To download a full copy of this report (28 page PDF), please click here.

Publisher responses, author responses, and press reports are included below.

Executive Summary
• The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) surveyed educational writers in late 2007 and early 2008.
• The results showed that, overwhelmingly, conditions for these writers had deteriorated since 2000 due to more onerous contractual conditions from fewer publishers.
• This is largely driven by the fact that the easy availability of digital information threatens the traditional printed textbook model.
• Publishers have been slow to adapt to this change, perhaps because there has been no ready revenue source from digital information in the educational market, unlike the professional and scientific markets where legal and scientific publishers have made the adaptation to digital delivery, and their customers have been prepared to pay premium prices for it.
• Without revenue from digital products, it appears educational publishing as a viable sector of the publishing industry is in trouble.
• What statistics there are show declining sales and a decreasing number of publishers. Those publishers, though, have reacted to the changed market situation with a greater concentration of (largely foreign) ownership, giving a very few companies almost complete market dominance.
• Pearson Education stands out with a 36% market share.
• To bolster declining profits, publishers have turned on authors and used their market dominance to force them to sign over all copyright, write for a one-off, minimal fixed fee rather than royalties, and forgo their right to additional sources of income such as CAL payments and Lending Rights payments.
• This means the ability for educational authors in Australia to make a living has been severely curtailed.
• This is dire not only for the authors but also for the education of Australia’s youth.

Publisher responses:

17/03/08: This document is totally horrifying, and I have no doubt that it is in all essentials both true and fair. As you may or may not be aware, I was an educational publisher for 28 years (1958-1985), being foundation manager and, on incorporation (1964) foundation Managing Director of Heinemann Educational Australia. I am an Honorary Life Member of the APA, as well as being an honorary life member of the Society of Editors (Victoria). Currently I spend more time writing than editing or publishing, my major publication being Modern Australian Usage (0UP, 1993, 2nd ed 1997.) So what? I don't know what I could do, but if you have any need for someone with my (I could say 'our') background, please let me know what you would like me to do. Nick Hudson, Hudson Publishing

18/03/08: McGraw-Hill Australia has asked that we amend the point on page 4 where we state that their closure of Mimosa/Shortland led to them ceasing school publishing in Australia. We accept that while McGraw-Hill has ceased primary publishing through the closure of the Mimosa/Shortland operations, it continues to publish for the secondary market.

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Author responses:

2/4/08: Thank you for all the work you have put into the report on educational publishing. I read it with great interest  and found that it perfectly confirmed my own experience and view of the present situation. I was pleased, too, that you shafted Macmillan NZ as they certainly deserved it. I imagine that what will happen in the future  will be something like what happened to films when television was introduced. Everyone rushed to watch the box and movie theatres everywhere were almost deserted. However after a time interest in films revived and we now have smaller  and more numerous movie houses and more films than ever. A  computer is nothing like as user friendly as a book and I do not think that we have seen the end of the book by any means. We just have to hope that we can wait out the necessary length of time. Again thank you for your efforts.
[Author's name removed to preserve anonymity]

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Press

2/4/08: Australian Bookseller and Publisher
29/03/08: The Australian
22/3/08: The Age
19/3/08: Australian Bookseller and Publisher
17/11/07: Text and Academic Authors Association

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