Types of publishing
General - or consumer - books: including mass-market paperbacks and accounting for 60% of the industry's sales in the UK. Consumer publishing produces the most widely known titles: best selling fiction and non-fiction; those most frequently reviewed; those featured in the media; and those prominently displayed in retail outlets.Children's book publishing: a lively and growing sector of consumer book publishing. It has been estimated that fifty per cent of all children's book sales in the UK are made through non-traditional trade channels such as children's school book clubs and fairs.
Journals, educational, academic, reference, scientific and technical, professional, and medical publishing: in these areas, publishers are far more likely to be involved in initiating a book, journal or series, so opportunities can arise for graduates in specialised subjects.
The processes of book publishing are generally divided into editorial, design and production, marketing (sales and publicity), distribution, the handling of contracts and rights, and administration (which includes the accounting and general computing functions).
Further information on publishing functions