Partnerships
Long-term partnerships across international publishing
We work with publishers, agencies, translators, studios, retailers and technology providers who share our standards. Partnership here means a defined agreement, not a logo exchange.
Introduction
Relationships built to last longer than a single title
Most of our work arrives through people we already know: an agent with a list that needs a European home, a studio with narration capacity in a language we are short of, a distributor who can reach shelves we cannot. Those relationships take years to build and minutes to damage, so we treat them formally.
Every partnership begins with a written scope: what each side contributes, how revenue is divided, who owns what, how either party can end it. We would rather spend a fortnight agreeing terms than a year unwinding a misunderstanding.
We do not publish partner logos we are not entitled to display, and we do not describe a conversation as a partnership until an agreement exists.
Who partners with us
- Independent and mid-sized publishers seeking co-publication or translation partners
- Literary agencies placing rights outside their home territory
- Translators and translation studios with literary track records
- Narrators, audio engineers and production studios
- Distributors, retailers and library aggregators
- Media, festival and technology partners
What we do
Forms of partnership we hold open
Each is a distinct agreement with its own commercial shape. Tell us which one fits and we will send the relevant terms.
01
Co-publishing
Shared investment and shared revenue on a title or list, with editorial responsibilities split by territory and language.
02
Rights representation
We represent a partner's titles into markets where we already hold editor relationships, and pass verified offers back for decision.
03
Translation supply
Standing agreements with literary translators and studios, tested by sample and paid at professional rates.
04
Audio production
Narration, engineering and mastering capacity, contracted per project with agreed delivery specifications.
05
Distribution and retail
Print, ebook and audio supply agreements, with metadata delivered to each channel's specification.
06
Technology and media
Platform, tooling and editorial media collaborations that serve authors rather than advertising inventory.
How it works
From first message to signed agreement
Four stages, usually four to eight weeks depending on how much diligence each side needs.
Stage one
Introduction
You send your catalogue, capabilities or proposal. We reply saying honestly whether there is a fit, and what we would need to proceed.
Stage two
Scoping call
A working conversation about territories, languages, volumes, timelines and the commercial shape. No obligation on either side.
Stage three
Terms and diligence
We exchange draft terms, references and, where relevant, sample work. Both sides confirm rights ownership and legal standing.
Stage four
Agreement and first project
A signed agreement, a named contact on each side, and a first project small enough that both parties learn how the other works.
In practice
What a Meridian partnership includes
A named contact
One person accountable for the relationship, not a shared inbox that answers when it can.
Written commercial terms
Revenue splits, payment timing, reporting frequency and termination clauses agreed before work begins.
Transparent reporting
Sales and royalty statements on an agreed schedule, in a format your finance team can reconcile.
An honest no
If we cannot serve a market or a list well, we say so and, where we can, point you to someone who can.
What you can rely on
How we conduct ourselves
These are commitments we can be held to, not marketing claims.
No fabricated credentials
We publish awards, memberships and partner names only where we hold documentation for them.
Confidentiality by default
Catalogues, terms and unpublished material shared with us stay inside the team working on the proposal.
No exclusivity by ambush
Exclusive arrangements are always stated explicitly, with a term and an exit.
Rights verified before sale
We confirm who owns what before a title is offered to any third party.
Questions
Questions we are asked
Do you charge partners a fee to be listed?
No. Partnerships are commercial agreements based on work performed or revenue shared. There is no listing or membership fee.
Can a small independent press partner with you?
Yes, and several do. Scale matters less than whether the list and the standards fit.
How long does an agreement usually run?
Most run for an initial twelve months with a renewal review, or per-title for co-publication and rights deals.
Will you sign our paper rather than yours?
Often, yes. We are comfortable working from a partner's agreement provided the rights, reporting and termination clauses are clear.
Get in touch
Propose a partnership
Tell us who you are, what you publish or produce, and the shape of the collaboration you have in mind. We reply within ten working days.
Prefer email? Write to the main desk or read the trust and transparency centre first.