Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)

The U.S. has thousands of libraries, so if an independent publisher can get their books carried in the library market, it can be great exposure for their books and a lucrative endeavor. But, how does an indie publisher get libraries to carry their books? On this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA),” we invited Founder and Former CEO at BiblioLabs and Senior Manager of the BiblioL...

Social media provides independent publishers with many incredible opportunities to promote their books, but it feels like new platforms pop up every day, which can make it overwhelming to figure out which platforms are the best. Today, Founder and CEO of Write|Publish|Sell Alexa Bigwarfe joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to give you the inside scoop on some of the most buzzworthy o...

One of the topics that independent publishers and author publishers always ask IBPA about is Amazon. Amazon is a juggernaut in the publishing industry and publishers want to know how to succeed in that marketplace. Amazon has a feature called A+ Content, which, if used properly, can be a helpful tool for publishers. So Amazon expert and i30 Media Corporation founder Ian Lamont visits “Inside Indep...

Selling the film or TV rights to a book can be a lucrative endeavor, but how does an independent publisher or author publisher sell their film and TV rights? Will Dreamly Arts Publisher Andreas John visits “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share expertise from his own experience selling the TV rights to a book series by one of this authors. Andreas shares tips about how to land a deal...

Independent publisher Puppy Dogs & Ice Cream has had incredible success acquiring book sales through digital marketing, so founder Jason Kutasi visits “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share some of their most effective strategies. Jason shares which platforms have been most profitable to advertise on; why his indie publishing company rarely conducts promotions on Amazon; and much mor...

Many authors would prefer to just write books and leave the marketing to someone else, but if a book is going to be successful, it is imperative that authors take an active role in marketing their books. Since a lot of authors feel uncomfortable with this, it’s helpful if independent publishers work with their authors as partners on this issue. On this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (wi...

Want to learn how to get the most out of IngramSpark (Ingram Content Group’s publish-on-demand platform)? IBPA invited IngramSpark’s Business Development Manager Josh Floyd to "Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)" to answer some of the most common questions publishers have about the popular platform, such as: When posting books onto the platform, should publishers make their books returnable...

A lot of independent publishers and author publishers focus a great deal of time and energy trying to get their books sold in bookstores, but there are many other places to sell books that could be a perfect fit for various target audiences. In this episode of "Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)," publisher and founder of The Collective Book Studio Angela Engel discusses the success she's a...

What encourages people to buy a book? How do people discover books? Knowing book consumer buying habits can be a huge help in creating successful book marketing campaigns, so IBPA co-sponsored a research project to get an advantageous look at the answers to these questions and more! Portland State University Director of Publishing Dr. Rachel Noorda co-authored the report, so she visits the podcast...

Marketing books is one of the most important (and difficult!) tasks for independent publishers and author publishers, so IBPA invited book publicity expert FSB Associates Founder and President Fauzia Burke on the podcast to share expert advice about how to land media opportunities to sell books, including television interviews, podcast interviews, and print/online articles!   PARTICIPANTS Fauzia B...

There is a lot of buzz about how booming the audiobook market is, so should independent publishers make audiobooks an essential part of their business model? What types of books have a better chance succeeding as audiobooks? What are helpful tips to market audiobooks? Audiobook industry expert, Michele Cobb (Partner at Forté Business Consulting and Executive Director for the Audio Publishers Assoc...

Landing traditional distribution can be one of the most difficult things for independent publishers and author publishers to achieve, so Independent Publishers Group’s Vice President of Publisher Development Richard T. Williams shares invaluable advice about how indie publishers can increase their chances of being accepted, explains reasons why they would be rejected, and much more. If you’re inte...

SCBWI’s Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer April Powers joins host Christopher Locke for a candid conversation about actions independent publishers can take to bring about real change for marginalized communities, and actions that are unhelpful. Plus, what does April have to say about people who complain that companies shouldn’t get “political” by supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) an...

