數位時代臺灣出版業原創平臺與經紀人制度之研究

Abstract

臺灣目前有五千多家出版社，一年出版四萬多種紙本書，參照財政部統計書籍出版業的圖書出版業產值，從2012年的352億逐年下降到2013年269億、2014年的226億，近兩年的營業產值衰退了將近一成六，近五年的衰退率更將近四成。民眾購書意願的低落，依據文化部兩年統計一次的《圖書出版產業調查報告》每人每年平均購書量，明顯從2010年的16.5本下降到2012年的6.7本。在數位環境下，一般或許以為閱讀或購買紙本書的人口下降，是轉移為數位閱讀，但根據調查，雖然有超過20家以上的廠商投入數位出版市場，但數位出版相關營收卻不到出版社總營收的1％。如今臺灣出版產業面臨紙本書市場下滑，電子書市場又未成氣候，再加上書店通路的強勢、壓低出版社進貨折扣，使整體獲利大幅降低，出版業者莫不感到生存危機，開始積極尋求新的營運模式與策略，以求突破出版業的寒冬迎向暖春的市場。 尤其在文化創意產業活絡的時代，「內容為王」與「作品版權」是可擴大經營的關鍵，一部好的出版作品，有機會成為一部火紅的電視劇或是電影等。歐美各國的出版業均有發達的經紀制度為作者規劃、管理與應用版權，但臺灣出版業過去並不重視發展此一核心能力。特別在中國大陸的數位原創平臺出現後，更顛覆了傳統的出版與經紀模式，成功地吸引了大量的作家進入平臺寫作及行動閱聽大眾的付費訂閱，原創平臺並開始發展全版權經紀人的角色，將文學創作的市場價值，不侷限於出版業，更擴充延伸至影視遊戲等產業，也進一步奠定了數位原創平臺與全版權經紀模式的可行獲利雛型。 為尋求臺灣出版業當前經營困境的最適解決方案，本研究採取個案研究法，整理歸納當今華文與非華文市場出版業價值創新之出版與經紀模式，以一家臺灣已經營四十年的傳統出版業者為個案研究對象，分析個案公司在沒有具體經紀人制度下，如何透過編輯的努力，開展出版經紀與版權管理的工作，以及釐清目前在經營上所面對的挑戰與限制；本研究同時針對海內外的作家、出版社負責人、版權代理人與專家進行深度訪談，以更多元的角度分析經紀人制度在現況下的需要性，並探索出版業與版權經紀人在現階段與未來資源配置與調整的可能方案。 研究發現，中國大陸的原創平臺出現後，已經嚴重挑戰了臺灣創作、發行、經紀與影視遊戲產業發展的結構。對創作者言，自助出版電子書將成為出版新趨勢，已造成出版公司的功能所面對的挑戰。在臺灣出版業尚不重視經紀功能的狀況下，全版權經紀或是分銷授權都會產生重要的出版資源與秩序的調整，臺灣出版界應當及時因應，界定與建構經紀人制度，並隨著科技與市場的變化，不斷調整經紀人的資源、角色與任務，以極大化創作者、出版業及閱聽大眾之感知價值。 本研究係以資源基礎理論（resource-based theory, RBT）為核心觀念，藉以找到個案公司本身的競爭優勢：價值、稀有性與獨特性，並為個案公司提出永續市場領導者的策略性建議；一般企業若能先檢視組織內部資源之後，再整合運用外部資源，則可在累積資源與策略性資產的過程中，不斷找到可持久發展的經營優勢。本研究的貢獻為數位時代原創平臺興起後，提出臺灣經紀人角色必須重新定義與創新的具體建議與策略，無論對個案公司或是臺灣出版產業均是過去未曾提出的嶄新觀點；若能具體實踐，預期可創造公司全新的獲利來源，增加跨界合作與跨界創價的機會，尤其在經紀人制度下思考全版權經營模式所建構的經營策略，面對數位出版環境急遽的變革，將能為臺灣出版業創造獨特的競爭優勢、營收高峰與獲利契機。For the present, there are more than 5000 publishers in Taiwan; and for each year, there are more than 40,000 kinds of paper books published. According to the statistics issued by Ministry of Finance, the output value of Book Publishing Industry has annually decreased from NT$35.2 billion in 2012 to NT$26.9 billion in 2013, and to NT$22.6 billion in 2014. In recent two years, the recession of sales output value has reached 16%; even more, in recent five years, the recession has reached 40 %. The public is no longer inclined to buy books. According to “General Analysis of Publishing Industry” issued biennially by Ministry of Culture, the annual average amount of book purchase per person has apparently decreased from 16.5 books per person in 2010 to 6.7 books per person in 2012. Under the influence of digitalization, one might generally believe that the decline of population of paper-book purchase might suggest that the reading behavior has adjusted to the digital reading. Nevertheless, according to the survey, though there are more than 20 publishers invested in digital publishing market, the revenue of this investment is still less than 1 % of the gross income of the publisher. Nowadays, due to the decline of paper-book market, the immaturity of e-book market, and the dominant advantage of bookstore channel abating the purchase price, the publishing industry in Taiwan is confronting the drastic decline of overall profit. Due to the awareness of crisis and its possible problem-solving plan, the publishing industry has actively begun to seek the new operating model and strategy.

