PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Publishers are facing offset print run delays, lengthy turnaround times for print-on-demand orders, cost increases, and other obstacles—but they are drawing on their characteristic agility and ingenuity to survive. Article Synopsis: COVID-19 was a catalyst for the current supply chain issues, but the origins …

PUBLISHED JULY/AUGUST 2019 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Increasingly, consumers recognize the climate threats posed by shrinking forests and ecologically destructive practices. By making environmentally friendly choices, publishers can help mitigate these problems while also building goodwill and protecting their supply chain. After all, print publishing depends on trees, so it only …

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 by Matt Baehr, Executive Director, Book Manufacturers’ Institute — As the executive director of the Book Manufacturers’ Institute, I have seen some noteworthy ideas take hold, from experimentation on the production line, breakthroughs in inkjet printing hardware, and data analysis. What’s new, and what’s next? It was 2007 when Amazon started selling …

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 by John Parsons, Writer/Consultant at IntuIdeas — AP connections are getting easier, but book publishers need to ask questions before adopting it. Book publishers, authors, and their readers live in a world where print is only one of many, many ways we communicate with other humans. Since the invention of the telegraph …

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2017 by Peter Goodman, Publisher, Stonebridge Press – Pitches for large-quantity sales need to answer at least these five questions. Can anything save independent publishing? Can anything save independent bookstores? In the July 2017 issue of IBPA Independent, I speculated that such a savior might already exist: the Espresso Book Machine (EBM). The …

PUBLISHED JULY 2017 by Peter Goodman, Publisher, Stone Bridge Press — I read recently in Business Insider that Amazon’s strategy for making its brick-and-mortar stores successful hinged on three factors: exploiting big data to tailor the store’s offerings to its local demographic; reducing inventory to only a few thousand titles of proven sales potential; and …

PUBLISHED JUNE 2017 by Karla Olson, Director, Patagonia Books As a small publisher, you have to depend on many in the industry for expertise and best practices on the myriad aspects of the publishing process. This can lead to a cacophony of opinions and advice at every stage, from good writing and professional editing to …

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2016 by Elizabeth Turnbull, Senior Editor/Partner, Light Messages Publishing — Nearly all independent publishers today must wrestle with the question that plagues the production of every title: print on demand (POD) or offset printing? With a few exceptions, such as board books, gift books, or high-end coffee table books, nearly every title produced …

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2016 by Peter Goodman, Stone Bridge Press, and Dave Peattie, Whereabouts Press When requesting an estimate from a printer, here is the information to provide in order to get a detailed and accurate quotation: Trim size Quantity Page count Delivery destination(s) Project title (It may be safer to use the author’s last name …

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2016 by Deb Vanasse, IBPA Independent staff reporter The flexible nature of independent publishing allows you to select the processes and printers that match your needs. To paraphrase Mark Twain’s famous quip, rumors of the death of print have been greatly exaggerated. As technological advances improve the quality and cost of production, print …