Publishing is the process of editing and designing, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing books, magazines, newspapers, or other materials in printed or electronic form. This article describes book publishing.
A publishing business is often called a publishing house, or a publisher. A publishing house may have hundreds of employees working in large office buildings, or it may consist of only one person who does all of the work in a single room. The person or group directing the business of publishing a book is also called the publisher. This person or group is responsible for acquiring and editing the manuscript of the author or authors. The publisher also supervises the design and production of the book; orders printing and binding of the book, typically from a separate printing company; and markets and distributes the book to the public.
Book publishing is an industry of enormous importance in the educational and cultural life of most societies. People have made and sold written material in many forms since ancient times.
