Educational publishing is the oil that helps the USA education machine running smoothly. Without educational publishers, American schools and educational institutions simply would not be nearly as effective as they are. School publishers are the real force behind the drive. And, as with everything else in the publishing world, there is so much more to scholastic publishing than just text books.
A variety of new forms of school publishing have come into existence in recent years, particularly with the advent of the Internet and online publishers. Of course, the major educational books publishers are still going strong, such as Oxford University Press or Prentice Hall--the classic textbook publishers--yet many new scholastic publishers have sprouted up and made their mark in the different segments of the educational books industry.
Here are the major services that academic publishers provide:
- Text books--as long as high schools and colleges exist, school textbooks will be in demand.
- Newsletters--traditional or electronic newsletters published for specific academic industries.
- Journals--traditional or online journals can range from philosophy to medicine to science.
- Education Software--a booming industry for the creation of educational software to teach students of all ages and walks of life.
Yes, a high degree of opportunity exists in educational publishing, provided you have the expertise needed. There are so many scholarly publishers in the industry offering many services to the unique segments of the schools and educational markets.
An association designed to facilitate educational or scholarly publishing is the Society of Scholarly Publishing (SSP), website www.sspnet.org. It strives to advance scholarly publishing, communication, and the professional development of its members through education, collaboration, and networking among individuals in this field.
Two of the most extensive directories of educational publishing firms--both on-line and traditional publishers--can be found on the Internet.
