anglais
Resource Center
Guidelines for Fair Publishing Partnerships
Over the past few years, the predation of large companies from the North on the book trade in Africa has undergone some partnership-related changes. An evolution of practices is observable amongst the large publishing companies from the North, who do not solely rely on local publishing houses’ acquisitions, but also on establishing partnerships with local publishers. How can we guarantee that these partnerships are balances and fair? How can we ensure that publishers from the South do not “sell their souls” through collaborations with large companies from the North? To complement these changes, the Alliance has drafted a little handbook of common-sense for its members, which serves as a reminder on essential checkpoints to look out for.
Should you have comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Read the unabridged vademecum_in French
The first ever study on digital publishing in developing countries
In partnership with the Prince Claus Foundation, the Alliance commissioned Octavio Kulesz, a digital publisher in Argentina, to carry out a study on digital publishing in developing countries. This first-ever study, the result of 8 months’ research, is now available in French, English and Spanish on the website: http://alliance-lab.org/etude/?lang=en
Who are the new digital players in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab world and in Russia, China and India? Can digital publishing develop autonomously in the emerging economies, independently from the rich countries? What support policies are required to stimulate the growth of this new industry and help the traditional publishing sector adapt to the changes? Based on interviews, questionnaires and meetings, Octavio Kulesz provides an overview of digital publishing in these 6 regions and puts forward concrete proposals aimed at independent publishers. Digital publishing experience in the South offers an insight into the major opportunity the new technologies represent for developing countries — especially when it comes to distribution — as long as local entrepreneurs seek innovative models suited to the concrete needs of their communities.
This online study is ongoing and interactive. We invite your contributions and feedback.
The study is also available in PDF, EPUB and MOBI.
Launch of "Bibliodiversity - Publishing and Globalisation"
The creation of "Bibliodiversity – Publishing and Globalisation" rests on three preliminary acknowledgments. The notion of bibliodiversity, despite its rapid spread and significant potential, remains scantly explored, insufficiently discussed, poorly grasped, and even misused – reduced at times to a simple slogan. It was important to save the notion from becoming even more depleted. Furthermore, the two co-publishers – the International Alliance of Independent Publishers along with Double Ponctuation – wish to contribute to original research, the development of intellectual and functional tools, and the collection of testimony that could help us understand the changes occurring in the world of books and publishing. Finally, there is not yet much space available in which to study these changing phenomena with a perspective that is simultaneously international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary.
> See all the additional texts on www.bibliodiversity.org
Nota bene: Bibliodiversity is not an Internet site; it remains first and foremost a linear publication and is organized, dated, and signed. As a service to the journal, the site will maintain its minimalist approach; there are no plans to use the site to replace the journal.
Download the first issue of "Bibliodiversity"
Download the Press Release - to distribute widely!
Digital publishing in emerging countries
In the last 15 years, the digital revolution has modified the way cultural goods are produced and distributed. Music has probably been the first industry concerned, but the impact has now reached other areas, in particular the book sector. Indeed, ebooks, audiobooks, print on demand, online stores and the expansion of mobile phones have deeply transformed the traditional publishing landscape.
Nevertheless, given the serious infrastructure limitations existing in the developing countries, it becomes crucial to assess the impact that technology is having on the publishing industry in those regions. Which e-publishing companies are flourishing today in the Southern countries? Which policies could be implemented so as to foster this new industry as well as to help the traditional actors to adapt to the changes that are currently taking place?
In order to explore these topics, the International Alliance of independent Publishers in partnership with the Prince Claus Fund, has launched an in-depth study, co-ordinated by Octavio Kulesz, director of Teseo and member of Digital minds Network. The first stage of the research consists of a number of interviews with different actors from the book sector, so as to understand the current situation as well as to propose global initiatives. Every actor from the publishing sector (especially publishers and booksellers) are invited to share their views and experiences through this brief questionnaire - click here!
Contact: ok@editorialteseo.com
Octavio KULESZ, article Livres Hebdo, October 8th, 2010
Preferential postage rates for books: urgent for Latin America
Massively used by small publishing firms to distribute their products to bookstores, libraries and readers, the postal service is the most popular means of circulating books throughout the world. However, the absence, suppression or questioning of special postage for books is an impediment to bibliodiversity in many countries. In Latin America, with the huge territory to cover and limited circulation, a large share of publishers ensures the delivery of their products themselves. For these publishers, preferential postage rates for shipping books are all the more vital.
