Digitally, culturally, and financially there is an inherent divide between the global North and global South. Developing countries and communities evidently lack access to, funding for, and knowledge about technological developments. Introducing eBooks into the global South is a gradual process––accentuating the fact digital innovations are only as successful as their content is accessible, therefore democratising publishing and furthermore ‘widening the gap between those with Internet access and those without’ (Attwell, 2013b).
Publishers and individuals––with emphasis on emerging markets in underdeveloped countries of Africa, are taking precedence in building a new infrastructure to support international trade, financial stability, and widespread education to these impoverished communities (Olson et al., 2011). The following micro case studies examine how the publishing industry is progressing in the spread of content and knowledge to Sub-Saharan Africa––but as well, in how the industry is challenged by immanent geographical and socioeconomic issues.
Via Afrika Publishers: eLearning Initiatives
In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 30 million children are without education (Robson, 2014). Via Afrika, publishers of academic textbooks are currently converting their print textbooks into a digital format in order to diversify accessibility––with their eBook sales ‘mushrooming’ from 1000 in 2013 to 64,000 in 2014 (Robson, 2014). Higher literacy rates and more individuals in education may project a higher GDP and salary for workers in the long term––however, the government tends not to fund these projects and therefore publishers like Via Afrika are forced to find subsidisation from non-government organisations (NGOs) (Olsen et al., 2011; Robson, 2014).
ELearning platforms and databases are reshaping education––shifting curriculum from a teacher-centred environment to a learner-centred environment (Olsen et al., 2011). Having said that, implications of the digital divide are still evident in this context: government funding is again, nominal and more so, the majority of educators in these countries are not familiar or comfortable with digital devices (Brooks, Donovan and Rumble, 2005).
Paperight: Bringing Books on Demand to Photocopy Shops
Paperight aims to transform any organisation with Internet connection and a printer into a POD bookshop. CEO Arthur Attwell (2013a) claims ‘it’s deeply wrong that billions of people have no access to books because the total cost of acquiring them is so high. As publishers, we’ve created an industry that turns human knowledge into an expensive, inaccessible product’, and therefore their business model targets both an affordable and accessible balance between publishers and consumers to specifically distribute: academic, health, and self-help titles (Attwell, 2013a).
Contributing publishers establish their own reprint-license fees, of which are typically 25 to 30 per cent of the retail price; this is reasonable as in the conventional book market, publishers may only retain this percentage alone once books are printed, shipped and stocked in warehouses (Attwell, 2013a). Consumers pay organisations, organisations pay Paperight and Paperight pays publishers who earn revenue from each licensed title. The simplified circuit as a result, costs the consumer 20 per cent under the retail price (Attwell, 2013a).
Moving digital into these territories is hopeful; however, accessibility remains the principal challenge for publishers distributing in the global South. Despite inherent issues, development in these areas should be less about profit margins and more about bringing ‘a wealth of knowledge…to all who gain access’ (Brooks, Donovan and Rumble, 2005).
Publishers have the resources to bridge this digital, cultural, and financial divide still separating many impoverished countries and communities of the world––beyond connecting the global North and South, creating partnerships and projects to enrich knowledge into the lives of those with less will fundamentally, better humanity.
WC: 547
Publishers and individuals––with emphasis on emerging markets in underdeveloped countries of Africa, are taking precedence in building a new infrastructure to support international trade, financial stability, and widespread education to these impoverished communities (Olson et al., 2011). The following micro case studies examine how the publishing industry is progressing in the spread of content and knowledge to Sub-Saharan Africa––but as well, in how the industry is challenged by immanent geographical and socioeconomic issues.
Via Afrika Publishers: eLearning Initiatives
In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 30 million children are without education (Robson, 2014). Via Afrika, publishers of academic textbooks are currently converting their print textbooks into a digital format in order to diversify accessibility––with their eBook sales ‘mushrooming’ from 1000 in 2013 to 64,000 in 2014 (Robson, 2014). Higher literacy rates and more individuals in education may project a higher GDP and salary for workers in the long term––however, the government tends not to fund these projects and therefore publishers like Via Afrika are forced to find subsidisation from non-government organisations (NGOs) (Olsen et al., 2011; Robson, 2014).
ELearning platforms and databases are reshaping education––shifting curriculum from a teacher-centred environment to a learner-centred environment (Olsen et al., 2011). Having said that, implications of the digital divide are still evident in this context: government funding is again, nominal and more so, the majority of educators in these countries are not familiar or comfortable with digital devices (Brooks, Donovan and Rumble, 2005).
