Experienced publishing professionals John Cox and Nawin Gupta have joined 
forces to offer scholarly and academic publishers a ‘health check’ to ensure 
that their publishing business can cope with the recession.

The problem with recession is that there is always a time lag before its impact 
on public spending is felt.  It will take ten years or more to bring the budget 
deficit back to normal, so the pressure on the public sector generally, and 
library budgets in particular, is likely to persist for some years.  Libraries are 
already cutting back; book buying is being cut, and journals are being 
scrutinized for cancellation in 2010.  Nobody expects library budgets to return 
to normal in the next three years. 

At times like these, it is vital that the organization is fully and sustainably 
equipped to weather the economic crisis affecting the publishing business.  
John Cox, Managing Director of John Cox Associates, and Nawin Gupta of 
Informed Publishing Solutions Inc, the Chicago-based consultancy, are offering 
a ‘health check’ to focus on the preparedness of the business to grow through 
these challenging times by concentrating on: 

•	A realistic assessment of sales and cash flow forecasts
•	The scope for reducing the cost base of publishing through 
concentrating expenditure on activities that are critical to the publishing 
mission and business.  
•	Practicable operational efficiencies, including efficient and effective 
use of marketing, purchasing of manufacturing and services, outsourcing, and 
the organization of the publishing business.

Both consultants have decades of experience in academic and scholarly 
publishing – including the recessions of 1973-74 and the early 1990s and know 
how to manage publishing operations through challenging times. The 
standardized review is available for a package price, concentrating on sales 
and cash flow forecasts, the scope for reducing the costs of publishing by 
concentrating expenditure on mission-critical activities, and practical 
operational efficiencies, including outsourcing if it is appropriate.”

The extent of the health check is dependent on the type of publishing 
involved – books, journals or both – and can be tailored to the publisher’s 
requirements.  The standard review can cost as little as US$5,000, or GBP 
£3,250.  It will be undertaken by John Cox in Europe, and by Nawin Gupta in 
North America.   They are confident that they can add value and recommend 
savings worth more than the cost of the review.  If a publisher implements 
their recommendations and can demonstrate that the savings yield less than 
the cost of the review, they will refund the difference.

Further information:

John Cox
John Cox Associates Ltd
Rookwood, Bradden
Towcester  NN12 8ED
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1327 861184
E-mail: [log in to unmask] 
Web: www.johncoxassociates.co.uk 

Nawin Gupta
Informed Publishing Solutions Inc
6285 North Kolmar Avenue
Chicago IL 60646
U S A
Tel: +1 773 623 9199
E-mail: [log in to unmask] 
Web: www.nawingupta.com 

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