research institutes. Bulgarian book publishing is present on the narrow book market with clearer concepts and well defined theme profiles of the publishing repertoires. The most welcome production on the Bulgarian market is the production of school textbooks and aiding materials for the elementary and secondary school levels, followed closely by specialized literature in the sphere of applied activities such as foreign language learning, computer programs and IT materials, economic and law books. Several publishers of translated fiction have carved a niche for themselves on the Bulgarian market. The general preference for English authors continues, followed by Spanish, French, German, Russian and Scandinavian. Only a few big publishers have shown a lasting interest in publishing Bulgarian authors of fiction. In the sphere of school, scientific and specialized literature, however, Bul- garian authors have a solid share, and there are plentiful examples of this in many different fields, mostly in humanitarian sciences – History and its diverse subfields such as Archeology, Thracology, Medieval History, Modern and Contemporary History, along with Book Publishing, Media and Communications Studies, Literature Studies, History of Literature, Linguistics, etc. New forms of distribution and promotion of books, tested in European and global practice, are being implemented in Bulgar-

231 ia, in which the traditional forms of stationary sale are combined with the opportunities provided by the more advanced information technologies. The practices of building local publishing networks, promoting editions through specially designed web pages and the introduction of electronic book stores have worked their way into Bulgaria too. Along with this, the promotion of the publishing activities is brought to a higher level through diverse forms of journalistic genres (the publicity department of the publishing house is responsible for providing adequate, timely and useful information about the newly published books, becoming a part of a wider marketing campaign for the book). In support of Bulgarian publishing are the national and international book fairs and exhibitions organized in Sofia; the presentations of authors and book series, of editorial and publishing teams, organized for a wider audience of readers in different libraries, museums, schools and universities; the use of the opportunities provided by electronic media to promote the work of publishing houses with diverse profiles of theme content. Book promotion is gradually turning into a very apt and well organized form of public communication. There is a marked trend towards promoting book editions in the printed media – many Bulgarian newspapers dedicate a special section, column or a whole page to promoting new books, theme series and even electronic editions or combined multi-media products. In the form of book reviews, interviews, covers of promotional events, etc., newspapers promote authors, publishers, compilers and editors of different library series. The scientific journal dedicated to book publishing “Izdatel” (Publisher) and the specialized journal “Poligrafia” (Printing) are issued in support of printed communications and book publishing business in Bulgaria. Electronic book sale applies the good practices of the most eminent global electronic book-selling chains, such as Amazon.com, Blackwell, Barnes & Nobell, Bertelsmann and its subsidiary Media Ways – the second biggest internet provider in Germany, which also has a media electronic book store for books and music in Germany

232 and some other countries, such as France, the Netherlands, Switzer- land, Spain and the UK. In April 1997, the European Commission passed a strategic document – a “European initiative on electronic commerce”, and in October 1999, a system for using credit cards for online payment was introduced for the first time in Bulgaria, and services were offered via the internet. Bulgarian book publishers and book traders did not waste time in developing their own web sites as well as specialized web pages such as books. bg. Among the first Bulgarian publishers to start electronic book sale were: Kral“ - itsa Mab” publishing house; “Trud ” publishing house – a subsidiary of “Media Holding” and part of the big German newspaper concern Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ); the publisher of computer literature Soft Press; the electronic book store Pingvinite; the electronic book store Mobilis; the electronic addition to the book retail chain Helikon; the electronic book store Bulgarski Knizhitsi, etc. Online shopping is both quick and convenient. E-book stores are picking up speed in Bulgaria. They facilitate the presentation of the Bulgarian book in the European and global cultural space with minimum expenses and maximum convenience for the customer, covering a huge territory of both the European and global virtual book markets. In recent years, the book in Bulgaria, in effect, has the power of a real media outlet, along with the printed and electronic media outlets – with its messages for the targeted groups of readers, with the ideas and problems it puts forward, with the applicability of knowledge in a world where the gap between theory and practice is closing. This explains the big role of books dealing with geography and history, dictionaries and reference books, computer and software literature – editions which bring us closer to the other Eu- ropean nations. A significant group of Bulgarian publishers rely on translated books of fiction by classical authors, but also criminal series, thrillers, bibliography books about prominent figures in the world of science, arts, business and sports. We only need to mention the series of thriller novels published by the Bard publishing house,