Paperight: Bringing Books on Demand to Photocopy Shops
Paperight aims to transform any organisation with Internet connection and a printer into a POD bookshop. CEO Arthur Attwell (2013a) claims ‘it’s deeply wrong that billions of people have no access to books because the total cost of acquiring them is so high. As publishers, we’ve created an industry that turns human knowledge into an expensive, inaccessible product’, and therefore their business model targets both an affordable and accessible balance between publishers and consumers to specifically distribute: academic, health, and self-help titles (Attwell, 2013a).
Contributing publishers establish their own reprint-license fees, of which are typically 25 to 30 per cent of the retail price; this is reasonable as in the conventional book market, publishers may only retain this percentage alone once books are printed, shipped and stocked in warehouses (Attwell, 2013a). Consumers pay organisations, organisations pay Paperight and Paperight pays publishers who earn revenue from each licensed title. The simplified circuit as a result, costs the consumer 20 per cent under the retail price (Attwell, 2013a).
Moving digital into these territories is hopeful; however, accessibility remains the principal challenge for publishers distributing in the global South. Despite inherent issues, development in these areas should be less about profit margins and more about bringing ‘a wealth of knowledge…to all who gain access’ (Brooks, Donovan and Rumble, 2005).
Publishers have the resources to bridge this digital, cultural, and financial divide still separating many impoverished countries and communities of the world––beyond connecting the global North and South, creating partnerships and projects to enrich knowledge into the lives of those with less will fundamentally, better humanity.
WC: 547
Bibliography
1. Attwell, A. (2013a). New Publishing Models from the South: the Case of Paperight. Bibliodiversity - The Digital South, [online] (2), pp.19-22. Available at: http://issuu.com/alliance_des_editeurs/docs/bibliodiversity_2_digitalsouth/9 [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014].
2. Attwell, A. (2013b). Why I Publish Ebooks on Paper for South Africans - Publishing Perspectives. [online] Publishing Perspectives. Available at: http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/05/why-i-publish-ebooks-on-paper-for-south-africans/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2014].
3. Brooks, S., Donovan, P. and Rumble, C. (2005). Developing Nations, the Digital Divide and Research Databases. Serials Review, [online] 31(4), pp.270-278. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/imported/thisTopic-dbTopic-873.pdf [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014].
4. Kahiigi, E, Hansson, H, Danielson, M, Tusubira, F, & Vesisenaho, M 2011, 'Collaborative eLearning in a Developing Country: A University Case Study in Uganda', Proceedings Of The European Conference On E-Learning, pp. 932-942, Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 November 2014.
5. Olson, J., Codde, J., DeMaagd, K., Tarkleson, E., Sinclair, J., Yook, S. and Egidio, R. (2011). An analysis of e-Learning Impacts & Best Practices in Developing Countries. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.
6. Robson, S. (2014). South African education goes digital. [Online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28191371 [Accessed 21 Nov. 2014].
1. Attwell, A. (2013a). New Publishing Models from the South: the Case of Paperight. Bibliodiversity - The Digital South, [online] (2), pp.19-22. Available at: http://issuu.com/alliance_des_editeurs/docs/bibliodiversity_2_digitalsouth/9 [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014].
2. Attwell, A. (2013b). Why I Publish Ebooks on Paper for South Africans - Publishing Perspectives. [online] Publishing Perspectives. Available at: http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/05/why-i-publish-ebooks-on-paper-for-south-africans/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2014].
3. Brooks, S., Donovan, P. and Rumble, C. (2005). Developing Nations, the Digital Divide and Research Databases. Serials Review, [online] 31(4), pp.270-278. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/imported/thisTopic-dbTopic-873.pdf [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014].
4. Kahiigi, E, Hansson, H, Danielson, M, Tusubira, F, & Vesisenaho, M 2011, 'Collaborative eLearning in a Developing Country: A University Case Study in Uganda', Proceedings Of The European Conference On E-Learning, pp. 932-942, Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 November 2014.
5. Olson, J., Codde, J., DeMaagd, K., Tarkleson, E., Sinclair, J., Yook, S. and Egidio, R. (2011). An analysis of e-Learning Impacts & Best Practices in Developing Countries. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.
6. Robson, S. (2014). South African education goes digital. [Online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28191371 [Accessed 21 Nov. 2014].