Scottish Publishers Association
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Publishers Association (SPA), established in 1973 as the Scottish General Publishers Association with the support of the Scottish Arts Council
, was the trade association
of nearly 80 publishing companies in Scotland
. Its members were principally book
and academic
publishers
, local authority libraries and public bodies
.
In April 2007, The SPA changed its name to Publishing Scotland, extending its remit to support individuals and companies working within the publishing industry, such as freelance editors, illustrators, and printing firms.
On behalf of its members, the SPA attended trade fair
s throughout Europe
; co-ordinated bookshop and library
promotions, and other marketing
initiatives; ran training courses and seminar
s; and implements joint research projects and surveys with organisations such as the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Enterprise
. It ran its own library and published the Directory of Publishing in Scotland annually.
The SPA was the majority shareholder
in BookSource, a warehousing and worldwide distribution
service for trade publishers, charities and other commercial enterprises.
The SPA was based in Edinburgh
, and its director as Lorraine Fannin, a trustee
of the National Library of Scotland
and of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature.
As the compiler of the official Scottish bestseller list, the SPA has come under criticism for the accuracy of this list. In an exposé about a book reaching number four in the list with no sales according to Nielsen BookData
, The Sunday Times described the SPA bestseller list at that time as "a sham."
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
, was the trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
of nearly 80 publishing companies in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Its members were principally book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
and academic
Academic publishing
Academic publishing describes the subfield of publishing which distributes academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in journal article, book or thesis form. The part of academic written output that is not formally published but merely printed up or posted is often called...
publishers
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, local authority libraries and public bodies
Scottish public bodies
Public bodies of the Scottish Government are organisations that are funded by the Scottish Government. It includes executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies ; tribunals; and nationalised industries....
.
In April 2007, The SPA changed its name to Publishing Scotland, extending its remit to support individuals and companies working within the publishing industry, such as freelance editors, illustrators, and printing firms.
On behalf of its members, the SPA attended trade fair
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
s throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; co-ordinated bookshop and library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
promotions, and other marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
initiatives; ran training courses and seminar
Seminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
s; and implements joint research projects and surveys with organisations such as the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise is a sponsored non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government which encourages economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business...
. It ran its own library and published the Directory of Publishing in Scotland annually.
The SPA was the majority shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
in BookSource, a warehousing and worldwide distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
service for trade publishers, charities and other commercial enterprises.
The SPA was based in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and its director as Lorraine Fannin, a trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
and of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature.
As the compiler of the official Scottish bestseller list, the SPA has come under criticism for the accuracy of this list. In an exposé about a book reaching number four in the list with no sales according to Nielsen BookData
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, The Sunday Times described the SPA bestseller list at that time as "a sham."
Publisher Members
- Academy Media
- Acair Ltd
- Association for Scottish Literary StudiesAssociation for Scottish Literary StudiesThe Association for Scottish Literary Studies is a Scottish educational charity, founded in 1970 to promote and support the teaching, study and writing of Scottish literature. Its founding members included the Scottish literary scholar Matthew McDiarmid...
(ASLS) - Atelier Books
- Barrington StokeBarrington StokeBarrington Stoke is a children's book publisher based in Edinburgh, Scotland.The company was founded in 1997. It publishes fiction and non-fiction adapted to a reading age of 8 for reluctant, underconfident and dyslexic readers aged 9–16....
- Black & White Publishing
- Bright Red Publishing
- Brown, Son & Ferguson, Ltd
- Brown & Whittaker Publishing
- Canongate BooksCanongate BooksCanongate Books is a Scottish independent publishing firm based in Edinburgh; it is named for The Canongate, an area of the city. It is most recognised for publishing the Booker Prizewinner Life of Pi...
- Chapman Publishing Ltd
- CILIPS (formerly the Scottish Library Association)
- Continuing Education Gateway
- Dionysia Press Ltd
- Dudu Nsomba Publications
- Dundee Central Library, School Library Service, Dundee City CouncilPolitics of DundeePolitics in the Dundee City council area are evident in the deliberations and decisions of Dundee City Council, in elections to the council, and in elections to the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom .In the European Parliament, the city area is...