233 and the theme-focused research series Zagadki (Mysteries) published by Hermes. Today, the books published by Bulgarian publishing houses have excellent artistic design, and the color illustrations in the attachments substantiate the author’s ideas, impart style to the editions and make them attractive to the reader. The Kibea publishing house has left a mark with its album editions, the beautifully illustrated encyclopedias and the pop-up books. The educationally focused books published by Anibus publishing house stand out with their European style and interesting design decisions. Gaberoff is the publisher of the biggest Modern Bulgarian Encyclopedia. Scientific and educational editions dealing with interesting subjects, showing style and remarkable design have been produced by the Academic publishing house Marin Drinov, the St Clement of Ohrid University Press, the St Cyril and St Methodius University Press, Slovo, Lik, Siela, Abagar, Slantse, the Military Publishing house, Faber, Anubis, Sibi, Hermes, the Tangra Foundation, etc. The publishing houses which need to be mentioned when it comes to publishing fiction by Bulgarian authors are: Zahari Stoyanov, Faber, Janet 45, Slovo, Anibus, Abagar, etc. Bulgarian books which are offered in luxury binding are, for the most part, distinguished by their high quality and original design. Another positive development is the fact that most of the publishers who have been longer in the business, have acquired the practice of adding the bar code of the book on the back cover, which makes it easier and more convenient for book sellers to operate, especially in retail book stores. There is also a tendency for an increase in the price of the books, especially those which are part of library series. This is partly due to the steady increase in the price of printing, which includes additional services to improve the design and quality of the book – e. g. the increase in the number of color illustrations not only on the book cover but also in the text block, the use of laminated and varnished book covers, luxury book jackets and multi-color attachments.

234 An excellent example of the steady growth of book publishing in Bulgaria is to be found in the sphere of children’s editions. The use of different formats, high quality cardboard, colored and specially processed paper and cardboard, as well as digital printing technology increases the cost of the published production, but it also improves competitiveness especially in the conditions of global book trade. The Bulgarian printing industry, which is, in recent years, competitive to the European printing industry in terms of possibilities and quality, is also to be credited for the better quality of the book. An increasingly greater number of printing facilities are supplied with high-tech equipment and modern technologies in book production. There are printing houses in Bulgaria which have foreign customers. Still, however, the cost of printing services is too high, not to say impossible, for most Bulgarian publishers, and they are often forced to settle for less expensive offers, which is quite often at the expense of poorer exposure quality, low-quality print and / or compromises with the type of paper. Thanks to the private publishing initiative, in the mid 1990s, there was an increase in the number of published titles. At the end of 2008, the number of Bulgarian publishing houses reached the impressive figure of 3651, located in 115 towns – the capital holding the biggest share, followed by the other major cities: Plovdiv, Varna, Stara Zagora, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Ruse, Do- brich and Blagoevgrad. By the number of published books and brochures, however, the capital is followed by Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and Varna. In that same year, the number of published magazine titles was also on the rise. The titles of books and brochures were predominantly in the sphere of fiction, scientific literature and educational literature. In the ongoing editions, the biggest share was that of books dealing with society and politics. The institutions related to book publishing in the European countries have century-old traditions. Book publishing is promoted and stimulated in a number of ways – providing tax preferences, supporting authors in the respective country, organizing competitions, conferring awards for creative contributions and good pub- 235 lishing, purchasing part of the print run to be granted to libraries. The latter practice secures a minimal number of copies to preserve and guard the national printed heritage, on the one hand, and to stimulate the creative processes, on the other. In the Republic of Bulgaria, unfortunately, the value added tax continues to have a negative impact on the sale of books, making them too expensive and unaffordable for a great number of Bulgarian readers. Publish- ers are seeking different ways to subsidize the book publishing process. The publication of translated books in Bulgaria is often supported by projects implemented by the cultural ministry or culture center at the Embassy of the respective European country or the US. Single books or whole series can be published as a joint project between Bulgarian publishing houses and foreign cultural institutions or foundations – from the US, France, the UK, Germany, It- aly, Austria, the countries from Benelux, Portugal, Russia, etc. The books that fall into this category are usually in the sphere of scientific research, history of literature, fiction and poetry. European institutions seek to find ways to support and stimulate Bulgarian translators and publishers, which has become a lasting and reliable policy of many European countries. The experience acquired through this publishing policy in the context of intense cultural exchange between the member states of the European Union and the leading countries of the world in the sphere of book publishing and printed communications, is a necessary prerequisite for the prosperity of the Bulgarian book. This experience is also valuable in the sphere of cultural communication because, in today’s reality, it would take an immense effort to work in the opposite direction – to ensure that Bulgarian books are translated, sold on the international book market and find a rightful place in foreign libraries. The thirteen centuries of Bulgarian history, culture, science, art and literature can serve as a bridge towards other cultures, towards mutual understanding and common cultural prosperity.

