Publications include books, newspapers, periodicals, audio-visual products, electronic publications and Internet publications. Among them, books, newspapers and periodicals are collectively referred to as "paper publications" or "printed publications". The earliest publications are books, followed by newspapers and periodicals.

Particularity of publications:

1, the duality of spiritual products and material products is the most important particularity of publications.

2. The particularity of the relationship between use value and social utility: use value and social utility may be consistent or deviated.

3. The relationship between social benefits and economic benefits may be unified or contradictory, which is one of the particularities of publications. The principle of correctly handling the relationship between these two benefits is to put social benefits in the first place and realize the combination of social benefits and economic benefits.

4. The particularity of the relationship between publication production quantity and cost profit: only the change of production quantity will lead to the great change of profit rate.

A publication must have three elements:

1, edit spiritual and cultural content in the form of words, graphics, images, sounds or other symbols for reading and appreciation.

2. It has a material carrier, bearing these spiritual and cultural contents.

3, with a certain number of copies, can spread to the public.

A publication refers to a published product with a certain material form, which stores knowledge and information for the purpose of communication. According to different publishing houses, it can be divided into government publications, government organization publications and general publications; According to the distribution method, scope and object, it is divided into internal reading and public publication.