What are some of the ethical conundrums that hybrid publishers fall victim to, and how can they overcome them? Why do some publishers think it’s controversial for hybrid publishers to be considered publishers? Hybrid publisher Wonderwell CEO Maggie Langrick shares her expert insight on these issues; why she loves hybrid publishing, and more. PARTICIPANTS Maggie Langrick  is the founder and publish...

A new season of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” starts Thursday, January 28! In this short intro, find out what new host IBPA Member Liaison Christopher Locke has in store for upcoming episodes of the podcast. Will this new season make you the most successful independent publisher the world has ever known? You’ll have to tune in to find out! Check out the YouTube video version of this...

Topics Covered For Peter Goodman's final episode as host, new host Christopher Locke asks Peter about his experience as an editor and publisher. From working in Japan and the UK for ten years to running his own publishing company for over thirty years, Peter has seen a lot of technologies and trends come and go. But some things are still fundamental, and among them is the motto Peter learned in Ja...

The Frankfurt Book Fair was a completely virtual event this year. Licensing and permissions expert MaryJo ("MJ") Courchesne of Gryphon Publishing Consulting reports on her experience, and also discusses the CASE Act, fair use, and piracy. Topics Covered Frankfurt Book Fair roundup, physical vs. virtual When to start prepping for next year's Frankfurt Do you need a rights and permissions manager? H...

Every book has to earn its place in Amazon’s discoverability queue. Does yours? Penny Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts tells you how to optimize your book’s visibility and relevance using keywords, your author page, and more. Topics Covered • Amazon, a force for good or for evil? • How to make Amazon work for your book • Remember, at its heart, Amazon is just a giant search engine • Why you...

Topics include how the publishing world has changed the explosion of virtual events a hybrid approach to trade shows Pub-U online! a new focus on diversity indie publishers: adventurers and innovators why interns need to get paid better the emergence of bookshop.org how long can brick and mortar bookstores hold on? difficulties faced by publishers without distribution are author publishers still b...

Topics Covered What is IngramSpark? Templates to make layout easier and books look more professional The importance of a unique cover design On-demand books for retail and wholesale markets How has publishing changed in the past 10 years and what trends will continue?  POD manufacture lets anyone be a publisher Power of Amazon Ease of bringing books to market Is distribution getting too consolidat...

### Links 2019 Readers’ Advisory Activities Survey https://www.panoramaproject.org/2019-readers-advisory-activities-survey Public Library Events and Book Sales Survey https://www.panoramaproject.org/news/2019/12/9/public-libraries-book-events-panorama-project-survey Immersive Media & Reading 2020 https://www.panoramaproject.org/immersive-media-reading-2020   Participants Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is...

Diversity in book publishing begins with young readers finding books that speak to who they are and a diverse population of young professionals finding jobs in every aspect of the industry. Nicole Johnson, executive director of We Need Diverse Books , talks about programs and philosophies that are changing, literally, the face of book publishing in America today. Topics Covered • How We Need Diver...

Some books lend themselves to creative collaborations and multimedia treatments. Lindy Ryan of Black Spot Books and Vesuvian Media Group outlines the key issues facing publishers today and talks about what makes some stories suitable for dramatic performance and other nonprint media. Topics Covered Top issues for publishing today Connecting books and readers while still supporting local indie book...

Victoria Sutherland, founder/publisher of Foreword Reviews magazine and a new member of the IBPA Board of Directors, looks at indie publishing, virtual trade shows, reviewing, libraries, and diversity. Topics Covered Coping with COVID How the pandemic may change publishing The future of trade shows (hint: it’s going virtual) Can the face-to-face meeting be replicated online? The continuing importa...

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing publishing around the world. Bridget Shine of the Independent Publishers Guild talks about issues, partnerships, and the role of indies and author-publishers in the UK. Topics Covered What is the Independent Publishers Guild? How are publishers coping with COVID and the changing retail and distribution landscape? Audiobooks and ebooks in the UK Difficulties of acc...