Managing Digital Innovation in Publishing: Collaborations and Para-Organisations for Creative Change

This book explores how publishing businesses can and do successfully experiment and innovate in digital publishing through collaboration, particularly engaging with the wider creative sector. It suggests that collaboration is key to the sustainable development of new types of products and that introducing new people can help instill a collaborative mindset and facilitate constructive experimentation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 108 pages
Publication date: 17 April 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The publishing industry is facing a significant dilemma as it grapples with the rapid shift towards digital publishing. While many sectors of the industry have focused on adapting existing book formats, such as e-books and audiobooks, there is a growing need for publishers to experiment and innovate in order to remain competitive. However, traditional pricing, business, and risk models, as well as workflows, are deeply rooted in print publishing, making it challenging for publishers to embrace digital innovation without jeopardizing their core business.

In response to this challenge, this book explores how publishing businesses can and do successfully experiment and innovate in digital publishing through collaboration. The research draws on an analysis of collaboration and network theory and four in-depth qualitative case studies in different sectors of the publishing industry. The findings suggest that collaboration, particularly engaging with the wider creative sector, is key to the sustainable development of new types of products.

The book identifies the characteristics of a successful digital collaboration and provides practical guidance on how to manage publishing innovation alongside the existing business. It proposes the use of para-organizations as a means of facilitating collaboration and experimentation, bringing together people from different parts of the industry to share knowledge and resources. The author also considers novel approaches to innovation, such as iterative software-style approaches and agile project management, and how these can be applied to the publishing industry.

Managing Digital Innovation in Publishing will be of interest to upper-level students and researchers of (digital) publishing and related creative industries. It offers a comprehensive and practical guide to navigating the challenges and opportunities of digital publishing, and provides valuable insights into the future of the industry.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032456799