Archive for the ‘Print Outlook’ Category

Q2 Print Outlook

Thursday, March 17th, 2011 by Joanne Harap

Your print sales representative has probably been the bearer of bad news over the past two weeks.  Ink and paper price increases have been announced, effective as early as April 1.

The majority of print contracts specify that prices are in place on an annual basis with increases based on a national index such as the Consumer Price Index.  These prices do not include any increases for commodity pricing that can change at any time based on market conditions.  Ink and paper are considered commodities.

The major ink manufacturers have announced increases that average 8% for sheetfed presses and 10% for web press products starting April 1.  The major driver of this increase is the cost of petroleum and gas.  Ink usually represents 8% to 12% of your total print invoice.  Your print sales representative should have already alerted you to this increase.  If not, contact your representative to confirm the exact price increase and timing.

The industry has not seen a paper increase since October 2010.  Paper mills passed on a January 1 increase, but all of the major players have announced price increases of $2.00 to $3.00/cwt  starting as early as April.  This increase was not unexpected, and it shows that paper mills see an improvement in demand for the remainder of the year.  The paper mills have succeeded in eliminating paper supply through consolidation and shutting down paper machines that are no longer efficient.

This is an important time to work closely with your print sales or customer service representative.  Make sure he or she is keeping you up to date on the timing and implications of these increases.  Reach out to your printer if you have not heard anything.  You do not want to be surprised when you receive your May or June invoices that include unexpected price increases.

Any price increase is difficult to explain, but framing the discussion in the context of market changes will help to put it in perspective along with an accurate projection showing the impact to the bottom line.

Joanne Harap is the president of Production Matters, a consulting firm that provides evaluation, management and problem-solving services related to publications production and printing.  She specializes in producing cost-efficient and cost-effective association publications.

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Posted in Paper Outlook, Print Outlook | 1 Comment »

The Road to a Paperless Workflow Pt. 2

Thursday, January 20th, 2011 by user

By Randy Townsend

If you are serious about converting to a paperless workflow, hopefully you have (1) assembled a strong team of individuals that span across your organization and have (2) been asking questions critical to managing the transition. In case you are not sure about how to begin, please see Part 1, “The Road to a Paperless Workflow.”

The next thing you want to do is control your testing environment. Here are a few tips that will strengthen the foundation of your new workflow:

1. Start Small

There is no need to involve the entire organization when you are in the testing phase. Take baby steps confidently with as few people involved as you can manage. This will allow you the freedom to gauge intermediate successes and failures, and respond accordingly.

Avoid turning departments upside down with bold assertions strapped to explosive deadlines (We will be paperless by next Friday). Change can be a scary thing to many people. If done properly, your colleagues will have been a part of your program for some time before they truly realize the scope of the changes.

2. The Carriage Before the Horse

Be willing to reorder procedural steps. Transitioning into a paperless workflow constitutes a dynamic change in daily operations. Reassess the need for procedures structured to respond to the physical limitations of a paper-dependent workflow.

3. Redefine Roles

Some proposed changes might seem crazy, requiring redefining the some of your colleague’s job descriptions (or even your own). Be sure to discuss such possible changes with your Human Resources department. Remember that you are not changing the business itself, but rather working to improve the overall performance of our organization, which should be a common goal for everybody on staff.

As your testing is underway, your road towards paperlessness should appear greener!

Randy Townsend is a team leader in journals production at the American Geophysical Union. He is currently securing a Master’s Degree in Publishing at The George Washington University. Randy is also a freelance writer. See his interview with Basketball Wives’ Shaunie O’Neal in the latest issue of A-Game Magazine.

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Posted in Next Generation, Print Outlook | 12,498 Comments »

Top Ten Rules for the Future of Publishing

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 by user

By Barbara Meyers Ford

Thad McIlroy, President, The Future of Publishing and keynote speaker at the Cadmus 2010 Executive Management Retreat, gave these ten guidelines for publishers looking to survive the current climate of publishing.

  1. Don’t Think “Either/Or.”    Think “AND” where and = evolution.
  2. Trends are not linear. There is no evidence that print will die, but there is tons of evidence that its decline will continue. What we haven’t determined is the extent of that decline.
  3. Data formats remain a problem. Why didn’t XML go mass media? Its growth is happening in a non-algorithmic fashion.
  4. iPhone, iPads, and Notebooks can not all survive.  There is a limit to the number of separate digital devices that people want to carry and that limit = ONE.
  5. People won’t deal with complexity. They would rather have a simple answer that is inaccurate than a complex one that’s true.
  6. Digital sales are gross. They don’t bring about the same unit revenues as print so there must be a change in the business model to create a tighter cost structure.
  7. Free is overrated. Most people will pay a reasonable amount for content. DRM increases the attractiveness of providing free samples, however, which are good.
  8. Traditional educational institutions are KAPUT; they are on a road to change in spite of their conservative nature.
  9. Don’t be defensive or you’ll attract predators.
  10. When there is a level playing field, GOOD content always wins. Problem: the field is rarely level.

Event Date: October 27, 2010, Baltimore, MD

During her 35+ year career, Barbara M. Ford worked for societies and consulting companies before establishing Meyers Consulting Services (MCS), specializing in society management and scholarly publishing.  Since starting MCS, Barbara’s work with commercial and non-profit publishers (as well as organizations in allied industries) ranges from a day of advice to months or years of service as adjunct staff in senior positions.

A co-founder of the Society for Scholarly Publishing and a past President of the Council of Science Editors, she has devoted considerable time to all the organizations serving our industry and continues to do so. Her most recent contributions are as adjunct faculty in the Masters in Publishing Program, George Washington University. More information can be found at www.bmeyersconsulting.com.

Posted in Communications News, Digital Delivery, Print Outlook | 14,264 Comments »

2011 Print Outlook

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 by Joanne Harap

Most magazine and commercial printers are entering 2011 cautiously optimistic after an improved Q3 and Q 4. The Publishers Information Bureau reports that the publishing industry experienced a 5.3% growth in ad revenue over the same period in 2009. Ad pages also grew 3.6% over the same time period.

Many printers have experience a healthy fourth quarter with plants at full capacity. This is traditionally the busiest time of the year with catalogs, annual titles and publishers rushing to get titles out by the end of December. As a result, printers are seeing some stabilization in pricing.

Commercial printers continue to find more ways to increase efficiency with reduced labor. They are investing in new equipment that will produce a lower cost per impression. Most capital investment is going towards the purchase of high speed digital presses. Purchasing decisions are based on a thorough assessment of longevity of the equipment against the investment.

What does this mean to publishers?
This is still a good time to go out for bid if you have not done so since 2007. Prices are considerably lower than they were three years ago and that will yield impressive savings to your bottom line. It is doubtful that prices will go any lower; this is the right time to start a contract renewal discussion or a printer selection. Printers will also focus on offering publishers value added services including:

• Competitive pricing digital magazines
• Development and production of Smartphone and iPad applications
• PURLs and personalization of direct mail
• 2D barcodes

The start of the new year is an excellent time to set up a meeting with your print sales representative to discuss pricing and value added services. Let your printer know about your business plans for growth and new initiatives throughout the association. This will give them the perfect opportunity to strengthen their partnership with you.

Joanne Harap is the president of Production Matters, a consulting firm that provides evaluation, management and problem-solving services related to publications production and printing.  She specializes in producing cost-efficient and cost-effective association publications.  Joanne is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University, teaching production management for the College of Professional Studies Master’s in Publishing program.

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Posted in Print Outlook, Vendor relationships | 13,817 Comments »