independent publishers guild

Links

This directory is intended to link members to the best of the net - the websites and blogs that might be of most interest to independent publishers. Please note, the IPG takes no responsibility for the content of external websites.


BOOK NEWS AND MEDIA
Book2Book rounds up the media's books coverage each morning
The Bookseller updates publishing news daily (registration required)
The online books pages of the Guardian
The London Review of Books online
NewBooksMag is the online home of the magazine for readers and reading groups
Oneword Radio is a UK digital radio station dedicated to books
Publishing News digests much of its weekly copy online
Long-running literary journal the Times Literary Supplement
CILIP Update magazine has news and views from public libraries


TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND SOCIETIES
The Association of Authors' Agents represents literary agents in the UK
The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers represents not-for-profit professional publishers
The Audiobook Publishing Association promotes audiobooks in the UK
The Authors Licensing and Collecting Society protects and promotes authors' copyright
Book Aid International is a charity promoting better lives through books
Book Industry Communication promotes standards in the UK book business
The Book Marketing Society represents marketing professionals in publishing
The Booksellers Association represents bookshops in the UK and Ireland. Booktrust, the independent educational charity for books. Scotland has its own Scottish Booktrust.
The British Printing Industries Federation
BTBS (the Book Trade Benevolent Society) is the UK's book trade charity
The Copyright Licensing Agency promotes and protects publishers' copyright in the UK
Copywatch is the copyright enforcement site of the Copyright Licensing Agency
The Data Publishers Association represents data and directory publishers
The Digital Content Forum was set up to discuss e-content issues
Editeur co-ordinates and promotes standards in e-commerce for books
The Federation of Children's Book Groups aims to bring children and books together
The Galley Club is a social society for anyone involved in publishing or book production
The International Digital Publishing Forum brings together worldwide thinking on digital content
The National Literacy Trust promotes literacy and reading in the UK
PEN is the worldwide authors association and its English branch is here
The Periodical Publishers Association represents UK magazine and professional media
The Poetry Society promotes poetry in the UK
The Public Lending Right co-ordinates payments to authors for library loans
The Publishers Association represents UK publishers and works closely with the IPG
The Publishers Licensing Society co-ordinates payments for publishers' copyright
The Publishers Publicity Circle brings together book publicists
The Publishing Scotland represents about 80 publishers
The Society of Authors supports around 8,000 writers in the UK
The Society for Editors and Proofreaders promotes the work of its members and campaigns for high editorial standards
The Society of Indexers is the UK professional body for indexing
The Society of Young Publishers helps people wanting to break into publishing or work their way up
UK Children's Books runs a database of children's authors, illustrators and publishers
The Welsh Books Council supports publishing in Wales
Women in Publishing represents and supports the status of women in the industry
The Writers Guild represents UK authors


LIBRARIES
The British Library's portal
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals represents UK librarians
The Library and Information Statistics Unit has useful facts and figures on public libraries
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council is the government agency responsible for public libraries
The National Acquisitions Group provides a forum for those involved in library acquisitions
The Reading Agency organises and promotes book projects in public libraries
The School Library Association represents school librarians in the UK


BOOK FAIRS, FESTIVALS, EVENTS AND PRIZES
The Beijing Book Fair is Asia's biggest fair and is held each August or September
The Bologna Book Fair is a specialist children's fair and is held each April
BookExpo America is the US' leading book fair and runs in late spring
The Cape Town Book Fair is held in June
The Cheltenham Literature Festival runs each October
Booktrust runs a comprehensive and searchable directory of UK book prizes
The Edinburgh Book Festival runs for two weeks each August
The Frankfurt Book Fair runs every October
The Gothenburg Book Fair in Sweden runs each September
The Hay Festival is one of the leading annual festivals, held each May and June
The Jerusalem Book Fair runs every two years in February
The London Book Fair runs every April at Earls Court
Warsaw International Book Fair is eastern Europe's leading fair, held each May
Ways With Words organises literary festivals in Dartington, Southwold, Cumbria and Italy
World Book Day is held in the UK each March


BIBLIOGRAPHIC AND OTHER BOOK SERVICES
Batch is run by the Booksellers Association and aims to improve communication between booksellers and suppliers
Bibliographic Data Services provides book bibliographic services
Book Marketing Limited provides research into book sales and reading habits
Bowker provides ISBN and database services for publishers, libraries and booksellers
The UK office of the International Standard Serial Numbers agency is run by the British Library
The ISBN Agency is run by Nielsen BookData to assign ISBNs to books
The Legal Deposit Office is run by the British Library
Nielsen BookData is the UK's bibliographic services agency
Nielsen BookNet provides electronic trading services to the books business
Nielsen BookScan monitors UK book sales
The SAN Agency is also run by Nielsen BookData to help identify book transactions


