Book packaging

Book packaging, or book producing, is a publishing activity in which an individual or outside company independently develops and produces a book, performing the creative and production work that is commonly handled by agents and publishing houses. Trade publishers, corporations, museums, and other organizations use the services of book packagers when they do not have the in-house resources to handle a project.

As a bridge between publishing companies and creators, packagers blend the roles of agent, editor, and publisher. They are often engaged for complex books that require specialized coordination and project teams. These include "highly illustrated, elaborately designed, or multi-authored titles, such as how-to books, coffee table books, reference books, textbooks, cookbooks, and more."

Book packaging is also common in the genre fiction market, particularly for books aimed at preteens and teenagers; series books (e.g., Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, Goosebumps, and the For Dummies series); and co-editions, where the original publisher licenses the book to publishers in other territorial markets and gains an immediate return on capital invested.