The Publishers Association

The Publishers Association (PA) is the trade organisation serving book, journal and electronic publishers in the United Kingdom, established in 1896.^[1][2] Its mission is to strengthen the trading environment for UK publishers by providing a strong voice for the industry in government, in society and with other stakeholders in the UK, Europe and internationally.^[3] It seeks to provide a forum for the exchange of non‑competitive information between publishers and offer support and guidance to the industry through technological and other changes.

Governance

The PA’s board, known as the PA Council, consists of 15 representatives elected from the membership, together with the chairs of the Trade Publishers Council, the Academic and Professional Board, the Educational Publishers Council, and the International Board; and the chief executive. It meets approximately six times a year. A member of Council may serve up to two three-year terms.

The Publishers Association's officers for 2013–2014 are:

• Joanna Prior, president (Penguin Random House)
• Stephen Barr, vice-president and treasurer (Sage Publishing)
• Dominic Knight, past president (Macmillan Publishers)

Richard Mollet in 2015

The senior management team includes^[4]

• Richard Mollet, the Chief Executive Officer
• Mark Wharton, the director of operations
• Emma House, director of publisher relations
• Susie Winter, director of policy & communications.

Membership

Membership of the Publishers Association is open to bona fide publishers that carry on the business of publishing in the UK and satisfy the membership criteria.^[5] There are two categories of membership:

• Membership for UK publishers with a turnover greater than £2.5 million^[6]
• SME membership for UK publishers with a turnover of less than £2.5 million^[7]

Divisions

• The Trade Publishers Council determines PA policy on consumer market matters, and acts on specific issues with the aim of expanding the market and increasing efficiency. Other trade groups include the Children’s Book Group and Religious Book Group.
• The Academic and Professional division provides a forum for higher education, scholarly and reference publishers, representing publishers, conducting market research and running a number of events.^[8]
• The Educational Publishers Council provides a voice for school, college and vocational publishers. It campaigns for better funding for learning resources and represents the industry in the development of the market, as well as running seminars and compiling market statistics.^[9]
• The International division supports the international sales activities of PA members. It acts against piracy and on copyright and trade barrier issues, and organises trade missions and UK representation at international trade fairs.^[10]
• TurnKey Exhibition Services provides a complete exhibition service for publishers, from booking space to organising shipping.

See also

• International Publishers Association
• International Intellectual Property Alliance

References

1. "The Organisation of the Work and Activities of Publishing Associations". Center for Publishing Development. Open Society Institute. Archived from the original on April 25, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
2. Kingsford, R. J. L. (1970). The Publishers Association 1896–1946, with an epilogue. Cambridge University Press.
3. Stated mission. publishers.org.uk
4. Senior management. publishers.org.uk
5. Publishers Association – Membership Criteria. publishers.org.uk
6. Membership for UK publishers. publishers.org.uk
8. Academic and professional homepage. publishers.org.uk
9. Educational Publishers Council homepage. publishers.org.uk
10. International Homepage. publishers.org.uk

External links

• The Publishers Association website
• Copyright Infringement Portal