236 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dinershtein, Efim Abramovich. Rossijskoe Knigoizdanie (konec XVIII – XX v.). – Moskow: Nauka, 2004. – 526 p. Feather, John. A history of British Publishig. Second Edition. – Lon- don and New York: Routledge. Taylor&Francis Group, 2006. – 270 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Teoria na Knigoizdatelskia Protses. Aspekti. Problemi. Tendentsii. – Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity Press, 2004. 232 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Upravlenie i Marketing na Knigoizdatelskata Deinost. – V. Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2002. 2 edition – 2004. – 232 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Kniga i Pechatni Komunikatsii. – Veliko Tar- novo, Faber, 2009. – 240 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Poligraficheski Aspekti na Knigoizdavaneto i Pechatnite Komunikatsii. // Work s of St. Cyril and St. Methodius Uni- versity of Veliko Tarnovo. Vol. 2. Obshtestveni Komunikatsii i Infomat- sionni Nauki. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press, 2009, pp. 9 – 52. Georgiev, Lachezar. Za Savremennia Menidzhmant na Izdatelska- ta Deinost. // L ibr a r ie s , Reading, Commnunication. Veliko Tarnovo, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press 2009, p. 113 – 129. Georgiev, Lachezar. Kompozitsia na Knigata. Veliko Tarnovo, Faber, 2012. 140 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Strategicheski Podhodi v Knigoizdavaneto i Pe- chatnije Komunicacii. – Sofia: AN-DI, 2013. – 264 p. Georgiev, Lachezar. Book Publishing and Printed Communications (Research on the book and media). – Veliko Tirnovo: St. Ciril and St Methodius University Pressq 2013. – 424 p.; il. – Biblioteka Knigoizdavane. Haberman, Clyde. Publisher, who transformed times dies at 86. // The New York Times, № 55910, September 30. Pikok, Dzhon. Izdatel’skoe Delo. Kniga ot Zamiysla do Upakovki. Shag za Shagom. Second Edition, amended and revised. Moscow, Je- kom, 2002. 424 p. – Sovremennye Izdatel’skie Tehnologii. Тоdorov, Todor К. Еlektronni Izdania. – Sofia: Аvangard Prima, 2013. – 250 p.

