The Board Publishing and Distribution Committee (BPDC) provided the following report to the S.L.A.A. Conference for the 2026 Annual Business Conference/Meeting. It is submitted here for distribution to the Fellowship with gratitude.
Committee Leadership
- Patrick D. – Chair
- Max B. – Second Board of Trustees (BOT) member
Mission Statement
The Board Publishing and Distribution Committee (BPDC) is responsible for its part in the Literature Creation, Editing and Publishing (LCEP) process, preparing literature for sale and distribution in print and digital formats. The BPDC manages Conference-approved literature, approved translations of literature from English, and other documents that will be made available (excluding theJournal, which is the responsibility of the Conference Journal Committee).
Accomplishments
- Conducted comprehensive market research into the literature pricing structures of a diverse range of anonymous fellowships.
- Researched print-on-demand methodologies and formulated a strategic framework for an initial trial.
- Successfully launched the Texto Básico (the Spanish translation of the Basic Text) for purchase via print-on-demand.
- Finalized the cover design for A Framework for Living and successfully published the title via the Fellowship-Wide Services (FWS) store.
- Assessed “Digify” as a potential enterprise solution for the secure sharing of copyrighted materials.
- Fulfilled committee obligations under the LCEP process, maintaining close collaboration with the Conference Literature Committee (CLC) and other service bodies.
- Partnered with submitting committees to introduce several new product bundles to the FWS webstore utilizing the Bundle Proposal Process (BPP).
- Complied with specialized data requests from the CLC, including the compilation and provision of historical BPDC meeting minutes.
- Launched printable worksheet copies to serve users of the Step Questions Workbook, alongside the release of its digital edition.
Active and Ongoing Projects
- Coordinating a full-scale print-on-demand distribution trial specifically targeting international book orders.
- Updating and refining the BPDC’s internal process manual.
- Designing the layout for the Spanish translation of the Step Questions Workbook for release.
- Developing fillable electronic charts and worksheets for an Anorexia inventory, tailored for members working through the Anorexia Steps booklets.
- Readying A State of Grace (Second Edition) for publication, pending final approval from the CLC, following the delivery of a specialized review copy.
- Preparing digital editions of theJournal focus booklets for upcoming release.
Proposed, Tabled, and Future Initiatives
- Ensuring high-quality audio editions of major book titles are accessible to the wider fellowship.
- Evaluating the Google Play Store as an additional digital distribution channel.
- Migrating committee operations to Google Workspace for Nonprofits.
- Exploring the feasibility of offering direct eBook sales via the FWS webstore.
Challenges and Constraints Encountered
This year, the Board of Trustees (BOT) did not reach its full complement of nine members, leaving the BPDC without a second BOT representative for the majority of the term.
Secure document sharing continues to be a primary operational concern. The committee frequently navigated unprecedented scenarios requiring bespoke solutions, which will ultimately help refine our standard operating procedures moving forward. These resource and security constraints occasionally impacted our ability to seamlessly communicate project updates to external service entities, leading to late-stage objections and subsequent project delays.
To mitigate these challenges in the future, we are actively reviewing and restructuring our communication protocols with external service bodies to ensure earlier alignment and transparency on all upcoming initiatives.
Acknowledgments
I would like to extend my personal gratitude and commendation to every member of this committee for the landmark achievements realized during this Conference year—most notably, their invaluable contributions to the publication of Texto Básico and A Framework for Living, both of which represent the culmination of multi-year efforts.
A special note of appreciation is reserved for Lee W., who recently stepped down after many years of dedicated, impactful service to the BPDC.
Respectfully submitted,
Patrick D. (Chair)
