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The Alliance

2 workshops (on youth literature and typography) & 1 meeting on public book policies at the Abidjan International Book Fair (Ivory Coast), 13-20 May 2019

During the Abidjan International Book Fair (15-19 May 2019), the Alliance will facilitate a workshop on youth literature (13 to 17 May), followed by a workshop on typography and open digital resources (18 to 20 May). These workshops will convene more than 30 publishers from more than 16 French-speaking African countries, but also from Haiti, Madagascar, France and Portugal. The programme and content of these workshops, designed with and for publishers, is available here.

On 17 May, in the context of the SILA, the Alliance will organise B2B discussions with all participating professionals: a time dedicated to buying and selling rights between publishers – to create, foster and strengthen professional relationships, rights sales and co-publications.

The Alliance will launch an unprecedented analysis of public book policies in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar written by academic Luc Pinhas. Findings from the data collection conducted in 12 countries between June 2017 and December 2018 by Serge Dontchueng Kouam (University Press of Africa), will be presented at a panel on public policy book on Thursday, 16 May.

These workshops and meetings mark the first step of the 2019-2021 International Conference of Independent Publishers: “Rethink independent publishing, celebrate bibliodiversity”!

Public book policies: a key chapter of the 2012-2014 International Assembly of independent publishers coming to an end in 2019!
The cross-sectional analysis of public book policies in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar will be printed specifically for the SILA in Abidjan. In June 2019, the Bibliodiversity Journal will publish a special issue on public book policies, including cross-sectional analysis of book policies in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, articles on public book policies in Europe and North America, testimonials from professionals from the Arab world... available online here from June 2019!

The activities organised at SILA are supported by AFD, the OIF and DDC, and are organized in partnership with Assedi (Association of Ivorian Publishers) and the Ivorian publishers members of the Alliance.

Video of workshops - International Conference of Independent Publishers (2019-2021)

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3 words for 2018!

Independence, diversity and solidarity!

The Alliance’ team wishes you a very happy new year 2018.

The 2018 action program will soon be available on the Alliance website.

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7th Summit of Spanish-speaking national collectives and Alliance’s Spanish-speaking publishers meeting (MICA, Argentina), 3-7 September 2015

In parallel with MICA (Argentina’s cultural industry trade show), 20 Argentinian publishers from Bolivia, Chilli, Colombia, Spain, the Canary Islands, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay will get together in Buenos Aires thanks to support from MICA, the Argentinian Book Chamber and Argentinian members of the Alliance. On the agenda : the implementation of the 80 recommendations promoting bibliodiversity in Latin America and Spain, the creation of a map of Latin America’s public policies...
The publishers will also participate in MICA events : copyright exchanges, co-publishing days, round-table discussions about the concentration of publishing and bibliodiversity...

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8th Tehran Book Fair, Uncensored (25 April–10 June 2024), Europe and North America

Over 15 Iranian publishers and many cultures groups are participating in these events around the world (Nuremberg, Vienna, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Paris, London, Brussels, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Gothenburg, Bremen, Malmo, Copenhagen, Lubec, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles). This year, a collective catalogue containing new titles of 12 publishers present in the Book Fair is accessible both digitally and in print.

More information here.

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Introduction

The International Alliance of independent publishers is a professional collective that brings together more than 980 independent publishing houses in 60 countries around the world. Created as an association in 2002, it is composed of 6 language networks (English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Persian) and thematic groups. Members of the Alliance are publishing houses and publisher collectives.
The Alliance’s activities promote and strengthen bibliodiversity (cultural diversity applied to the world of the book).

In alignment with its mission, the Alliance created a Bibliodiversity Observatory that gathers studies, analysis and tools produced by the Alliance, aimed at professionals and public authorities. The Observatory’s objectives include assessing and strengthening bibliodiversity in the world.

The Alliance also hosts and facilitates international meetings and thematic workshops (for example on children’s book publishing, digital publishing, etc.), enabling independent publishers from various continents to exchange ideas and initiate collaborations. These meetings support increasing capacity through peer sharing, an aspect developed in particular around the issue of digital publishing in the context of the Digital Lab.
The Alliance supports international publishing projects (co-publishing, translation, copyright transfers, etc.), for greater circulation of texts and fair access to books for readers.

In 2022, the Alliance launched a first-of-its-kind initiative: the first edition of Babelica, an international online Book Fair of Independent Publishing, which takes place once a year, on 21 September (International Bibliodiversity Day).

