Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)

Between traditionally published and self-published books, there are over 3 million books published per year, so in order for a book to stand out, sometimes independent publishers have to think outside the box. Independent publisher Holloway has a unique system with their publishing strategy in terms of discoverability and direct-to-consumer sales, which has been quite successful for them, so COO A...

There is a huge market for books outside the United States, so how can U.S. publishers break into the international market, and how do publishers know which markets are a good fit for their titles? Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Red Hen Press Dr. Kate Gale joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share details about how her publishing company succeeded with international sales, as w...

No matter where you are in your publishing journey—whether you're just starting out or you’ve been publishing books for decades—you're always hoping to level up your business. Fruition Publishing Concierge Services Founder and CEO Alesha Brown joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share advice about the best artificial intelligence (AI) publishing technology and the ones to avoid; p...

With a new year comes all kinds of new possibilities for publishers to thrive! IBPA’s mission is to set up independent publishers and author publishers for publishing success, so CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet joins "Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the major issues that publishers are sure to face in 2024, and ways that publishers can overcome them. She discusses distribution challe...

In the last few years, TOKYOPOP has had incredible success, leading Publishers Weekly to declare them one of the fastest growing independent publishers of 2023. It’s always helpful for indie publishers to learn from each other, so TOKYOPOP’s COO and Publisher Marc Visnick joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the achievements and challenges they’ve had since the company bega...

Independent publishers run into many of the same challenges with publishing, so the best way to figure out how to overcome those challenges is to learn from other publishers’ achievements and missteps. Taevo Publishing Founder and CEO Tamara Mayo joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the best methods she’s learned about how to work with her authors; how to solve accounting i...

Many independent publishers feel a great divide between them and the Big 5 publishers. One of the biggest issues is access to various sales markets, such as bookstores, retail stores, and more. The good news is that there are new ways that these major publishers and indies can work together to the betterment of both. One such way is through distribution. It can be quite difficult for independent p...

Independent publishers and author publishers are always seeking effective ways to promote their books, and one great way to do so is through LibraryReads. The Executive Director, Rebecca Vnuk, joins "Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to explain how LibraryReads creates a widely read list of must-read, new books based on library staff recommendations and how indie publishers can get their...

Are you hoping to sell your books to libraries? If so, trade reviews are a vital component to enticing libraries to buy your books, and librarians especially value Booklist reviews—the official trade publication of the American Library Association. So IBPA invited Booklist Editor and Publisher George Kendall as a guest on “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss how publishers can la...

Landing traditional distribution can be a major help in garnering exposure and sales for books in important markets such as Amazon, Kindle, bookstores, retail stores, and more. National Accounts Manager in Sales at Publishers Group West and Ingram Publisher Services David Dahl joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to explain the behind the scenes of how distribution sales teams promote...

Book marketing isn’t just about selling books, it’s about building a reputation and an audience of loyal readers. An author may be focused on their writing so much that they don’t quite know what their brand is, but that’s where a publisher comes in. Publishers can, and should, help their authors pinpoint a professional and memorable author brand in order to engage fans and sell books. On this epi...

Social media can be an excellent tool for publishers to build brand awareness and garner exposure for their books, but it’s also complicated to properly navigate. One advantageous social media tactic is to hire an influencer, but how do you go about hiring the right one for your books? What types of campaigns work the best? What are some challenges to hiring an influencer and how do you overcome t...

There are thousands and thousands of schools in the United States, so getting your books into the education market can be quite lucrative and rewarding, knowing that you’re inspiring the next generation of readers. So what is the process of getting your books into schools? What kinds of books are marketable to schools? How do you set up school author visits? Author, educator, and speaker Jane Wood...

Garnering a trade review can provide multiple benefits for a book, but how can you make the most out of the reviews you receive? Should you get a paid trade review? Is there anything positive you can get out of a negative review? BlueInk Review Co-Founder Patti Thorn will answer these questions and many more on this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)!” PARTICIPANTS Patti Thorn i...

Hiring a book publicist can lead to excellent exposure for your titles, but there are techniques that independent publishers and author publishers can do to best maximize that experience and things that they can do that will actually hinder that experience. Smith Publicity Book Publicist and Marketing Associate Olivia McCoy is joining us today to share tips from her many years in the industry to e...

2023 is upon us, so in this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA),” IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet looks back at the hot button issues that hit the publishing industry in 2022 and how they affected (and will continue to affect) indie publishers. Andrea also shares advice about what publishers can do to prepare for the major issues they’ll be facing in the new year, including Amazon c...

Now that 2022 has come to a close, it’s a great time for independent publishers and author publishers to look back on the past year to analyze what worked and didn’t work for their businesses so that they can make informed decisions about how to set themselves up for a more successful year in 2023. Joining us on the podcast today is founding publisher of Publish Your Gift Tieshena Davis to share h...

IBPA’s CEO Angela Bole is moving on to a new opportunity after Nov. 30, 2022 as the CEO of Firebrand Technologies. So Angela joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the highlights of her time at IBPA; comment on some of the biggest challenges facing independent publishers right now, including working with Amazon and trying to land traditional distribution; and share tips about...

Social media platforms can be a great way to build your independent publishing brand and garner exposure for your books, but how do you turn all those followers on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and so on into lifelong fans of your books? Also, which are the most effective platforms for indie publishers to use? Lulu’s VP of Marketing Matt Briel visits “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to s...

Artificial intelligence has created many helpful improvements to book publishing, such as improving discoverability of books and finding copyediting errors in manuscripts, and there are many more to come as technology advances, but is there also a downside to some of these advancements? For example, will these advancements cost people jobs? Authors A.I. and BingeBooks co-founder and CEO Alessandra...

There are many considerations for independent publishers wanting to sell books in the government, education, and healthcare markets. How is selling into these markets different from the retail trade? How do you get started? What are some reasons independent publishers may or may not want to pursue these markets? What are some tips for doing this well? IBPA Board Chair Karen Pavlicin, publisher of...

If independent publishers and author publishers optimize their books properly for Amazon, it could lead to excellent sales, but likewise, if they don’t, it could hurt a book’s chances of succeeding. Also, advertising on Amazon can be a powerful tool, but it can be a complicated process. Don’t fret, on this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA),” we invited Greenleaf Book Group’s Ma...

IBPA is always looking for ways to set up independent publishers and author publishers for success, so we partnered with PubWest and Portland State University’s Graduate Program in Book Publishing to research five key issues facing publishing distribution today. Portland State University’s Director of Book Publishing and Assistant Professor in English Dr. Rachel Noorda and Rachel Done, who is one...

It’s a major goal of many independent publishers and author publishers to get their books carried in a bookstore, but as many have found, it can be a difficult market to break into. “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” invites Village Books & Paper Dreams Co-Owner and Steward Paul Hanson and Publishing Coordinator Chloe Hovind to share expert tips about how indie publishers can get bookstor...

Marketing books can be overwhelming and discouraging, and to make matters more difficult, there are a lot of dependable strategies out there that wield excellent exposure for books but that does not necessarily mean that they lead directly to book sales. Book Launchers Founder Julie Broad joins us on “Inside Independent Publishing” today to go over some of the best book marketing tactics available...