Advertising on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and various social media sites can be exceptional exposure for your books and possibly lead to more sales, but which platforms are better for garnering sales as compared to visibility, and what types of images and copy work best for each site? Also, how long is the ideal time to run an ad? Ingram Content Group’s Senior Manager, Consumer Products & Services Development Erin Cox visits “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to answer these questions and more!

PARTICIPANTS

Erin Cox has almost two decades of marketing and development experience, primarily in the book industry. She previously worked with Simon & Schuster and Macmillan, was the director of development for World Book Night U.S., and has a master's degree in publishing from New York University. When Erin relocated to Nashville a few years ago, she experienced the other end of the marketing process while working at Parnassus Books. Since then, she's joined Ingram Content Group to help launch a consumer marketing services program for publishers.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,900 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS
Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/

Learn more about how to get a discount on Google, Facebook, and Instagram advertising through the Ingram ID IBPA member benefit at https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/ingramid

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Understanding reader habits can help independent publishers and author-publishers improve their book marketing strategies, hopefully boosting book sales. With over 550,000 readers on the popular digital review copy platform NetGalley, their team has collected invaluable data about reader’s preferences, so NetGalley’s Customer Success Manager Katie Versluis and Social Media Manager Hallie Fields join “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss where readers say they discover books, the social media platforms that readers tend to share their book recommendations on the most, tips for how publishers can garner reviews, and much more.

PARTICIPANTS

Katie Versluis is a customer success manager at NetGalley. She works closely with authors and publishers of all shapes and sizes, helping their books reach the hands of passionate book advocates and industry professionals. She is a graduate of Brock University and Humber College's Creative Book Publishing Program.

Hallie Fields is the Social Media Manager at NetGalley, a service that helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies to book advocates and industry professionals. Hallie specializes in fostering community and connecting with NetGalley members, including reviewers, booksellers, librarians, educators, media/journalists, and other book trade professionals. She is a former librarian and a graduate of UNC-Greensboro's Library and Information Science MLIS program.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS
Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/

Learn more about the IBPA NetGalley Program at https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/netgalley

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

The more independent publishers and their authors work together on their book marketing efforts, the better chance they have of selling more books. One of the main focuses of independent publisher Wordeee is figuring out how to leverage the relationships that their authors already have to maximize the reach of their book marketing efforts. Wordeee CEO Marva Allen and COO Patrice Samara join “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share the interesting book marketing tactics they employ with their authors, partnerships they’ve created for the film and audiobook rights of their books, and more.

PARTICIPANTS

MARVA ALLEN, CEO WORDEEE

Ms. Allen was president and co-owner of USI, a multi-million-dollar technology firm that was thrice nominated for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurship Award. She is the recipient of numerous business awards, including the IBM & Kodak Excellence Awards, and was named a Crain's 40 Under 40 Awardee for significantly achieving in business before her 40th birthday. Allen was a nominee for the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan. She holds a BSN from SGI in England; a B.S in Biology from the University of Michigan; and an M.S. in Health & Business Administration. As a noted book subject matter expert, Allen has been the 'go to‘ person for books for NPR, NBC, and was the on-air book contributor and commentator for Arise TV. She has been featured in the New York Times, NYSE Diversity Magazine (she rang the closing bell for Wall Street), Time Out, and various other magazines and periodicals. She spearheaded the First Literary Festival in Anguilla and hosted major events for Toni Morrison, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Maya Angelou, among many others. She consults with celebrities and high-profile authors who want out-of-the-box thinking on marketing, promoting, and selling their books.

Ms. Allen is also the author of several books, including If I should Die Tonight; Camouflage; Protégée; and The Pianist and Min Jade under the nom de plume, C.C. Avram

PATRICE SAMARA, COO

A veteran entrepreneur in the communications, media and entertainment industries, Emmy, Parent’s Choice, and Cine Golden-Eagle-winner Samara brings global business skills and relationships that play heavily into Wordeee’s marketing and growth. An author and publisher, she has keen insight into the day-to-day operations of a myriad of successful public, private, and non-profit organizations in her forty-year career.