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5 main activities

The Alliance’s activities are based on guidelines collectively developed by publishers and are focused on 5 main actions:
1. Facilitation of an international and intercultural independent publishers network
2. Creation of a Bibliodiversity Observatory: studies, analysis, measurement tools, and a resource centre on bibliodiversity
3. Hosting and facilitation of international meetings, thematic and increasing capacity workshops (see below) to enable sharing, including through the Digital Lab of the Alliance
4. Support of international editorial partnerships (fair co-publishings, translations, copyright transfers)
5. Implementation of advocacy activities in support of freedom of publishing, independent publishing and bibliodiversity.

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A guide to the Alliance

The Alliance has adopted an original method of internal organization, respecting both the democratic principles and the functioning of an international network. The Alliance rests above all on its member publishers, represented by the International Committee of Independent Publishers (ICIP). It also relies on a Board – charged with upholding and respecting the publishers’ decisions – and a permanent staff.

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11 publishers from Australia, South Africa, Bulgaria, the United States, India, Iran, the United Kingdom, Syria, and Turkey meeting in Istanbul (Turkey), 11-14 June 2015

Publishing countries : South Africa, Armenia, Australia, Bulgaria, United States, India, Iran, United Kingdom, Syria, Turkey

Publisher members of the English-speaking network of the Alliance will meet with European, Iranian and Syrian colleagues, to discuss the following issues:
Situation analysis of the publishing landscape in the various countries;
⁃ Strengthened mutual knowledge of participating independent publishers lists;
⁃ Setting up of publishing projects between publishers from the different countries;
⁃ Exchanges and discussions on digital publishing and freedom of publishing within publishing houses.

This meeting is facilitated through the support of Metis Publishers (Turkey), with the participation of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, the Turkish Publishers Association, the Hrant Dink Foundation, and UNESCO Melbourne City of Literature.

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Key Dates of the Alliance

• Gijón meeting (Spain), 2000 (an initiative led by four Spanish-speaking publishers in reaction to the emergence of Spanish multinationals in Latin America)
• Creation of the Alliance project by a group of publishers and Etienne Galliand – who would become the first director of the association
• Paris meeting (France), 2001 (some few days away from the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity)
• Foundation of the “Alliance of Independent Publishers Association, for Another Globalisation”, as per Law 1901 (head office in Paris) 2002
• Dakar meeting (Senegal), 2003 (Declaration of Solidarity amongst Independent Publishers)
• Guadalajara meeting (Mexico), 2005 (Declaration of independent publishers of the Latin world)
• International Assembly of Independent Publishers in Paris (France), 2007 (International Declaration of Independent Publishers to promote and strenghten bibliodiversity together)
• Name change of the association to International Alliance of independent publishers, 2008
• Creation of the International Committee of Independent Publishers (ICIP), 2009
• International Assembly of independent publishers – preparatory meetings and closing meeting in Cape Town (South Africa), 2012-2014 (International Declaration of independent publishers, to promote and strengthen bibliodiversity together, and 80 recommendations and tools in support of bibliodiversity)
• Creation of the Bibliodiversity Observatory, 2016
Mapping public book policies in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, 2020
• International Conference of Independent publishing in Pamplona-Iruñea, 2021 (Declaration ’for independent, decolonial, ecological, feminist, free, social and solidarity-based publishing’)
Guide to good practice, 2022
• First edition of Babelica, 2022
• Name change of the association (not in English but in Spanish, French, Portuguese, etc.) to Alliance internationale de l’édition indépendante / Alianza internacional de editoriales independientes, 2024

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Bibliodiversity Observatory

Books donation: rethinking the system, a workshop held in 2013, in Paris (France)

Although several debates and discussions on book donations were held, very few considered, complementary to the essential point of view of librarians’ professional collectives, the point of view of publishers and booksellers.

This workshop, facilitated in the context of the International Assembly of Independent Publishers, therefore has 3 main objectives:
To question existing practices and the impact of the “donation chain” on the “book chain”, from the perspective of local librarians, publishers and booksellers;
To question, promote and “complete”, if applicable, existing benchmark tools (amongst others, the Book Donation Charter developed by the Culture and Development Association, in partnership with several structures and institutions);
To propose realistic and sustainable alternatives to “classic” book donations, enabling us, hopefully, to enrich and built on current practices, through the input of local professionals.

The Alliance wishes to express its gratitude to the Ile-de-France Region for its support and trust and BULAC (Languages and civilisation University Library) for hosting us.

The primary outcomes of this workshop are detailed below.

Also read about the workshop’s indirect impacts on book donations: An article on Africultures, a programme on RFI...