Call for tender – A study on digital publishing and developing countries
The main aim of the “Digital Publishing and Developing Countries” programme, undertaken by the International Alliance of Independent Publishers in partnership with the Prince Claus Foundation, seeks to “determine digital publishing’s role as a future publishing resource in developing countries.” It consists of four consecutive phases to span over the next three years (2010-2012). The first phase of the programme consists of performing a study that would serve to both address some basic questions regarding the general thrust and lay the groundwork for future phases.
The new e-learning part of the Alliance website
Discover the "E-learning" part of the Alliance website.
You will find there some "Reference cards" and a first "Step-by-step training module" focused on textbooks production, currently in french.
Any suggestion for new e-training module or any comment about this part of our website will be welcomed, don’t hesitate.
Books about Books, discover the new acquisitions by our resource centre
Books about Books, the Alliance’s specialist resource centre “Livres et Edition” (“Books and Publishing”) has acquired new international reference works that we invite you to discover, consult and borrow.
Haïti...
L’Alliance internationale des éditeurs indépendants appelle tous les organismes de solidarité internationale à se mobiliser dans la durée en Haïti. L’Alliance fera ce qui est en son pouvoir pour apporter son appui à long terme aux professionnels du livre haïtiens, particulièrement aux bibliothécaires, aux éditeurs et aux libraires, en articulant son action à celle d’autres acteurs en Haïti, déjà présents ou prévoyants de l’être.
L’importance de la culture, dans la reconstruction, doit être prise en compte. Dans le contexte haïtien, où la symbolique a une place de choix, repenser Haïti c’est aussi soutenir les arts et la culture, notamment le livre et les auteurs qui servent de promoteurs de cette identité populaire, complexe et fascinante. Un peuple amputé de sa culture est un peuple mort.
Rodney Saint-Éloi, auteur et éditeur membre de l’Alliance internationale des éditeurs indépendants
“Jeunes talents”, the resource centre’s new page
The Alliance’s online resource centre has a new page entirely dedicated to research produced by young professionals of the booktrade and publishing industry. This series of documents contains some of the most outstanding Masters theses of the “Métiers du livre” (“Booktrade”) – selected for both their academic and thematic values. A whole series of fascinating works thus gets online publishing exposure on the Alliance’s website. There’s no doubt that we will be hearing more from these young authors!
Solidarity with Iranian publishers
In view of the preoccupying situation in Iran and the attacks on freedom of expression, the publishers of the Alliance wish to express their solidarity with their Iranian colleagues. They demand the right to publish freely and call for increased cultural exchanges with Iran.
Europe: committed to bibliodiversity?
As the European Parliament is about to be entirely renewed, the Alliance wishes to draw the future representatives’ attention to three concrete proposals, with which Europe would commit itself to protecting bibliodiversity.
Opening of the Resource Center
Through its new online Resource Center, the Alliance wishes to make available to professionals a corpus of definitions (Key notions section), a set of specific thematic analyses (Thematic studies section), comprehensive surveys (Collection “État des lieux de l’édition”), as well as some Practical information. A specialized library called “Books about Books” (BaB) was opened simultaneously on the association’s premises.
The International Alliance of Independent Publishers’ Resource Center is supported by the Conseil Régional d’Île-de-France.
From Latin America to the Ivory Coast, two exclusive studies
In her study on book trade between Latin America and Spain, exclusively commissioned by the Alliance to Elena Enríquez Fuentes (Mexico), the author shows the important imbalance in international trade. As for Stéphane Marill, she has carried out a meticulous and extremely well-documented field investigation on calls for tenders in the school textbook industry in Ivory Coast. These two studies convey well the spirit of the Alliance’s Resource Center, that is: to make available to professionals a corpus of definitions (Key notions section), a set of specific thematic analyses (Thematic studies section), comprehensive surveys (Collection “État des lieux de l’édition”) as well as some Practical information for professionals. The International Alliance of Independent Publishers’ Resource Center is supported by the Conseil Régional d’Île-de-France.