The cultural, social and economic added value of independent publishers is often little known outside professionals in the book and reading ecosystem, and goes unnoticed by readers. Similarly, among independent publishers, there are different ways of carrying out editorial work, more or less aligned with the good practices of sustainability and bibliodiversity that the publishers of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers defend.
Against this backdrop, the Spanish-language network of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers has decided to use this label to “explain” to readers and stakeholders in the book trade why publishing with a committed independent publisher is different from publishing with a multinational.
The label highlights three areas of editorial work : ecological, decolonial, social and solidarity-based.
Three guidelines have been drawn up for each of them.
ECOLOGICAL
1. The book has been printed locally (in the country/region where the publisher works) in order to reduce the carbon footprint generated by transport from other latitudes. It also contributes to the development of the local economy.
2. The print run of the book has been adjusted as closely as possible to its commercial potential, thus avoiding overstocking, which leads to excess use of raw materials and an increase in stored resources.
3. No additional plastic materials have been used other than those required for the book in the climatic conditions in which it was printed, in order to protect the environment and the quality and durability of the book.
DECOLONIAL
1. The publishing house publishes works in minority/local languages, thereby promoting plurality of content, democratising access to reading and encouraging the circulation of ideas beyond hegemonic languages.
2. The publishing house co-publishes with other independent publishers, in its own country or in other countries with the same language, in order to promote joint work, solidarity and the strengthening of local ecosystems.
3. The publishing house is a member of a local and/or international association of independent publishers working to strengthen bibliodiversity.
SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY-BASED
1. For equal working hours, the pay gap within the publishing house will not exceed a scale of 1 to 3, in order to guarantee fair pay between employees.
2. Copyright is respected in accordance with current regulations, and a fair income has been agreed between the author and the publisher.
3. The publication promotes access to books beyond the logic of the market, encouraging the circulation of ideas by establishing a fair price that seeks to determine the most economic value possible for the work, taking into account the durability of the book and the editorial catalogue.
The label’s visual identity was conceptualised and created by María Paz Morales (Chile) : @dudoediciones