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Publishing in India

Publishing countries : India

Unlike other Asian publishing markets, like Korea or Japan, the Indian book market is nearly unknown by French children’s book publishers, though this industry is actually blooming.
The Indian book market is a very specific one: the country’s size makes book distribution difficult, many languages are spoken and written, and there is a wide gap between urban reading habits and rural ones. Independent publishers in this country adapt business strategies to these difficulties and the solutions they find are original and innovative. In view of the lack of studies and data about Indian publishing, this study is based on a certain number of interviews with booksellers, book fair directors, market specialists, illustrators, distributors, and publishers.

  • In the first part ’’Quel paysage pour l’édition indienne?’’, this study deciphers the socio-economic and statistical data in order to better understand the Indian youth readership (gender, language, economical issues, among others).
  • In the second part ’’Le monde de l’édition jeunesse’’, a typology of the different players in Indian publishing is sketched out: multinational companies, state publishing, commercial publishers, independent publishers, NGOs... what are their respective roles?
  • In the third part ’’Quelles perspectives de diffusion et de valorisation?’’, the study examines the level and the nature of exchanges between Indian publishing and worldwide youth publishing.

An exciting treatise on a little-explored subject... a must read!

Mariette ROBBES, holder of a Master 2 in the World of the Book (Aix-en-Provence University) lived for six months in India in 2009, and returns often ever since. Since 2017, she is a member of the Alliance Board. Mariette concurrently works on several textile and graphic creation projects.

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The “Fair Trade Book”

The label “Fair Trade Book” is attributed by the International Alliance of independent publishers to works published in the context of international publishing agreements that respect each other’s particularities: fair co- publishing. These fair copublishings enable the sharing of costs linked to intellectual and physical production of books and therefore ensure an economy of scale; an exchange of professional know-how and a common experience, while respecting the publishers’ cultural contexts and identities; and a distribution of works on a broader scale by adjusting prices for each geographic zone.

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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 balanced 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 accompany these changes, the Alliance has drafted a handbook of practical guidelines 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.

The Alliance thanks Double ponctuation for writing the vademecum.

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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 eight months of research, is 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 six regions and puts forward concrete proposals aimed at independent publishers. Digital publishing experience in the South offers an insight into the major opportunity that new technologies present 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.

Year of publication: 2011; ISBN French version: 978-2-9519747-5-3; ISBN Spanish version: 978-2-9519747-4-6; ISBN English version: 978-2-9519747-6-0

Visit the Alliance Lab to read the update to the study written by Octavio Kulesz in 2016 (available in French and in Spanish).

Collection État des lieux de l’édition

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Proteggere il libro (Protect the Book, Italian version)

Language(s) : italien

““Protect” the Book” by Markus GERLACH, a report from the collection “Reports on the Publishing World”, is now available in Italian from the Italian Federation of Independent Publishers (FIDARE), which translated and published this new edition.
This reference book has been translated into several languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian).

Year of publication: 2010, 68 pages, 15 X 21 cm, 8 euros.

Collection État des lieux de l’édition

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Communiqué in support of Txalaparta Publishing following attacks on “El manual del torturador español” and on freedom of expression, December 2010

Paris, December 2010

It is with great concern that the International Alliance of Independent Publishers has noted the recent censorship of a book in Spain, and the threats made against the independent publishing house Txalaparta, member of the Alliance’s Spanish-speaking network.

The book in question, “El manual del torturador español” (The Spanish Torturer’s Manual) – by Xabier MAKAZAGA denounces the torture carried out by the Spanish police. The book was withdrawn from a public library (in the Basauri town council), following a request by a political party and certain Madrid newspapers to remove it from all libraries where it was made available to readers. However the practices described in this book support the accusations already made in reports by Amnesy International and by the UN Recorder on Human Rights. The campaign against this book has already been publicly denounced by public librarians. Furthermore the Basque Country Human Rights Observer (Behatokia) sent a letter of protest to Frank de la Rue, Special Recorder on Human Rights and Freedom of Expression with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose headquarters are in Geneva.

The International Alliance of independent publishers, whose objectives include defending freedom of expression and denouncing all forms of censorship, also has a duty to respond publicly when attacks or infringements are directed – for ideological reasons – against independent publishers, whose very job it is to encourage the dissemination of ideas and to contribute to forging the identity of people and their culture.

One has only to examine Txalaparta’s publishing catalogue to appreciate the vast range of literary works and essays which constitute an undeniable contribution to bibliodiversity, while reflecting a clear editorial policy.

This is why we independent publishers are appealing to the Spanish authorities to respect the work of independent publishers and to encourage respect for fundamental rights and democracy.

We also appeal to independent publishers, booksellers, librarians and readers to follow the development of this matter closely and to express their support to Txalaparta Publishing in order to defend and respect the right to information that is true and diverse.


The Spanish-language network of the International Alliance of independent publishers

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Preferential postage rates for books: urgent for Latin America, August 2010

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 a 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.

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