The State of the Industry
One-color black is not a problem today.
Another area we have worked hard on concerns halftone quality. By connecting our typesetters with our book manufacturers, by advising everyone early on as to which paper will be used and knowing the footprint of the press the title will be printed on, we have been able to improve the average quality of the halftone reproduction.
Has print-on-demand impacted the University of California Press?
We are equipped in principle to handle print-on-demand, but in reality we have not arrived there in any significant way other than utilizing the Lightning Source arrangement for a segment of suitable titles.
We are currently at the ultrashort-run stage with small reprint orders down as low as 25 copies, working with vendors who use different equipment from mainstream book manufacturers. We try to group these orders for cost-effective shipping to the warehouse.
The process fits very well into the publishing program of a university press. Many of our titles sell small quantities throughout the year, but we continue to sell them on a regular basis. If one can keep the inventory down, yet keep the book in print, everyone is a winner.
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Charlene Gaynor on educational publishing
Charlene Gaynor is the executive director of the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP), a national, nonprofit professional organization for educational publishers. AEP's members comprise nearly 400 print and digital publishers of all sizes and in all media.
To what degree do you see a trend toward state-specific educational materials happening and over what time frame?
I think the implications of the No Child Left Behind Act are significant for publishers … especially the whole definition of 'scientifically based research' and how stringent the requirements can be for publishers is something that's only begun to be played out. … Publishers and school districts are taking a bit of a wait-and-see attitude. That can certainly inhibit innovation and some development that could be beneficial to kids in the meantime. …