- Dunedin Academic Press
- Edinburgh City Libraries, Department of Culture & Leisure, City of Edinburgh Council
- Edinburgh University PressEdinburgh University PressEdinburgh University Press is a scholarly publisher of academic books and journals, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.-History:Edinburgh University Press was founded over 50 years ago and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh in 1992...
- Fidra BooksFidra BooksFidra Books is a publisher based in Edinburgh which specialises in reissuing forgotten children's books, especially those from the 1940s onwards....
- Fledgling Press Ltd
- Floris Books
- Forestry Commission
- The Gaelic Books Council/Comhairle nan Leabhraichean
- Geddes & Grosset Ltd
- Glasgow City Libraries Publications
- Glasgow Museums
- The Gleneil Press & The Gleneil Sportsman's Press
- Goblinshead
- Grace Notes Publications
- Hachette Scotland
- Hallewell Publications
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Hodder Gibson
- Leckie & Leckie Publishers
- Luath Press Ltd
- Mainstream PublishingMainstream PublishingMainstream Publishing is a publishing company in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1978. It is associated with the Random House Group, who bought Mainstream in 2005....
- National Archives of ScotlandNational Archives of ScotlandBased in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland are the national archives of Scotland. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe...
- National Galleries of ScotlandNational Galleries of ScotlandThe National Galleries of Scotland are the five national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries. It is one of the country's National Collections.-List of national galleries:* The National Gallery of Scotland* The Royal Scottish Academy Building...
- National Library of ScotlandNational Library of ScotlandThe National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
- Neil Wilson Publishing Ltd
- The New Iona Press
- NMS Enterprises Limited - Publishing (National Museums of ScotlandNational Museums of ScotlandNational Museums Scotland is the organization that runs several national museums of Scotland. It is one of the country's National Collections, and holds internationally important collections of natural sciences, decorative arts, world cultures, science and technology, and Scottish history and...
) - Perth & KinrossPerth and Kinross CouncilPerth and Kinross Council is the local government council for the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland. It employs nearly 5000 employees.The council was created in 1996, under the Local Government etc...
Libraries - Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghRoyal Botanic Garden EdinburghThe Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Originally founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies four sites across Scotland — Edinburgh,...
- Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of ScotlandRoyal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of ScotlandThe Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government 'sponsored' [financed and with oversight] through Historic Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government...
(RCAHMS and SCRAN) - RIAS Publishing (Formerly The Rutland Press)
- Saint Andrew PressSaint Andrew PressSaint Andrew Press, established in 1954 to promote the works of the theologian William Barclay, is the publishing house of the Church of Scotland. It merged with Scottish Christian Press in 2005....
- The Saltire Society
- Sandstone Press Ltd
- Saraband
- Scottish Book TrustScottish Book TrustThe Scottish Book Trust is a national organisation based in Edinburgh, Scotland for the promotion of literature, reading and writing in Scotland...
- Scottish Natural HeritageScottish Natural HeritageScottish Natural Heritage is a Scottish public body. It is responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e...
- Scottish Text Society
- Serafina Press
- sportscotlandSportscotlandSportscotland , formerly the Scottish Sports Council, is the national agency for sport in Scotland. Their stated aim is to help everyone in Scotland enjoy sport's many benefits....
- Strident Publishing
- Ulster Historical Foundation
- Vagabond Voices
- West DunbartonshireWest DunbartonshireWest Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East...
Libraries and Museums - Whittles Publishing Ltd
- Witherby SeamanshipWitherby SeamanshipWitherby Seamanship is a marine publisher of training, reference and regulatory materials and is the resulting merger of Witherby Books and Seamanship International in January 2008.-History:...
International Ltd
See also
- Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association
- International Publishers AssociationInternational Publishers AssociationThe International Publishers Association is an international publishing industry federation of national Publisher associations representing book and journal publishing. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organization, founded in 1896 to promote and protect publishing and to raise awareness...
- Edinburgh International Book FestivalEdinburgh International Book FestivalThe Edinburgh International Book Festival, is a book festival that takes place in the last three weeks of August every year in Charlotte Square, in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital...
- Scotland's International Trade Fair
External links
- Official website
- Profile at the Scottish Arts CouncilScottish Arts CouncilThe Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
website - Profile at culturalprofiles.org.uk/
- Publishing Scotland official website