BOOKSELLERS
Abebooks is the world's biggest online seller of secondhand and rare books
Amazon is the UK's and world's leading online bookseller
Barnes & Noble is America's biggest chain
Bibliophile is an international dealer in antiquarian and rare books
Blackwell's specialises in academic and professional books
The Book People is the UK's leading direct-to-customer bookseller
The Book Pl@ce is run by Bookplace (formerly Hammicks Bookshops Online) and Nielsen BookData
Booksetc is a UK chain with several airport stores, part of the Borders chain
US-based Borders has mostly large stores and is growing fast in the UK
Peak District store the Country Bookstore has a substantial online sales business
The Booksellers Association has an online searchable directory of the UK's independent bookshops
The Good Book Guide is an online retailer that picks the best releases for customers
Hughes & Hughes is the leading Irish chain bookseller
John Smith is a Scottish chain specialising in campus and legal bookshops. It also owns the Hammicks brand
Past Times is a nostalgia chain with 70 shops and strong book lines
Pickabook is an online retailer of books, audiobooks and book-related items
ReadMore is an online bookseller powered by SwotBooks
Samedaybooks is an online retailer specialising in speedy delivery
Studentbookworld is an online retailer with an emphasis on high discounts
UKCBD is an online directory of Christian bookshops in the UK
Waterstone's is the UK's leading specialist bookseller and in 2006 bought the Ottakar's chain
WH Smith has 542 high street and 127 travel shops


FUNDING AND CHARITABLE BODIES
Arts Consultants is a useful Arts Council-supported directory of consultants and trainers who can help with funded projects
Arts Council England supports the work of the IPG and independent publishers
The British Council can help publishers establish links overseas and works in partnership with the IPG on projects
The Commonwealth Institute supports educational projects in the Commonwealth
Funder Finder helps to identify suitable grants
UK Trade & Investment work with the IPG and provide support for businesses overseas


TRAINING AND CAREERS
Book Careers has advice and resources on careers in publishing, bookselling and librarianship
The Bookseller is the leading source of job advertisements for the publishing business (registration required)
The Publishers Training Centre is a partner of the IPG and offers a range of training for professional development
The Publishing Skills Group is an alliance of trade organisations aiming to improve education, training and development
The London School of Publishing runs evening courses on various aspects of publishing
Work in Publishing is a useful resource site run by the Publishing Skills Group
Higher education courses in publishing are run by institutions including:
The Centre for Publishing Studies at Stirling University
City University in London
The London College of Communication (formerly the London College of Printing)
Loughborough University
Middlesex University
Napier University
Oxford Brookes University
Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen
The UCL Centre for Publishing


BOOK BLOGS

Independent publishers
Catheryn Kilgarriff director of IPG member Marion Boyars, on her experiences as an independent publisher
Edinburgh-based Fidra Books on life as an independent
Salt Office Life from award-winning independent poetry publisher and IPG member, Salt Publishing
Scott Pack former Waterstone's buying manager and now commercial director of the Friday Project, on life as poacher turned gamekeeper
The SnowBlog entertaining news and views from independent publisher and IPG member SnowBooks
Susan Hill novelist and founder of Long Barn Books
Life at north-east independent Tonto Press
Updates from independent women's books specialist Transita

Bookshops
The independent bookseller's points of view: an entertaining blog from London shop Crockatt & Powell
The goings-on at south London bookseller Crow on the Hill
Abingdon's Mostly Books on the ups and downs of life as an independent bookseller

Daily news feeds
The Bookseller's BookBlog rounds up the day's media coverage each morning
Booktrade.info provides a daily round-up of news from the book trade
Monsignor Quixote s blog of literary news with the emphasis on agent deals, film adaptations etc

General comment
Musings of the Dove Grey Reader a book addict
Irish publisher Eoin Purcell s ongoing thoughts on the trade
Entertaining, crusading and frequently angry Good Library Guide blog from public library campaigner Tim Coates
A sideways look at literary news from Michael Allen, the self-styled Grumpy Old Bookman
Various Guardian book columnists blog regularly on a dedicated site
Macmillan ceo Richard Charkin has consistently interesting thoughts on publishing


INTERNATIONAL
The American Booksellers Association the US' equivalent of the BA
The American Wholesale Booksellers Association
The Book Standard is the Bookseller's sister site in the US is
Bookwire is a useful resource on the US book business, run by Bowker
The Canadian Booksellers Association has useful details about its members
The Canadian Publishers Council has lists of useful contacts
CLÉ is the Irish Book Publishers Association
The European Booksellers Federation oversees book associations across the continent
The Federation of European Publishers is an umbrella group for trade associations
Foreword Magazine is a US title dedicated to independently published books
The International Federation of Library Associations is the world's umbrella library group
Independent Publisher is the voice of independent publishers in the US
The International ISBN Agency co-ordinates ISBNs worldwide
The International Publishers Association oversees all publishing groups
Livres Hebdo provides publishing news from France
The venerable New York Review of Books online
News from the US from leading trade title Publishers Weekly
The Society for Scholarly Publishing promotes its members' work in the US


WHOLESALERS
Bertrams
Gardners Books
THE


LIBRARY SUPPLIERS
Askews
Blackwell
Browns
Coutts Library Services
Cypher
Dawson Books
Holt Jackson
Kent Book Company
Peters