BOOK PUBLISHERS
PURPOSE
To provide economic statistics about book publishers in Australia.
DESCRIPTION
The scope of the Book Publishers Survey is all businesses (in both the private and public sectors) which had book publishing as their main activity, and those businesses which had significant levels of book publishing activity in the previous financial year despite being mainly involved in another activity. Book publishing activity is deemed to be significant if it contributed $2m or more to business income. For in-scope businesses mainly involved in another activity, data are collected in respect of their book publishing activity only. Data collection for the Book Publishers Survey is by means of a mail-out questionnaire which businesses selected for the survey are required to complete and return.
The list of businesses covered by the collection was derived from three sources. The main source was all businesses recorded on the ABS business register with a predominant activity of Book and Other Publishing (ANZSIC Class 2423). A supplementary source was all members of the Australian Publishers Association (APA) not already identified from the previous source. A further supplementary source was all businesses recorded as book publishers in The Australian Writer's Marketplace (Bookman Press) but not already identified from the other two sources.
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Australia
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Irregular
DATA ITEMS
Income
The items which make up the income of book publishing businesses are:
Sales of books
Sales of other goods
Income from royalties and sales of rights for on-line licensing
Other income from royalties and sales of rights
Government funding
Public Lending Rights income
Copyright Agency Limited income
Income from services
Other income
Sales of books
The items which make up the book sales of book publishing businesses are:
Sales of Australian titles
Sales of imported titles
Sales of Australian titles
The items which make up the sales of Australian titles by book publishing businesses are:
Sales of Australian titles originated and published by the business
Sales of Australian titles originated by other publishers and co-published by the business
Sales of Australian titles distributed on behalf of other Australian publishers
Expenses
The items which make up the expenses of book publishing businesses include:
Wages and salaries paid to artists, designers and illustrators
Wages and salaries paid to editors
Wages and salaries paid to publishers
Wages and salaries paid to typesetters
Other wages and salaries paid
Royalties and fees paid to authors
Royalties and fees paid to artists, designers and illustrators
Royalties and fees paid to editors
Royalties and fees paid to publishers
Other royalties and fees paid
Costs of printing in Australia
Costs of printing overseas
Landed cost of books imported
Other expense items
Employment
The survey classifies the employment of book publishing businesses into a number of categories. These are each in turn classified by sex. The categories are:
Working proprietors and partners
Full-time permanent employees
Part-time permanent employees
Casual employees
Period of publication
Indicates whether the sales of books are from sales of titles published during the reporting period, or from sales of titles published earlier. The categories are:
Sales of new titles
Sales of backlist
Destination of sale
Shows whether the sales of books are to purchasers within Australia or to purchasers overseas. The categories are:
Domestic sales
Export sales
Re-export sales
Segment of purchaser
Indicates whether the purchaser is a business intending to on-sell books, or an individual or organisation which is an end user of books. The categories are:
The trade
The final consumer
Means of sale
Indicates whether books were sold over the Internet or by other means.
Number of books sold
The items which make up the number of books sold by book publishing businesses are:
The number of books sold for Australian titles originated and published by the business
The number of books sold for Australian titles originated by other publishers and co-published by the business
The number of books sold for Australian titles distributed on behalf of other Australian publishers
The number of books sold for imported titles
Type of book
Distinguishes education books from general books.
Type of education book
Classifies education books into a number of categories. The categories are:
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Professional and reference
Type of general book
Classifies general books into a number of categories. The categories are:
Non-fiction
Fiction
Children's
Format of book
Distinguishes printed books from electronic books. Electronic books include audio books.
Format of printed book
Classifies printed books into a number of categories. The categories are:
Hardback
Trade paperback
Mass-market paperback
Country or region of destination
Records the country or region of destination for exports. The countries or regions are:
United States of America
Canada
United Kingdom
Europe
New Zealand
Asia
Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Pacific countries and territories
South Africa
Other
New Australian titles published during the reference period
Refers to the number of titles published, not the number of copies sold of those titles.
Number of businesses
The number of Australian businesses either predominantly or significantly involved in book publishing.
Profit or loss
Refers to the operating profit or loss before tax and extraordinary items.
Capital expenditure
Records capital expenditure by whether it was for computing equipment and software, or other assets.
Value of inventories
Records the value of inventories held by a business at both the beginning and the end of the reference period.
Geographic Area
Data are available for Australia only, except for limited data for some States based on State of head office.
HISTORICAL DATA
Previous surveys were conducted in respect of 1994, 1995-96 and 1997-98; then annually from 1999-2000 until 2003-04. The survey in respect of 1999-2000 was the first in a series of annual Book Publishers Surveys. The survey in respect of 2003-04 was the last in this series. It is not know when, or if, this survey will be conducted again.
DISSEMINATION
Publications
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Book Publishers, Australia, Cat. no. 1363.0, ABS, Canberra. Price $21.00. Available for 1994, 1995-96 and 1997-98; then annually from 1999-2000 until 2003-04.
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts 1999, Cultural Trends in Australia No 9: Australian Book Publishing, 1997-98, DCITA, Canberra. Free of charge. Also available for 1994 as Cultural Trends in Australia No 2 and for 1995-96 as Cultural Trends in Australia No 5.
Note that for the earlier surveys, the ABS publications contained the first data released, while the DCITA publications contained the detailed tabulations. However, for the 1999-2000 and subsequent surveys, there is no DCITA publication but the ABS publication provides a comprehensive summary of all the survey data.
CONTACT
In the first instance, refer to To obtain data or further information in the Introduction to this directory.
Manager
National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
GPO Box 2272
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Telephone: Adelaide 08 8237 7326
Facsimile: Adelaide 08 8237 7366
Email: nccrs@abs.gov.au
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