237 AFTERWORD

Several inferences can be drawn from the facts stated above. The short run printing in the difficult years of transition and the gobal development of the electronic media (TV, CD ROM, the Internet, etc.) have posed new challenges not only for the Bulgarian book but also for the state institutions, authors and publishers. These challenges are related to the protection of the intellectual property and maintaining safe market environment for the successful realization of the intellectual product. The new conditions for accomplishing a prosperous publishing business in the globalized world have put higher requirements to the management of book publishing. Excel- lent knowledge of the structure of large publishing formations as well as the structure and the work of the publishing houses with medium and smaller capacity is a guarantee for successful management. Acquiring information about the strategic approaches to book publishing and print communications contributes to effective management. The strategic approaches used in marketing management are connected with making plans, conducting surveys and analyses of the publisher’s activities as well as the book market. Forecasting the market situation is of crucial importance. Also, it is necessary to conduct surveys related to the competitive environment, customers and distributors. The situation of the publishing house, the markets for printing services and supplies, the financial levers and mechanisms must be carefully studied as well. The successful management and marketing of book publishing require a detailed knowledge of the mechanisms for the calculation and formation of the prices of the publisher’s production. Besides, it is important to know the structure of the cost components, VAT and revenues as well as the trade discounts, types of prices and sale

238 forms which have to be synchronized with the market. The choice of favorable business environment and apppropriate ways for the distribution of the production are of significant importance for the realization of the book. However, this choice does not end with the establishment of a distribution network. The successful selection and construction of retail outlets in the conditions of a free-market economy play an important role as well. Promotion is of utmost importance for the successful management of the book. Promotion is an important communicative act which includes a large number of activities such as advertising book editions, stimulating sales through book premieres, organization of artistic meetings, public realtions with the press and electronic media, encouraging demand through print editions of the publishing house – calendars, leaflets, flyers, prospectuses, catalogues. Ultimately, successful management and marketing are inter- connected with a well-thought-out system of actions, mechanisms and organizational structures, the aim of which is to ensure more customers, better image as well as more flexible and operational printed communications.

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243 CONTENT

FOREWORD...... 5 PROFESSOR PHD LACHEZAR GEORGIEV...... 7

Chapter One THE STRATEGY IN PUBLISHING BUSINESS – A FACTOR IN THE FINANCIAL AND ARTISTIC PROSPERITY...... 11 1. Planning the Publishing Process...... 11 2. Publishing Business Projects...... 11 3. Research and Analysis of the Book Market and Competition....13 4. Forecasting the Market Situation in the Context of the Marketing Research...... 17

Chapter Two PRICING OF THE PUBLISHED BOOKS – CALCULATION, COSTS, SYNCHRONIZATION...... 24 1. Calculation of the Cost Components...... 24 1.1. Costs for Writing the Book...... 24 1.2. Editorial Costs...... 25 1.3. Costs for Presentation and Layout...... 26 1.4. Costs for Computer Processing of the Manuscript...... 27 1.5. Printing Costs...... 27 1.6. Costs Not Directly Linked to the Production of the Book....30 1.7. Marketing Costs...... 31 2. Value Added Tax (VAT)...... 32 3. Profit...... 32 4. Synchronization of the Different Types of Prices and Forms of Selling...... 35

Chapter Three STRATEGIC PROCESSES IN BOOK PUBLISHING...... 38 1. Factors of the Business Environment...... 38 1.1. Factors of the International Market Situation...... 38 1.2. Factors of the Domestic Business Environment...... 40 1.2.1. General Factors...... 40 1.1.2. Factors of the Distribution...... 42 2. Retail Outlets and Ways for Book Distribution...... 44 2.1. Bookstore Industry in a Free Market Economy...... 45

Chapter Four PROMOTION OF THE BOOK...... 54 1. Advertising the Book in Periodicals...... 55 1.1. Advertisements in the Press...... 55 1.2. Book Reviews and Reception...... 56 1.3. Reports, Interviews, Comments, Correspondence and Other Journalistic Materials...... 57 2. Book Premieres and Organization of Artistic Meetings...... 58 3. Advertising and Electronic Media Relations...... 62 3.1. Paid Advertisements on Radio and Television...... 62 3.1.1. Radio Advertising...... 62 3.1.2. Advertising on Television ...... 62 3.2. Electronic Media Relations...... 63 3.2.1. Interviews...... 63 3.2.2. Reports, Correspondences and Specialized Broadcasts.... 65

Chapter Five MANAGEMENT OF THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY...... 67

