Indie publishers are especially short on time and resources, yet they often achieve outsized impact with readers and authors. What strategies do they use to grow their impact? What can publishers of all sizes learn from these audacious and subversive approaches?

Attendees will learn:

• What it means to “publish with your community.” How can you create and leverage  community to support your business?
• How to create efficiencies and use automation to build your capacity to do the fun stuff. Setting limits and prioritizing self-care for the sake of sustainability. 
• Why putting your values into practice helps source authors and other collaborators 
• How to use crowdfunding and other presales strategy to build excitement and community support

Your contributions to the discussion will be welcome. 

Join two award-winning translators and two veteran international rights experts as they delve into the worlds of book translation and international rights—how they connect writers with publishers and readers around the world. 

Our expert panelists will discuss:

• The little known world of book translation: current themes, challenges, and opportunities 
• AI’s impact on translation
• How to negotiate the sale of rights to publishers around the world
• The impact of geopolitical instability
• What authors and publishers should know about the opportunities for international rights and sales

Your questions and contributions to the conversation will be welcome.

How are publishers, consultants, and authors connecting with audiences online? Join a panel of promo professionals to explore:

• Social media and best practices for authors
• Assistive and generative AI/LLM tools
• Metadata and digital sales
• Examples and key learnings from our digital promo successes (and failures)
• Current trends and predictions for the future of digital promotions

Your questions and contributions to this conversation are encouraged.

Book marketing and publicity are ever-moving targets in our world of fractured social media platforms, fast-paced trend cycles, and constant (often tragic) breaking news. For those doing the jobs, whether in-house or freelance, the creative work of strategizing and pivoting book promotion campaigns to meet the moment can be both exhausting and exciting. For editors and authors, it can be confusing to keep up with the changes. In this interactive workshop we’ll put our heads together to answer questions like:

• How is book promotion different now from ten years ago? Five? One? 
• What skills does a book marketer or publicist most need today?
• How can editors and authors make a difference in the success of a campaign?
• When does it help (or hurt) to connect new books to current events?
• What new strategies or tools have we tried? What experiments haven’t worked?
• What resources are available to us, both new and old, paid and free?
• How might we reimagine or redesign our roles to work for us?

What are we actually talking about when we talk about neurodiversity? And how can we start talking about it openly in professional spaces? What might become possible when we fully embrace the neurodiversity paradigm in publishing and beyond? After decades of having to mask their true selves and perform neurotypicality, neuroqueers in publishing are claiming their authentic ways of being in the workplace. Join our conversation with neurodivergent authors, publishers, and freelancers as they share unique perspectives on participating in and shaping the publishing scene.

 Our panelists will discuss:

• The biggest strengths and challenges neurodivergent folks experience
• What changes they wish to see and how the industry might move toward it
• Links between neurodiversity and speculative fiction
• How the publishing scene has changed over the years in relation to neurodiversity
• How publishers can create an inclusive and supportive work environment

 Audience participation will be welcome during the Q&A.

This interactive workshop will demystify “artificial intelligence” and demonstrate its value as a powerful tool for the publishing industry. 

We will discuss and help you discover how AI can:

• Ignite creativity
• Enhance productivity and streamline workflows
• Handle routine tasks, freeing you to focus on what you enjoy most and where your talents add the greatest value

Through engaging demonstrations and guided exercises, we’ll explore real-world scenarios tailored to the publishing world—no technical expertise required. With a focus on cultivating an AI (augmented intelligence) mindset, our experts will equip you with actionable strategies and a fresh perspective on how AI can seamlessly integrate into your creative and professional processes.

Whether you’re an author, publisher, or just curious about AI’s potential, this workshop offers an approachable, forward-thinking view of how book publishing professionals can engage with AI. 

For those dealing with book printing and manufacturing, many challenges affect the global book-printing landscape, including supply chain disruptions, increased costs, and logistical hurdles; but there are also exciting new developments to look forward to. Navigating the current and expected situation demands mastering the changing regulations and limitations and finding practical workarounds wherever possible. A panel of printing and manufacturing experts will cover:

• Working with the new EU regulations
• Planning for possible future tariffs
• Expanding your outlook on international printing
• Exploring emerging technologies in printing
• Mitigating paper shortages

Join us in this roundtable discussion as publishers and printing manufacturers, brokers, and buyers share how they are meeting these challenges.

Join industry experts to explore the dynamic world of audiobooks, discussing key aspects of production,  innovative distribution methods, and effective marketing strategies. This panel will provide insights into the growing audiobook market and share best practices for creators and publishers alike.

Our three panelists will discuss:

• Best practices for audiobook production 
• Distribution challenges and exciting new options
• Key marketing strategies 

Your contributions to the conversation will be welcome.

This session will focus on how the publishing landscape has changed for freelancers in recent years, including how more people are turning to freelance work and the rise of opportunities with self-publishing authors and hybrid publishers. 

Our panelists will discuss:

• How publishers have shifted the way they use and engage with freelancers
• How their own work has evolved and how they have responded to industry changes in order to keep finding work 
• How  to work with self-publishers
• How to clarify projects and processes, and how to be flexible about what you’re willing to do 

We welcome your questions and contributions.