Ms. Samara has worked in over fifty countries, has twice been an NGO Representative to the United Nations, and was the Senior Media Advisor to the 61st President of the UN General Assembly.

A cross-cultural specialist, she is the author of seven Alphabet Kids children’s books, a multicultural series celebrating the similarities and applauding the differences in all of us.

She is also the co-author with Marva Allen of North Star, North Star, an aspirational children’s book fostering community and inspiring children to be the best they can be.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS
Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Learn more about Wordeee at https://www.wordeee.com/

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

To set your books and audiobooks up for the best chance at success, you need to make your titles available to purchase in as many retail outlets as possible. Author and book publishing consultant Erin Wright joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share her expertise about the most effective methods to distribute books and audiobooks to as many retail sites as possible, including details about how to best use IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, Author’s Republic, Bookvault, and more for your publishing goals.

PARTICIPANTS

Erin Wright is a full-time contemporary western romance author, but unless you're a fan of sexy cowboys, you've probably heard of her instead because of her work in the Wide for the Win Facebook group. She conned Suzie O'Connell (close writing friend and fellow cowboy romance author) into co-founding the Facebook group back in March of 2019, and has been avoiding writing books by posting in the group ever since. If you're thinking about going Wide, or if you're already Wide and just want to connect with other Widelings, be sure to come join Erin in the largest group on the internet for Wide authors. She'd be thrilled to have you!

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS
Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Make sure to connect with Erin for her consulting at work https://erinwright.net/consulting and https://erinwright.net/authors, as well as in the Wide for the Win Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wideforthewin

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Follow Erin on:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@erinwrightLV
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AuthorErinWright
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erinwrightbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/erinwrightlv
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/erin-wright
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorerinwright
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/erinwright

Amazon is still the world’s largest bookseller, so naturally, many independent publishers and author publishers want to know how they can succeed on the platform. IBPA is always working to help indie publishers take their businesses to the next level, so we invited Firebrand Technologies’ Director of Sales and Education Joshua Tallent as a guest on “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share his expertise. He discusses how the Amazon search algorithms work to garner more exposure for your books, how Amazon sales ranks are calculated, smart strategies for Amazon advertising, and more.

PARTICIPANTS

Joshua Tallent is the Director of Sales and Education at Firebrand Technologies, where his focus is on helping publishers of all sizes find solutions to their workflow and metadata problems. Joshua’s background is deeply rooted in ebook development, metadata, and other publishing technologies, and he is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing. He serves as the Chair of the BISG Board of Directors and is the host of the BookSmarts Podcast, which features practical discussions and interviews about publishing data and technologies. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys teaching Bible studies, playing complex board games, and fiddling with his home automation system.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS
Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Make sure to check out Firebrand Technologies at:https://firebrandtech.com
Also, check out the BookSmarts Podcast at: https://booksmartspodcast.com/

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Publishing books is the main focus and source of revenue for independent publishers, but there are many alternative revenue streams that can be lucrative. President and Publisher for Gibbs Smith Books & Gift Suzanne Taylor joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share tips about the sidelines they create, including how they decide what products to make, which are the most popular, where they sell them, how they’re manufactured, and much more.

PARTICIPANTS

Suzanne Gibbs Taylor brings more than 35 years of publishing and retail experience to her role as President and Publisher for Gibbs Smith Book & Gift, where she leads all business development from idea to fulfillment. She has created, acquired, and developed multiple million-dollar brands, including the New York Times best-selling 101 Things® cookbook series (more than 15 million LTD revenue) and BabyLit® children’s series (more than 13 million LTD revenue), which was featured on the front page of the Sunday print edition of The New York Times. Her leadership on the company’s management team and board of directors contributed to transitioning to employee ownership and B Corp status. She currently volunteers on the PubWest Design Awards Committee and is a member of B Lab, the Independent Publishers Guild, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and Print Production Professionals. She holds a BA in Journalism, English, and Secondary Education.  

