PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — By understanding the anatomy of distribution sales meetings, publishers—even those who handle their own distribution—can improve the discoverability and reach of their lists. Article Synopsis: Sales meetings give publishers an opportunity to present new titles and get feedback from the distributor. A compelling presentation, …

PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Distributors and industry pros discuss the market trends across sales channels in preparation for a new year. Synopsis: By Q4 2020, overall book sales were up, and the pandemic seemed to drive content preferences. Brick-and-mortar businesses took a big hit during pandemic shutdowns, but …

PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2020 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Publishers that build direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales into their business models can reap substantial rewards, especially when they tap into online platforms and services that help in scaling up their efforts. Article Synopsis: Savvy publishers are succeeding with sales made directly to consumers from their …

PUBLISHED JAN/FEB 2020 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Opportunities abound for independent publishers to partner with libraries if they take the time to learn the process. Article Synopsis: While libraries differ in policies, budgets, and acquisition procedures, they all have shared interests with indie publishers. Publishers should find out which community goals …

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2017 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Indie bookstores are thriving today. If indie publishers want to get their foot in the door, they need to understand the factors booksellers weigh when deciding which books to stock. Forget the gloom-and-doom forecasts of a few years back. In the digital age, independent …

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2017 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent – Large trade shows and conferences aren’t the only places to meet industry professionals. Publishers also benefit from smaller-scale opportunities to network and share ideas. At trade shows and conferences, there’s a hum in the air: the buzz of hundreds, if not thousands, of industry professionals …

PUBLISHED APRIL 2016 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Even in this era of online retailing, publishers covet shelf space in brick-and-mortar bookstores. There’s just no substitute for a sales venue where the reader can pick up the book and leaf through it. “Shopping for physical books in a physical space offers an …

PUBLISHED MARCH 2016 by Deb Vanasse, IBPA Independent staff reporter To the casual observer, publishing seems to be all about the new—new releases, debut authors, new lists—an impression created by a prevailing model that emphasizes frontlist sales over seasoned titles. But publishers who embrace this model miss substantial opportunities for sales. Without much fanfare, independent …

PUBLISHED APRIL 2015 by Deb Vanasse, Founder, Running Fox Books Having entered into what seemed an exciting and mutually beneficial hybrid arrangement with a publisher that let me retain all rights except English-language print rights, I was eager to learn how similar agreements were working for others. So I posed the question to a panel …