TRADE PUBLISHERS COMMITTEE

Trade publishers based in Australia meet quarterly under the auspices of the Australian Publishers Association’s Trade Publishers Committee (TPC).

The TPC represents small, medium and large trade publisher members of the APA in matters of local importance where there is a need for group representation, debate and input from the perspective of trade publishers. While recognising that each APA member operates independently, the primary objectives of the TPC are to:

• actively encourage membership of and participation in the APA by Australian trade publishers

• provide a forum for debate on industry matters pertaining to trade publishers

• advocate the interests of trade publishers to important stakeholders within Australia

• develop industry capability through bench-marking and statistical data exchange

• provide direction for the promotion of trade publishing to Australian consumers, particularly through the annual Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs)

• consider how the TPC might collaborate under the auspices of the APA with other industry bodies, such as the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), for industry promotion

• encourage the sharing of high level information amongst trade publishers on local and global industry developments, while maintaining absolute compliance with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), and encouraging a healthy competitive marketplace.

Trade publishers in Australia aspire to provide the best quality trade books to the Australian reading public, sourcing books locally and from around the world. For many years, trade publishers have been actively engaged in publishing a broad range of authors and titles, at competitive prices, in a timely way, to Australian consumers.

Australian trade publishers have an international reputation for discovering, nurturing and launching the career of Australian authors around the world. Literary successes have included three Booker Prize winners, most recently in 2014 with Richard Flanagan, and previously from Peter Carey and Thomas Keneally.

Trade publishers have recognised and celebrated the best of Australian publishing at the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) for the past 14 years. Each year, the best books from the fiction, non-fiction and children’s categories are recognised with specific awards. Businesses and individuals that have made significant contributions are also acknowledged in various award categories.

The celebration of books, reading and literacy forms an integral part of trade publishers’ activity on a daily basis.