coeditions

Coedition, or co-edition, refers to a publication released simultaneously by two or more publishers who share the rights to publish a work. This arrangement is common in international publishing, where publishers in different countries or languages collaborate to reach multiple markets with a single coordinated edition. In library and bibliographic practice, coedition denotes that more than one publisher issues the title as part of a coordinated release rather than as separate reprints.

Coedition agreements specify responsibilities for production, distribution, marketing, and royalties in each territory. They may involve one publisher handling print in a region while another handles digital distribution, or shared duties across territories with some region-specific material such as translations, introductions, or cover art. The text of a coedition is typically aligned across publishers, though regional variations can occur.

The primary benefits of coeditions include expanded distribution, market-localized pricing and marketing, and shared production costs and risk. Potential drawbacks include scheduling misalignments, inconsistent pricing or presentation, and increased complexity in licensing and copyright arrangements. From a bibliographic perspective, coeditions are noted to distinguish joint-edition publications from simple republications, translations, or separate regional issues.