ABSTRACT
"Structure" may be too static a term for such a variegated, fluid endeavor as book publishing. Writers about the book industry have said over and over that the publishing of books can be a business, a profession, a gamble, or all three, and that for many people it is a vocation or calling. Accordingly, in publishing houses large, medium, or small, the functions are those of planning a program, commissioning or selecting manuscripts and book projects, evaluating the material, and editing it for printing; designing, specifying, and overseeing manufacture; marketing in all its aspects; and managing and coordinating these activities. The business structures within which all the book-publishing functions exist are of many kinds. For the more established publishers, industry associations have long been important in the structure of the industry. The major production interests are represented in the Book Manufacturers' Institute, which relates to publishers on the association and management levels.
