Becoming a Member
An Invitation to American Publishers
As the Association's membership base broadens and diversifies, our effectiveness increases, benefiting the entire publishing industry. The AAP Board of Directors cordially invites all eligible publishers to join in the important work of the Association.
The U.S. publishing industry is entering upon an era of unprecedented change, bringing with it new opportunities and serious challenges. Among them:
- protecting and strengthening intellectual property rights, at home and in the international marketplace;
- insuring that our schools and libraries receive the resources they need in the face of many other claims upon those resources;
- understanding and harnessing the power of the new information technologies and the evolving National and Global Information Infrastructures;
- meeting threats of censorship and attempts to abridge our First Amendment rights;
- working to achieve efficient postal service at reasonable cost;
- attracting talented young people from diverse backgrounds to careers in publishing.
AAP initiatives in these and other areas are helping the industry move toward the 21st Century. All publishers — large and small, well established and just starting out — are encouraged to join us on this exciting journey.
Who Is Eligible?
Regular Membership in the Association of American Publishers is open to all U.S. companies actively engaged in the publication of books, journals, and related electronic media including CD Rom, video tape, computer software, audiovisual material, database and similar products for educational,busienss and personal use. This includes book producers, packagers and co-publishers that are actively engaged in a major portion of the creation of books or copyrightable educational materials for distribution by another organization.
"Actively engaged" means that the candidate must give evidence of conducting an ongoing publishing business with a significant investment in the business.
Each Regular Member firm has one vote, which is cast by an official representative or alternate designated by the member company.
Associate Membership (non-voting) is available to U.S. not-for-profit organizations that otherwise meet the qualifications for regular membership. A special category of associate membership is open to non-profit university presses.
Affiliate Membership is a non-voting membership open to paper manufacturers, suppliers, consultants, and other non-publishers directly involved in the industry.
Dues
Dues are assessed on the basis of annual sales revenue from the print and electronic products listed above (under Regular Membership), but not from services or equipment. To maintain confidentiality, data is reported to an independent agent.
Association Dues / Assessment Rates for Regular Members
Fiscal year 2008/2009
July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009
Core Dues and Division Assessments for Regular Members of the Association are computed according to the following rate tables:
| Annual Net Eligible Sales | Rates |
| To $1 Million | $200.00 (Minimum) |
| $1 to $40 Million | $1,030 plus $1.03/Thousand |
| $40 to $100 Million | $41,200.00 plus $.72/Thousand above $40 Million |
| $100 to $200 Million | $84,460.00 plus $.21/Thousand above $100 Million |
| $200 to $750 Million | $105,060.00 plus $.16/Thousand above $200 Million |
| $750 Million and up | $190,000.00 plus $.105/Thousand above $750 Million |
Click here for more information on fee structures
Divisional Assessment Rates
Charges for divisional membership are based on each division's budget and the projected total sales of member companies in the divisional area of activity. Assessment for individual member companies are based on consolidated net sales of eligible products in each divisional area, as reported on Dues and Assessments Questionnaires, subject to each division's minimum fee.
| AAP Division | 2007/2008 Total Budget | 2006/2007 Assessment Rate per $1,000 of Sales | Basis for Assessment | Minimum Dues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
School |
$1,473,122 |
.49 |
Eligible Sales |
$ 250* |
Professional/Scholarly Publishing |
$940,400 |
.19 companies to $30M
.25 companies over $30 M |
Eligible Sales |
$ 250* |
* Companies who pay the Minimum Core Dues rate will pay $100 for division membership. Other companies wishing to join a division in an area where they currently do not have sales will pay the minimum dues of $250.
No company shall pay more than $493,00.
* Membership in the Association is considered a year-to-year commitment. A member will be responsible for the full payment of its annual dues and assessments during the current dues year (July 1- June 30) even if it should terminate its membership during that time.
Other Membership Classifications
Contact the AAP Membership Director, Lily Clark, at 202-347-3375 or lclark@publishers.org for information on dues rates for Not-For-Profit, University Press, or Affiliate Membership. or download these documents for more information.
2008/2009 Dues and Assessments Questionnaire
Click here to use the AAP Dues and Assessments Questionnaire Instructions.
Click here to use the AAP Dues and Assessments Questionnaire Instructions for University Press Members.
Click here to use the AAP Dues and Assessments Questionnaire.
Application Forms
- Click here to use the AAP Membership Application Form.
- Click here to use the AAP Affiliate Membership Application Form.
- Click here to use to AAP University Press Application Form
- Click here to use the AAP Not-for-Profit Application Form