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS

Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Make sure to check out the Gibbs Smith Book & Gift sidelines at:  https://www.gibbssmithcovers.com/gift/index.html 

Also, check out their Spring 2025 catalog at: https://www.gibbssmithcovers.com/GS-Spring-Catalog.pdf

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Follow Gibbs Smith Book & Gift on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@GibbsSmithBooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gibbssmithbooks/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gibbssmithbooks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gibbs-smith

To garner as much attention for your books as possible, it’s important for independent publishers and author publishers to connect with audiences outside their network.  Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share expert advice about how to land interviews on podcasts, blog sites, and with reviewers, including whether to pitch yourself or hire a publicist, how to best craft your pitch, how to promote the interview to get the most out of it, and much more!

PARTICIPANTS

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including CLOSE THESE EYES. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.

Matty also podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction, podcasting for authors, and how to succeed as an author speaker, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the Campaigns Manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).

She lives with her husband, Wade Walton, and their dogs in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and enjoys vacationing on Mount Desert Island, Maine, and in Sedona, Arizona, and these locations serve as the settings for her novels.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS

Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Make sure to check out Matty’s books at https://www.mattydalrymple.com/about

You'll find more information on her non-fiction platform at https://www.theindyauthor.com/

Also, check out ALLi at:

https://selfpublishingadvice.org/author-awards-contests-rated-reviewed/

https://selfpublishingadvice.org/best-self-publishing-services/

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Ambika Sambasivan and Suhani Parikh each had their own successful independent publishing company, Yali Books and Modern Marigold Books, but when they met in 2022, they realized that their companies had similar missions and that they could be even more successful if they combined their businesses.

Ambika and Suhani join “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share details about the challenges and positive experiences that they ran into during the process of merging to create their new publishing company Sambasivan & Parikh. They discuss the legal issues that had to be decided; how they updated their distribution systems; how they combined their different backend systems; and much more.

PARTICIPANTS

Ambika Sambasivan and Suhani Parikh are co-publishers at Sambasivan & Parikh, a community-centered children’s press working to foster a more equitable and just future through the power of storytelling. They bring together their independently founded presses, Yali Books and Modern Marigold Books, to create a platform for underrepresented voices in children’s literature, built on empathy and respect.
 

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS

Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Make sure to check out the Sambasivan & Parikh website at https://www.sambasivanandparikh.com/

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

One of the most important relationships independent publishers have is with their authors, so how can publishers ensure that it's a productive working relationship?  American Academy of Pediatrics Senior Editor Kathryn Sparks joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share advice about how publishers can successfully work with their authors based on her two decades in the industry.

She’ll share tips about setting reasonable deadlines and how to stick to them; the best ways to work with an author through the writing and editing process; and more. She’ll also share insights into how the independent publishing industry is doing at the moment, and what improvements could be made.

PARTICIPANTS

Kathryn Sparks is senior editor for the parent consumer line at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Prior to the AAP, she worked as the assistant to the publisher at Sourcebooks, Inc. Past industry experience also includes part-time literary assistant at the Chicago-based Tina Purcell Agency, and part-time assistant to best-selling author Claudia Gray. Her MG Novel, Reality Natalie, was published by Firedrake Books, Inc. She has served on the IBPA Editorial Advisory Committee, IBPA Advocacy Committee, and is currently on the IBPA Executive Committee and is co-chair of the IBPA Membership Committee.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS

Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Make sure to check out the American Academy of Pediatrics’ books at https://www.aap.org/en/shopaap/shop-by-product/parenting-resources/

Also, check out https://www.healthychildren.org/English/Pages/default.aspx

Follow IBPA on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline

X – https://twitter.com/ibpa

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

One of the most effective methods for independent publishers and author publishers to sell books is through direct-to-consumer sales. Motina Books Publishing Owner Diane Windsor joins "Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share tactics that have worked best for her, including selling books directly through her publisher website, in-person events, and more.

PARTICIPANTS

Diane Windsor is the owner of Motina Books Publishing, which focuses on helping mothers and women bring their work to the world. She's passionate about helping her authors brainstorm creative marketing efforts for their books.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,600 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS

Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Learn more about Motina Books here: www.MotinaBooks.com

Follow IBPA on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
X – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Follow Motina Books on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motinabooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motina_books/