For Immediate Release

July 18 , 2006

Contact: Tina Jordan
Ph: (212) 255-0200 x263
Email: tjordan@publishers.org

WEB DESIGN, AUDIO PRODUCTION POSITIONS TRACK LARGEST PERCENTAGE GAINS IN BOOK INDUSTRY COMPENSATION

AAP Compensation Report Reports 8-10% Increases in Web Design and Audio

July 18, 2006, New York, NY:  Reflecting the growing power of the Internet as a medium for accessing and marketing published works, positions in web design and audio production within book publishing experienced an 8-10 percent increase in compensation, the largest increase of those personnel positions tracked by the just-released Association of American Publishers Compensation and Personnel Practices 2006 Survey Report. The second largest gain was seen in the areas of marketing and publicity, which tracked a 4-10 percent increase in compensation for 2006. 

This year’s survey includes compensation data on 134 jobs found in 49 unique publishing houses, ranging from small imprints and mid-sized presses to large media organizations.

“It’s interesting to note that the jobs that experienced the highest salary growth in the last year are the web design and audio publications positions” says Paul Gavejian, managing director of Total Compensation Solutions, the consulting firm that conducts the study for AAP.  “With the rapid expansion of Internet access to published works, it makes sense that these jobs would be paid at a higher rate.” 

Gavejian added that “The pay increase for marketing and publicity positions may be related to the increase in electronic publishing models and the need to communicate the new media approach to the reading and listening audiences.” 

Conducted for more than 20 years, the Association of American Publishers Survey Report is the longest running and most comprehensive compensation and personnel practices survey in the publishing marketplace. It meets the need for timely and accurate compensation and benefits data and is considered a primary source of data for human resources departments in the book publishing industry. 

Survey participants can isolate compensation practices for jobs in their organization based on their revenue size, their location, and the type of book published (e.g., educational, mass market, adult, children’s, technical and professional).  The survey is published jointly by AAP and TCS and is available to publishing houses that supply data to the database.  AAP members receive a discounted price on the survey, which can be obtained directly from TCS pgavejian@total-comp.com

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade organization of the U.S. book publishing industry.   AAP members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the U.S., as well as small and not-for-profit publishers, university presses, and scholarly societies.  AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and professional markets, computer software, and electronic products and services.

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