Transformation strategies implemented by book publishers in Malaysia / Siti Nor Fazira Jono

To date, book publishing in Malaysia is rapidly developing because of technological developments that have made it possible for anyone to write and publish their works. Independent publications have also begun to dominate readers of published creative works since 2011. Several books have also been successfully translated into foreign languages, allowing it to be introduced to a wider audience across various countries. Due to competition, changes in time, and changes in the environment, book publishers need to undergo publishing transformations and change strategies to ensure that published books are of high quality. This study aims to identify the transformation strategies implemented by book publishers in Malaysia. This study was carried out using a qualitative method by interviewing six number of informants whom are also book publishers in Malaysia. The informants consists of six local book publishers. These publishers are from old and new publishing houses, as this study wants to see the differences in the strategies of the publishers for the production of quality books. Data were transcribed and few themes regarding transformation strategies implemented by book publishers in Malaysia has emerged. The findings showed that there were several transformation strategies implemented by book publishers in Malaysia such as general transformation strategies, content transformation strategies (storylines, genre, writing style); and marketing transformation strategy. There are also other transformation strategies adopted by these publishers, namely in the form of adaptation of novels to drama/movies, translation, physical forms of books, subscription and competitions. This shows that Malaysian book publishers have implemented various transformation strategies to remain relevant in the publishing industry.