When selecting a publishing partner, there are several aspects to consider; whether that partner has a global presence might not be on your radar…but it should be.
Beyond the considerations of communication, performance quality, cost, and timeliness, how that partner chooses to manage their business is an indicator of how they will care for yours.
Consider, if you will, the difference in a pre-press publishing house that centers all of their services and employees in a high rent, urban district; it is a certainty that this cost will be passed along to you. But what of a publisher that chooses to center only a portion of their business in an urban center? If some of their services are located in a cost-friendly locale, you can expect those savings to be passed along. But it isn’t just cost that can be affected.
It’s no secret that other nations are gaining ground in tech services, and that boom is an economic benefit, not just for those nations, but also for the world economy. Over the last decade India, for example, has seen huge growth in its tech sector.Its stock market has returned more that 280% (outperforming the S&P in the same time frame), and size of their middle class is expected to overtake that of the US by 2027.1According to a 2016 article, “with over 300 million people having access to the internet, India is now the second most connected nation in the world (after China).”2 Which is why the jump in graduates with tech degrees has also risen sharply. With lower costs, infrastructure in place, and an educated work force, doesn’t it make sense to utilize this market for certain services?
While economics of global partnership has been the primary focus here, it’s worth stating that other publishing services benefit from a global presence, e.g., copyediting in primary languages, targeted marketing, etc. Putting global presence in the mix when considering a publishing house is key.
References:
- Dyer, I.2019. India: The major economic boom nobody is talking about. Banyan Hill. Available at https://banyanhill.com/india-major-economic-boom/ [Accessed 17 June 2021.]
- Ramkumar, V. 2016. Why India is the fastest growing tech hub in the world. Tech In Asia. Available at https://www.techinasia.com/talk/insights-india-fastest-growing-technology-hub-world [Accessed 17 June 2021.]
