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Poor distribution, major factor facing publishing industry
1389/02/21-08:30
Professor Hamid Mowlana, a prominent Iranian researcher and author told a panel on "needs and demands of society versus status quo in publishing sector" that the issue of distribution was a major problem facing the publishing sector in Iran, making the sector's less competitive than the European-based publishing rivals.
Mowlana hailed book as moist effective vehicle of expression, adding that Iran Civilization was on the vanguard of publishing affairs as well as an integration of verbal and written media.
The author expressed pleasure with a warm welcome accorded by the Iranian people to Tehran International Book Fair, adding that the volume of enthusiasm could be exploited t bring about a movement of book reading.
Mowalana then noted that any distribution of book was subject to a treble set of factors, namely identification of needs and demands, production and distribution. "Unlike eye-catching accomplishments, needs of society have yet to be identified, status of book production is favorable quantity-wise while distribution remains as main problem," the expert analyzed.
Another panelist to review the issue was Ali Zarei Nafajdari, managing director of Elmi Va Farhangi prominent publisher, who said that unlike a 40 percent rise in the volume of book production compared to the figure prior to the inception of the Islamic Republic, 1979, the current output fails to cater to existing social needs and demands both quantity wise and quality wise.
The panel was also informed by Kamran Fani, a prominent publisher and expert in publication affairs who said a leading factor behind any improvement the quality of publications was to identify the existing needs and demands.
In the same regard, Fani singled out the case of bestsellers, specific audience of any publication as well as potential cultural and spiritual impact of art and literary sector as major issues for consideration.
He urged the national House of Book Institute to pay a due attention to the case of identification of needs and demands, adding that any rise in the number of publications will prove useless as long as the books on stalls fail to cater to a would-be audience.