Especially, in the age of prosperously developing Cultural and Creative Industries, "Content is King" and "Copyright" are the keys to enhance the operating fields; for example, a good publishing work is able to become a popular TV drama or film...etc. The agency system of the publishing industry in the western countries have been well developed , of which they help to organize, manage and apply author's copyright; nevertheless, the publishing industry in Taiwan do not emphasize on developing this crucial capacity. Particularly, after its appearance in Mainland China, the digital Original Platform has overturned the traditional operating model of publishing and agency: it has successfully invited lots of authors to join the Platform to create and provide their writings, and many mobile audiences are attracted to subscribe to the Platform with payment. Furthermore, the Original Platform initiates the role of Full Copyright Agent, by which the market value of literary works is not only presented in publishing industry but also expanded to Film and Television Industry or Game Industry...etc. This development further suggests that the profitable operating model of the digital Original Platform and Full Copyright Agency has been founded.

For the purpose of seeking the optimal plan for solving the present predicament of publishing industry in Taiwan, this paper will use the method of case study in order to sum up the value innovation model of publishing and agency in the field of publishing industries in Chinese and non-Chinese market. The object of case study is a traditional publisher that has been operated in Taiwan for 40 years. This paper is going to analyze that without specific agency system, how it would go through the literary agency and the copyright management solely by editor's effort. The case study will also specify the challenge and the limitation of the present on-going operation. Additionally, this paper is also going to do the interview with the authors, the responsible officials of publishers, copyright agents and the experts related to the field. According to the case study and the interviews, this paper will, from the multi-dimensional aspects, analyze the present necessity of agency system, and seek out, for the sake of present predicament and future development, the feasible proposal being able to arrange the resource allocation and adjustment between the publishing industries and the copyright agents.

According to the research, the developing structure of creative industry, publishing industry, agency business, Film and Television industry and Game industry has been seriously shaken by the appearance of Original Platform in Mainland China. In the viewpoint of the people doing creative works, the function of publisher is weakening since the self-publishing e-book has become the new trend. Accordingly, though the publishing industry in Taiwan has neglected the function of agency, the remarkable adjustment in the publishing resource and regulation is inevitable, either in the case of Full Copyright Agency or in that of Authorized Distribution Agency. It is necessary for the publishing industries to deal with this adjustment, and to define and establish the agency system. Furthermore, due to the ever-lasting change of technological development and market orientation, it is also necessary to constantly re-allocate and re-adjust agent's resource, role and mission in order to optimize the perceived value of creators, publishers and audiences.

This paper will use resource-based theory (RBT) as the main concept. Accordingly, RBT is very useful to find out the competitive advantages in the object of case study: Value, Rareness and Imperfect Imitability. By using RBT, this paper will also propose the strategic advice of sustainable market leadership to the object of case study. In other words, if an enterprise could first review and organize inside-resource and then integrate the former with outside-resource, any enterprise can obtain the operating advantage of sustainable development during the process of accumulation of resources and strategic assets. The tentative contribution of this paper would be: after the rise of digital Original Platform, this paper would like to propose the specific suggestion and strategy, to which it is not only necessary but also able to re-define and innovate the role of literary agent in Taiwan. This proposal brings up a brand new perspective that has not been mentioned for the object of case study and the publishing industry in Taiwan. If this perspective could be put into practice, it is foreseeable that it will bring about the whole new source of profit and increase the opportunities of interdisciplinary cooperation and value innovation. Especially, in the face of drastic change of digital publishing situation, the strategy constituted by the operating model of Full Copyright in accordance with agency system will bring about the remarkable competitive advantage, the astonishing revenue and the more opportunitiesfor profit.