Record year for Edinburgh

Edinburgh University Press enjoyed another record year in 2017-18, according to its latest annual report, issued last month. Total revenues for the financial year ending July 2018 were up 6% to £3.43 million, with ebook sales up 16% and backlist titles performing particularly well. Income from journals – 15% higher than in 2017 – and rights and permissions – up 14% – also saw significant growth, while print book sales rose by a more modest 1%. The number of new books published passed 200 for the first time, while the acquisition of several new journals means that the press will start 2019 with a portfolio of 46 titles.

In his introduction to the report, Chief Executive Timothy Wright drew attention to some of the challenges that publishers like Edinburgh face, from the deep pockets of commercial rivals to the recent proposals from cOAlition S that within two years, all publicly-funded science should be available through open access on the day of publication. Despite these concerns, however, Wright concluded that the press remained well placed to meet its growth projections for the coming years.

Jessica Kingsley awarded British Empire Medal

Jessica Kingsley, the eponymous founder of Jessica Kingsley Publishers, has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to people with autism in this year’s New Year’s Honours list. The company, specialising in the social and behavioural sciences, had been independent for thirty years until its acquisition by Hachette late in 2017, increasing turnover every single year.

Huddersfield switches to OLH platform

University of Huddersfield Press has become the first university press to use the Janeway open source publishing platform developed by open access publisher the Open Library of the Humanities. All Huddersfield’s monographs and journals – which recently reached the milestones of 6,000 and 100,000 downloads, respectively – are now available via the platform. OLH has also announced two new members of its Library Partnership Subsidy system: the University of Richmond in the United States, and Germany’s Technische Universität Berlin. Payments from such members enable the Open Library of the Humanities to publish open access content without author-facing charges.

UCL Press joins the Association of University Presses

UCL Press has become the fifth UK member of the Association of University Presses, formerly the Association of American University Presses, joining Cambridge, Manchester, Oxford, and Liverpool, whose MD Anthony Cond became the association’s first European board member this summer.

Alastair Horne is a PhD student at the British Library and Bath Spa University