Chapter Six MODERN TRENDS IN THE PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT STRATEGY...... 83 1. Personal Qualities of the Manager of the Publishing House...... 84 2. Clear Concept and Statute...... 85 3. Well Selected Publishing Team...... 88 4. Book Printing...... 89

Chapter Seven PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLISHING HOUSE AND THE PRINTING HOUSE...... 103 1. Functions of Production Activity...... 103

245 2. Management of the Processes in the Preparation of the Manuscript for Printing and Incentives for the Teams...... 104 3. Management of the Printing Facility...... 106

Chapter Eight POLYGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS...... 111 1. Paper and Print – From Century – Old Traditions to Modern Innovations...... 111 1.1. Paper – Retrospection and Modern Trends...... 111 1.2. Paper Brands and Types...... 114 1.3. Weight and Acclimatization of the Paper...... 115 1.4. Paper and Pulp – Technological Cycle and Application...... 116 1.5. Quality Requirements for the Paper...... 119 1.6. Manual and Machine Typesetting...... 121 1.7. High Print and its Ancient History...... 124 1.8. Deep Print – Simplified Printing and Complex Technological Processes in Preparing the Forms...... 132 2. From Surface Printing To Modern Innovative Methods...... 136 2.1. Lithographic Art Traditions...... 136 2.2. Modern Replication and Exposure of the Image on the Print Form under Advanced Offset Printing...... 140 2.3. A Few Words about Offset Printing without Moistening.....141 2.4. About the Structure and Functioning of Offset Printing Machines...... 143 2.5. Flexography – an Innovation in Printed Communication..... 150 2.6. Serigraphy and Screen Printing – Traditional Models and Modern Practices...... 152 2.6.1. Origins, Definition and General Characteristics of Screen Printing...... 152 2.6.2. Preparation of the Screen Print Form...... 153 2.6.3. Copying and Printing...... 154 2.6.4. Drying up the Printed Production...... 156 2.6.5. Screen Print and Screen Print Machines...... 156

246 2.7. Digital Printing – Benefits and Challenges in Competition with Conventional Printing Technology...... 157 2.8. Bookbinding and Book Covers...... 165

Chapter Nine LANGUAGE AND PHILOSOPHY OF PRINT ADVERTISING...... 172 1. On the Philosophy of Print Advertising in the Book...... 172 2. Advertising in the Bulgarian Information Daily...... 179 3. Adevrtising Attributes of Publishers and Print Advertising.....188 3.1. The Calendar – in the Forefront of Advertising Strategy....188 3.2. The Booklet – Strong Appeal and Rich Illustration...... 189 3.3. The Leaflet – Fast Printing and High Circulation with Great Effect...... 190 3.4. The Prospectus – Striking Effect in Building the Company Image...... 191 3.5. The Magic of Catalogues...... 192 3.6. The Advertisng Band and its Contribution to Promoting the Book...... 195 3.7. The Bookmark – Reminder Advertising...... 195 3.8. The Memo – Customer Support...... 195 3.9. The Advertising Brochure – Convenient for Tourist Promotion...... 196 3.10. The Art of Advertising Paper...... 196

Chapter Ten THE BOOK AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE NEW AGE...... 198

AFTERWORD...... 240

WORKS CITED...... 242

247 Lachezar Georgiev Georgiev MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY IN BOOK PUBLISHING AND PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS Bulgarian, First edition Monograph • Translation from Bulgarian: Snezhana Boyanova, Lena Ilieva Monograph Reviewers: Prof. Kristina Dencheva, PhD, Prof. Donka Pravdomirova, PhD Scientific Editor: Prof. Kristina Dencheva, PhD Copyeditor: Stela Georgieva, PhD Technical Editor: Silviya Georgieva Graphic Design: Neyko Genchev Proofreader: Irena Georgieva • Signatures: 15,5 Format: 60х84 / 16 Contact: [email protected] ISBN 978-619-00-0080-8 Printed by Faber www.faber-bg.com