Examining Paper Shortages and Publishing Worker Unrest (publishersweekly.com)
The publishing industry faces continuing supply chain issues and paper shortages while another set of challenges have appeared in early 2022, employee resignations and work/life balance. These challenges were the focus of the webinar, “Publishing Now '22: Driving Business Forward,” presented by PW with support from Westchester Publishing Services on March 22. After two years in which book sales did surprisingly well despite problems posed by the pandemic, the industry faces more uncertainties in 2022 because of inflation and rising costs that are eating into companies’ operating margins, said Jim Milliot, editorial director of PW: “It’s safe to say things are a little more complicated.” Jim Fetherston, president and CEO at the printer Worzalla, was quick to point to the root cause of printing delays—the steady closing of printing plants has resulted in “North American print capacity being at historic low levels,” while demand for books remains extremely high.