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RSS feedsBlackwell Publishing grew sales by 10% to £191m last year, helping to push profits up 27% to a record £31.7m, despite the impact of the weak US dollar.
Chief executive Rene Olivieri attributed the growth to an increase in the number of journal titles, more carefully tailored content and "targeted electronic marketing".
A range of 66 new journals was added during 2004, bringing the total to 755. List growth was achieved "largely with academic organisations", as well as through the acquisitions of BMJ Books in April and US Food and Nutrition Press in October.
Sales in the US market stormed ahead of Blackwell's global growth, up 25% to $172m (£95m). Diminishing library budgets in the US and the UK were offset by Blackwell's all-title e-distribution scheme to library consortia.
Its book publishing "was less strong" compared to journals growth in 2004, accounting for 20–25% of sales.
Meanwhile, the company has announced that 30 journals will be taking part in its open access experiment, Online Open, launched in February.
During the trial period, to the end of 2006, authors of accepted articles will have the option to pay a £1250 ($2500) fee to make the articles available through Blackwell's online Synergy service. They will also be included in the print edition of journals with an indicator that the article is available for free online.
The Online Open journal list, according to Blackwell Publishing president Bob Campbell, contains "key medical and life sciences journals". It includes British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Diabetic Medicine, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research and Immunology.
Sections of this story were taken from The Bookseller, IWR's sister publication
Link: Blackwell Publishing
