The Future of Publishing Industry in Iran: Challenges and Opportunities ahead of Traditional Publishers in their Transformation into Modern and Electronic Publishers

Aim: the aim of the present research is to identify the present evolutions of the publishing industry and the challenges and opportunities existing in its way to transform from its traditional state to a modern and electronic state.Method: This research was undertaken based on the findings of the review of the relevant literature on the publishing industry and its current developments. Findings/ Results: The Iranianpublishers have faced many challenges and difficulties in entering the modern era of the publishing industry and using the current technologies of which could be mentioned the lack of required knowledge and expertise in the managers and the staff of the publishing houses, tendency to hold with the current situation and resisting change, economic crisis and recession in the publishing market, lack of a written legal system that supports authors andpublishers of the electronic works, and weaknesses existing in the infrastructures of the modern industry. publishers have the following opportunities: economicevolutions caused by new approaches publishers take towards the publishing market and customers’ demands, applying new publishing methods such as electronic publishing and digital publishing, demand based publication, hybridpublication, and participation of publishers in collection development projects in libraries and provision of both, print and electronic information sources foreducational and academic centers.

Keywords:

Iran , Publishing Industry , Publishers , Opportunities , Challenges , Electronic Publishing