PUBLISHING IRELAND 2023

There is strength in standing together

WHO WE ARE:

Publishing Ireland, originally founded in 1970 as CLÉ – the Irish Book Publishers’ Association, is a member-led organisation that offers Irish publishers the chance to share their knowledge and expertise and collaborate to solve problems of common concern. Our vision is to promote an Ireland where Irish publishing thrives and creates books that showcase the diverse cultural experiences of Irish people all over the world.

Our membership has grown over the years to 64 members and we are proud to be a cross-border organization, with a Board made up of staff from member companies, as well as various committees and working groups. Our membership is broad, from micro-publishers to some of the largest publishing houses in Ireland, publishing across various sectors including trade, children’s, and academic.

Publishing Ireland is committed to the principles of inclusion and accountability, responding to and anticipating the needs of our members. We acknowledge that the Irish book-buying market is healthy, with growth across most genres in recent years. However, we also recognize that economic and political developments such as surging print and paper costs, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the impact of Brexit with associated logistical costs, and the increasing threat to freedom of expression are all common concerns.

We care about sustainability and the effects of climate change, which remain an ongoing concern for all industries and individuals. We continue to share information and support our members through these uncharted times. Collaboration and professional growth across our peer network are integral to our work. Publishing Ireland gratefully receives support from the Arts Council of Ireland to deliver a year-round program of professional training events. Creating affordable and high-quality training opportunities, customized to our sector, ensures a highly-skilled and dynamic workforce that will secure the current and future success of Irish publishing.

COLLABORATION:

We collaborate with other organisations and institutions to seek advice and specialist information which is then passed on to members. Publishing Ireland is not an endpoint, but rather a channel through which information can flow. We create the path for members to find the information they need so that they can make their own well-informed decisions. Publishing Ireland also represents the industry’s interests to the Irish Government and other bodies as well as at the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and the International Publishers Associations (IPA). We are a member of Words Ireland, working collaboratively with other Irish literary organisations on a range of activities and events.  Dublin Book Festival is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Publishing Ireland, established in 2006 to promote Irish-published books and authors to the public an annual event which supports and showcases the best of Irish publishing. Publishing Ireland appoints a board member and a representative to the programming committee of Dublin Book Festival to promote its members’ interests.

FUNDING

Publishing Ireland is funded through membership fees, support and specific project funding. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Arts Council in making many of our activities possible. 

What We Do

Publishing Ireland provides advice, support and information on a wide range of issues to Publishers and Associate Members. The range of activities is constantly evolving to meet the needs of members. Publishing Ireland produces CLÉmail – a regular newsletter to subscribers which covers industry updates, news, event career and training opportunities. 

Training and Events

Publishing Ireland runs a comprehensive schedule of training courses each year. These are open to members and non-members. As publishing encompasses such a wide variety of areas and operations it requires a spectrum of creative, business and technical skills. 

Many of our courses are relevant to those who work outside the traditional book publishing industry. With the surge in new media around both creative and corporate, more content than ever is being published. Publishing Ireland monitor and engage with the industry and these developments to commission the right publishing training courses for Ireland. We also work with an array of acknowledged experts to suit each course. Training is targeted at both company heads and general staff, with a combination of specific skills development and broader topics from copyright and contracts to legal regulations and rights. We work with an array of acknowledged experts to suit each course. Our most popular training format is classroom based. These are tutor-led with discussions and exercises and/or practical workshops. Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, we have now moved all training courses online until further notice. Course fees range but are always great value with discounts for members. 

Irish Publishers Conference

Our annual conference is a dedicated day of presentations and interviews with leading international and national industry figures, exploring key issues relevant to the publishing industry. The conference is open to both Members (with discounts for Members’ staff) and Non-Members. It provides a fantastic opportunity for networking as well as hosting a top-class list of speakers to give excellent insight into the global trends in publishing.