From: Anthony Watkinson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 09:17:56 +0100

I find this very odd:

"And publisher won't do it.  Simply because, if the publisher allows that
option, then they have to reduce the charge.  If they reduce the charge,
then they run the risk of reducing their profits"

Very few publisher/association partnerships work on a commission basis which
the word "charge" seems to suggest. I have not worked with any since the
1980s and would never advise it to societies I have represented. The two
common financial arrangements are a royalty to the society (in which case
the publisher will want to save money) and a share of profits (in which both
the society and the publisher will want to save money)

Anthony

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Masters <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:43:46 +0400

Hi All

One of the downsides of societies outsourcing this is that the
customers get stuff that they don't need, but have to pay for it.  I
have a subscription to a journal that is on paper and electronic.  But
I never read the paper version.  It arrives later than the electronic
copies are available, I can't search for stuff as easily, it takes up
space, etc. - I always only access the electronic version.  But I'm
paying for that d*mn paper and I can't get them to stop sending it to
me without cancelling my subscription.  I have contacted the society,
and they apologise, but it's out of their hands.  And publisher won't
do it.  Simply because, if the publisher allows that option, then they
have to reduce the charge.  If they reduce the charge, then they run
the risk of reducing their profits.

It's called "value added," (and value charged) whether you want that
added value or not.

So, yesterday, yet another copy of the journal arrived in its plastic
wrapping, and was added to the pile of previous copies on my desk,
still in their plastic wrapping. I offered it to a colleague, who
smiled politely, and said "Um, no thanks, already read it online."
I'm sure she wondered if I knew I was in the 21st century.


Regards

Ken

------

Dr. Ken Masters
Asst. Professor: Medical Informatics
Medical Education Unit
College of Medicine & Health Sciences
Sultan Qaboos University
Sultanate of Oman
E-i-C: The Internet Journal of Medical Education


On 30 April 2012 06:31, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: Zac Rolnik <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:45:22 -0400
>
> Sandy,
>
> The primary reason societies outsource their journal publishing to
> large commercial publishers is $$$.  Have you ever seen the types of
> offers made by large publishers (both commercial and university
> presses) for large successful journals?  The financial rewards are
> often hard to resist, especially for a society only publishing one or
> two journals where their fixed costs eat up much of the revenue.
> Whether it is the in-house cost of staff at the society, the cost of
> an electronic platform, or the worldwide sales and marketing, I think
> that societies are well aware of the options, costs and revenues
> associated with such deals. But not all deals are the same and
> societies can negotiate deals that include specific pricing
> provisions, guaranteed revenues and attractive revenue sharing,
> editorial control, etc.  When societies look to outsource publication
> they are in the driver's seat and should carefully negotiate their
> agreements.  In many instances, the outsourcing of journals to large
> publications has been good for societies.  Remember, it is not only
> large commercial publishers in this game, but I know very reputable
> large university presses that also play in this space.
>
> Zac Rolnik
> now publishers
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sandy Thatcher <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:46:49 -0500
>
> It does seem odd that societies would outsource their journal
> publishing to large commercial publishers because they can be assured
> in advance (1) that the prices will go way up,  (2) fewer individuals
> will be able to afford to subscribe to them, and (3) any profits made
> will not redound to the benefit of academic research since they will
> go to pay shareholders or be used to grow the size of the company
> further so as to  increase its market share.  Why do scholars complain
> about commercial journal practices and then turn around and allow
> their societies to help those companies profit even further at the
> expense of academe?
>
> Sandy Thatcher