Business models and digital transformation in the Spanish publishing industry

Abstract

Analogously to other cultural industries, the Spanish publishing companies is going through a period of transition and technical change aimed to the implementation of the digital format that questions their current business models, forcing a complete revision of a good part of the internal processes, product portfolio and competences necessary to develop their activity. This research studies the impact of digitalization on the Spanish publishing industry through a case study conducted on three publishers selected at the convenience of the research, considering its weight and relative importance. Among the conclusions obtained, it is highlighted that: a) the digital work production still does not reach the level of the work on paper; b) VAT taxation does not favor the offer of competitive prices in digital works, and c) Uncertainty affects the way in which Spanish publishers approach digitization, adopting a conservative position that does not motivate them to lead the change.