Abstract

Commercial and nonprofit publishers share certain characteristics; both require sufficient Income from all sources to pay the costs of publication and distribution, and both have access to the same sources of supply for composition, paper, printing, binding, etc. Commercial publishers seek a profit above costs to obtain a satisfactory return on investment, whereas nonprofit publishers and basically concerned with recovering costs. Professional society publishers have advantages in regard to government subsidies not available to commercial publishers (grants, tax exemption, page charges, lower postal rates); a built-in and sometimes guaranteed membership market with consequent lower initial risks and promotion costs; access to society resources; and the loyalty of society members as subscribers. Commercial publishers' advantages include the discipline imposed by capital investment risks and profit objectives, economies of scale, and the ability to make decisions quickly and to enter new or developing areas.