PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2021 by Richard-Anthony Lena, President, Brattle Publishing Group — Four small steps that may lead to special sales opportunities for your books. Synopsis: It’s difficult to sell direct to consumer if you don’t know who your primary customer is, so you first must identify them. Seek out sources that will help you learn …

PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2021 by Peter Trimarco, Co-Owner/Publisher, Notable Kids Publishing — Many children’s book authors and publishers support their mainstream revenue by getting their books and curriculum into schools and doing author visits. But how do you get started? Synopsis: A solid curriculum that’s free and readily available can put you in the best position …

PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2021 by Brooke Warner and Stephanie Carter — IBPA has launched a resource center that lists information for advancing DEI initiatives within the independent book publishing community. As part of its commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within its membership, leadership, policies, practices, and publications, IBPA has launched an online resource …

PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2021 interview by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent magazine — Jelani Memory’s “A Kids Book About” series takes a direct approach to publishing, both in terms of its distribution model and the tough topics it covers. Jelani Memory initially thought he’d only print one copy of the book he wrote for his …

PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2021 by Barbara W. Sarnecka, Professor of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine — One Cognitive Scientist’s Experience. Several years ago, when I decided to write a book and publish it myself, there were three questions I knew I would not be able to answer until the whole thing was over. Would the …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Angela Bole, CEO, Independent Book Publishers Association — Read below for details on what this new partnership entails. A single organization alone can’t resolve all the issues affecting its community, but with the help of partnerships, an organization can make a substantial difference across multiple fronts. That’s why IBPA is so …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Cliff Guren, Thad McIlroy, and Steve Sieck — A new report finds that the publishing industry has, on the whole, fared well in these trying times. Synopsis: Trade sales for 2020 were almost uniformly ahead of 2019, and in several categories, unit sales were up over 20% through mid-December. Most projections …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Matthew Winner, Head of podcast, A Kids Book About — Give your social media presence and voice the boost they need to draw others in and grow your accounts. Synopsis: The most basic goal of social media is helping others understand the “you” behind the account. it’s crucial to consider who …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Chelsea Richards — A guide to help you to plan, promote, and execute a successful and engaging virtual book launch. Over the past year, we have learned how to adapt to our highly virtual world and create meaningful connections despite the distance. Authors are finding new and creative ways to reach …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Amanda Gawthorpe, Senior Editor, Blue Ink Press — By adhering to professional publishing standards you can win a place on the shelves of independent bookstores. On the surface, independent publishers and independent bookstores should be a match made in heaven. Both are the proverbial underdogs, trying to survive in an industry …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 Compiled by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent magazine — Read below for expert advice on book marketing plans. “Focusing on sales as your goal. Yes, ultimately, you need sales to sustain your business, and that may be why you are marketing anyway, but if your only objective is to sell, then …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Kelly Peterson, Director of Digital Strategy, Independent Publishers Group Read below for tips on how to incorporate DEI training into your organization. I don’t think anyone made it out of 2020 without confronting the racial divide in America. Whether it was football players kneeling during the anthem, George Floyd’s murder dominating …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Andy Hunter, CEO, Bookshop.org — Indie publishers must redouble efforts to support independent bookstores. The publishing industry has a problem, which we are all aware of: We are moving toward total market dominance of a single online retailer. During the past decade, approximately $8 billion dollars of annual book sales have …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Paige Velasquez Budde, CEO, Zilker Medis — The ultimate goal with your website should be to extend your interaction with a potential reader and get them on your email list through an effective lead magnet. But what works best? One of the most important strategies in today’s media landscape is building …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Publishers can help their authors with where to start, which direction to go, how to navigate the curves, and which roadblocks to avoid when building a platform. Synopsis: A platform helps authors reach buyers, but it involves more than that. An author platform is …

PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 by Angela Bole, CEO, Independent Book Publishers Association — What to know now that Congress passed the CASE Act. Last year was difficult for many, but we ended 2020 with some very good news to share. On Dec. 21, 2020, Congress passed the CASE Act as part of the end-of-year omnibus and …

PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Compiled by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent magazine — Roy Carlisle has managed a number of interns over the years. Hear his perspective as well as the perspectives of four of his former interns. Questions for the Publisher What is the advantage of using interns over hiring an entry-level employee? Roy …

PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 by Rudy Shur, Founder, Square One Publishers — Learning how publishers fail can help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls you didn’t know existed. When I started publishing books on my own, I was young, ambitious, and thought I knew the book industry. Looking back at that time, two out …

PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 by Kelly Peterson, Director of Digital Strategy, Independent Publishers Group How Naleighna Kai and her marketing fellowship, NK’s Tribe Called Success, lift others up by working together marketing their titles. There’s an old phrase about conversations: “If you can’t get through the front door, try the window.” When I think about that …

PUBLISHED JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Answer by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, chief content officer, LibraryPass — The Chief Content Officer of LibraryPass explains the inconvenient truth about library e-collections. *A recent Wired article talked about e-books flying off libraries’ virtual shelves and noted the industry average of $40 for library e-book. That Wired article has caused quite a …