UP Week Blog Tour 2026 | Day 2: LDS Behind the Scenes
University Press Week 2026 (#UPWeek) which takes place between 9th – 13th of November, celebrates the collective vigour of our global scholarly publishing community. Mission-driven, creative, and collaborative practices enable university presses worldwide to PowerUP every day, using our energy to fuel publications, projects, and initiatives that amplify our authors’ voices to inform our current moment and shape our future. Make sure to check out blog posts from other university presses in the Association of University Presses’ (AUP) UP Week blog tour and browse the PowerUP gallery and reading list here.
This week, Liverpool University Press is looking at what we do to PowerUP. We look behind the scenes today at Liverpool Distribution Services and the people who turn the cogs to get books from publisher to global reader.
Liverpool Distribution Services operates as part of Liverpool University Press’s Publishing Services arm, providing sales, marketing, and distribution for UPs in the UK and Rest of World. As at October 2026, we represent six university presses globally; University of Michigan Press, Michigan State University Press, University of Georgia Press, University of Washington Press, University of Pittsburgh Press, Arc Humanities Press. The distribution journey from publisher to reader is one fundamentally reliant on collaboration and coordination across departments, businesses, presses – and often time zones!
Distribution for a university press involves regular communication with all stages of the production line from manuscript to post-publication book delivery. In a typical week, we can be in contact with:
- Publishers: discussing publication schedules, delivery of seasonal data, marketing plans, monthly updates
- Authors: offering discount codes, author book copies, marketing materials for conferences
- Printers: we regularly communicate with our UK printer (CPI) about new releases and print runs
- Distribution centre: John Wiley & Sons record, wrap, pack, and post our orders from their UK warehouse
- Sales reps: we maintain good relationships with global sales representatives to promote and distribute our clients’ titles across the world
- Internal and external finance departments: to pay invoices, deliver sales reports, consolidate budgeting
- Conference organisers: we may book physical stalls or online presence for our client presses at relevant conferences
- Key customers and wholesalers: drawing attention to seasonal key titles and any other forthcoming titles of note
To keep the distribution process running smoothly, it’s imperative that such relationships are coordinated appropriately and kept up to date about both internal and external changes. We have found that success and growth in distribution services has been fostered by transparency, timely communication and knowledge sharing. Critical in our running of a distribution service for university presses is our own experience as a university press; we seek to avoid pain points that we ourselves have met in the past, we learn alongside our clients, we pass on any news or useful information about processes that would be in the best interests of the presses to know. Similarly, we remain happy to take the client press’s lead on a subject or area that’s lesser known to us. We have found the best relationships across the breadth of the distribution operation are those which are reciprocal and based on respect, understanding, and open dialogue. It’s a privilege to be in regular contact with a range of people with a variety of insights and expertise and has doubtless contributed to the strength of the service thus far.
Find more about Liverpool Distribution Services here.
Read the full collection of UP Week blogposts via the Association of University Presses blog tour. #UPWeek
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www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk
