PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent magazine — David Emerald Womeldorff and Donna Zajonc are the power couple behind the bestselling self-published book The Power of TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic), which hit 100,000 copies in print late last year. But success didn’t happen overnight. In September 2005, guests at David Emerald …

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2017 Interview by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent magazine — An interview with the CEO of Familius and American West Books, Christopher Robbins Christopher Robbins is a self-proclaimed terrible cellist, pianist, and guitar player. But he’s also the founder and CEO of Familius, an independent book publishing company with a mission to …

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2017 by Alvin Irby, Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer, Barbershop Books – IBPA member Barbershop Books, a program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops, won the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. America’s prevailing beliefs about early literacy development have inextricably linked the activity of reading to a seemingly inexhaustible …

PUBLISHED JUNE 2017 Interviewed by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent An interview with the new executive director of the National Book Foundation. Lisa Lucas’ road to executive director of the National Book Foundation may have been “higgledy-piggledy,” but, one year in, she is certain it’s a perfect fit. We caught up with Lucas to …

PUBLISHED JUNE 2017 By Rosemary Laryea, Producer, “Culture Vultures” Newly emerging African publishing companies are at last winning international recognition for their inspirational literature. There is a significant and fast-growing appetite for African-inspired stories as reflected by nominations for major literary prizes such as the Not The Booker Prize, the Goldsmiths Prize, and …

PUBLISHED MARCH 2017 by Angela Bole, CEO, Independent Book Publishers Association This month, we pay tribute to Gene Schwartz, a past IBPA board member and treasurer (1990-1994), as well as a dear friend to many of us in the publishing industry. Gene passed away on Jan. 30, 2017. He was 90 years old. I first met …

PUBLISHED JUNE 2016 by Angela Bole, CEO, Independent Book Publishers Association You’ll likely notice something special about this issue of IBPA Independent. In addition to the general content this magazine is prized for, throughout the next pages you’ll find a focus on awards with the goal of celebrating the different contests and winners raising our …

PUBLISHED JUNE 2016 by Lynn Rosen, IBPA Independent contributing editor We all know that the sharing of information and stories across time and space creates a better world … but that doesn’t mean authors, illustrators, and publishers don’t also want to be recognized for hard work done well. Here are some of the biggest awards …

PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2016 by Darhiana Tellez, IBPA Independent managing editor In November 2015, the IBPA office received the sad news that long-time friend and self-publishing guru Dan Poynter passed away. We will miss him. Dan was a founding member of IBPA (then known as Publishers Marketing Association), joining in 1983 and participating as an active …

PUBLISHED MAY 2015 by Linda Carlson, IBPA Independent staff reporter The Grammie Guide: Activities and Answers for Grandparenting Today was recommended in the spring 2015 Bas Bleu catalog, which describes the book by Jan Eby, Laurie Mobilio, Lynne Noel, and Cindy Summers as “warm and friendly,” and concludes, “What a special—and practical!—gift for the modern …