Katherine Day – författare

Many writers dream of having their work published by a respected publishing house, but don’t always understand publishing contract terms – what they mean for the contracting parties and how they inform book-publishing practice. In turn, publishers struggle to satisfy authors’ creative expectations against the industry’s commercial demands. This book challenges our perceptions of these author–publisher power imbalances by recasting the publishing contract as a cultural artefact capable of adapting to the industry’s changing landscape. Based on a three-year study of publishing negotiations, Katherine Day reveals how relational contract theory provides possibilities for future negotiations in what she describes as a ‘post negotiation space’.

Drawing on the disciplines of cultural studies, law, publishing studies and cultural sociology, this book reveals a unique perspective from publishing professionals and authors within the post negotiation space, presenting the editor as a fundamental agent in the formation and application of publishing’s contractual terms.

Many writers dream of having their work published by a respected publishing house, but don’t always understand publishing contract terms – what they mean for the contracting parties and how they inform book-publishing practice. In turn, publishers struggle to satisfy authors’ creative expectations against the industry’s commercial demands. This book challenges our perceptions of these author–publisher power imbalances by recasting the publishing contract as a cultural artefact capable of adapting to the industry’s changing landscape. Based on a three-year study of publishing negotiations, Katherine Day reveals how relational contract theory provides possibilities for future negotiations in what she describes as a ‘post negotiation space’.

Drawing on the disciplines of cultural studies, law, publishing studies and cultural sociology, this book reveals a unique perspective from publishing professionals and authors within the post negotiation space, presenting the editor as a fundamental agent in the formation and application of publishing’s contractual terms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, children’s media use increased (Mesce et al. 2021) while a decrease in print-book reading was observed (Nolan et al. 2022). An increase in tablet use suggests that when children were reading, it was mostly online in the form of ePub3 pdf files for illustrated works and prescribed school texts, while smartphone use was linked to apps and games. (Susilowati et al. 2021) For many years now, children’s publishers have experimented with digital picture-book formats but have regarded the genre as not suitable for digitisation.

This book documents the findings of a one-year research project engaging the children’s publishing sector for feedback on reading trends and digital publishing in picture-book genres. The research assesses the plight of picture books in the current climate and considers how picture-book publishers cater to diverse readerships and new reading platforms post Covid-19 lockdowns and into the digital age.

Written by an academic and editor with over 15 years industry experience, this book offers a nuanced response to children’s picture book publishing and reception for librarians, teachers, publishers and international scholars in the fields of publishing studies, library studies, early childhood studies, early education and childhood psychology.