A sub-publisher is an entity that represents an Original Publisher’s copyrights in one or many foreign territories - outside that publisher’s home territory. For example, a U.S. publisher might sign a sub-publishing agreement with publisher in the UK, under which the UK publisher would administer the U.S. publisher’s catalog in the UK.

This representation may include licensing, royalty collection, copyright enforcement, creative services, and other publishing roles. In return for this representation, a Sub-Publisher receives a percentage of royalties earned in the territory they represent.