Sustainable and Profitable Growth in Publishing

The challenge of generating new growth while remaining sustainable and profitable was the central theme of the 2022 Future Book Forum held by Canon Europe. The event gathered leading publishers, book producers, distributors, and industry influencers from across Europe to discuss ways to make the publishing industry fit for the future in terms of its environmental and financial health. Key themes that emerged included the concept of how to design for purpose, thinking through how the sector uses raw materials. There is also the need to tell the story of publishing to connect emotionally to customers and satisfy the growing demand for sustainable purchasing. Finally, through interactive workshops many ideas were raised that required a sector-wide approach to challenge the established thinking and put sustainability at the heart of the sector. This article will outline the outcomes of the Future Book Forum and outline the next steps to bring action to the many ideas raised during the event.