Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)

There are thousands and thousands of schools in the United States, so getting your books into the education market can be quite lucrative and rewarding, knowing that you’re inspiring the next generation of readers. So what is the process of getting your books into schools? What kinds of books are marketable to schools? How do you set up school author visits? Author, educator, and speaker Jane Wood joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to answer these questions and many more!

PARTICIPANTS

Jane R. Wood is the author of a series of five juvenile fiction books where she weaves history and science into stories filled with mystery, adventure, and humor for young readers ages 8-14. Her sixth juvenile fiction book, Finding Family Treasure, was released in January 2022 and was co-authored with genealogist and author K. I. Knight. She has also written a book, Schools: A Niche Market forAuthors, to help other authors and publishers market and sell their books to the school market.

Wood is a former teacher, newspaper reporter, and television producer. She has a BA from the University of Florida and an MEd from the University of North Florida. Wood serves as the past-president of the Florida Authors and Publishers Association and often speaks at schools, libraries, book festivals, publishing events, and education conferences. To learn more about her and her books, please visit her website at janewoodbooks.com.

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 helps guide the 4,000+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Follow IBPA on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Garnering a trade review can provide multiple benefits for a book, but how can you make the most out of the reviews you receive? Should you get a paid trade review? Is there anything positive you can get out of a negative review? BlueInk Review Co-Founder Patti Thorn will answer these questions and many more on this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)!”

PARTICIPANTS

Patti Thorn is co-founder of BlueInk Review, a book review service that has provided nearly 10,000 reviews to authors since its inception in 2010. She was a 28-year veteran writer and editor at theRocky Mountain News, which had a daily circulation of 300,000 at the time of its closing in February, 2009, serving the last 12 years of her tenure as chief book critic and editor of the book review pages. The section earned acclaim for its incisive and timely reviews, as well as for Thorn’s weekly column about books and the publishing industry. In addition, she is the co-author ofFun Places to Go with Children in Colorado, published by Chronicle Books and has served as an independent editor for both fiction and nonfiction.

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 helps guide the 4,000+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

Follow IBPA on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Follow BlueInk Review on social media at @blueinkreivew

Check out the IBPA member benefit for $75 off a review from BlueInk Reviews: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/blueinkreview

Visit BlueInk Reviews at: www.blueinkreview.com

Hiring a book publicist can lead to excellent exposure for your titles, but there are techniques that independent publishers and author publishers can do to best maximize that experience and things that they can do that will actually hinder that experience. Smith Publicity Book Publicist and Marketing Associate Olivia McCoy is joining us today to share tips from her many years in the industry to ensure publishers have a beneficial experience during this process.

PARTICIPANTS

Olivia McCoycomes from a background in book marketing and independent publishing and her knowledge of the publishing industry and book promotion allows her to educate and consult her clients throughout their campaigns. Her clients have received national media placements in outlets such as The New York Times, Fast Company,HuffPost, and HOLA!. She has two BAs in English Poetics and French from the University of Georgia, a Master’s Certificate in Publishing from the University of Denver Publishing Institute, and an MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises from Northwestern University. When she’s not at work, she is at home in Philadelphia with her dog, Rudy. You can learn more about Smith Publicity atsmithpublicity.com and connect with Olivia onLinkedInand Instagram @oliviathepublicist. 

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 helps guide the 4,000+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

To learn more about Smith Publicity, visit SmithPublicity.com.

They can also be reached at [email protected]

Follow IBPA on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonline
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ibpa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/

Follow Smith Publicity on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SmithPublicity
Twitter – https://twitter.com/SmithPublicity
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/smithpublicity/

2023 is upon us, so in this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA),” IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet looks back at the hot button issues that hit the publishing industry in 2022 and how they affected (and will continue to affect) indie publishers. Andrea also shares advice about what publishers can do to prepare for the major issues they’ll be facing in the new year, including Amazon changes, inflation woes, and more. Plus, she explains how IBPA plans to help independent publishers and author publishers tackle the aforementioned issues successfully.

PARTICIPANTS

Andrea Fleck-Nisbet joined IBPA as its CEO in November 2022. She comes to IBPA with an extensive and diverse background in publishing. Most recently, she was the founding vice president and publisher at Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins. Prior to that, she was the director of content acquisition for Ingram Content Group, where she developed initiatives that supported independent publishers of all sizes, using print-on-demand services to produce and distribute content. Fleck-Nisbet spent her first 15 years in the publishing industry at independent publisher Workman Publishing, leading teams in special markets, sales, and digital marketing, including three years as executive director of digital strategy and operations.

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 helps guide the 4,000+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/membership

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

Now that 2022 has come to a close, it’s a great time for independent publishers and author publishers to look back on the past year to analyze what worked and didn’t work for their businesses so that they can make informed decisions about how to set themselves up for a more successful year in 2023. Joining us on the podcast today is founding publisher of Publish Your Gift Tieshena Davis to share her expertise on how to maximize the potential of your business, including integrating a SWOT analysis and the “5-why analysis.”

PARTICIPANTS

Tieshena Davis is founding publisher of Publish Your Gift®. Within the past decade, Tieshena's work and contribution to the publishing industry has led her to being awarded the 2017 Medical Moguls Academy “Faculty of the Year” award, honored as Prince George’s County Maryland Top Forty Under 40, and recognized by Examiner.com in its "2015 Best of the Best in Publishing." Tieshena’s advice has been featured in The Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Rolling Out, Entrepreneur, Forbes.com and numerous other media outlets. She is a graduate of Yale University’s Book Publishing Executive Program and an active Forbes Coaches Council member.

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 helps guide the 4,000+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

Learn more about Publish Your Gift here: https://publishyourgift.com/

And learn more about Tieshena’s consulting opportunities here: https://asktiedavis.com/

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

IBPA’s CEO Angela Bole is moving on to a new opportunity after Nov. 30, 2022 as the CEO of Firebrand Technologies. So Angela joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the highlights of her time at IBPA; comment on some of the biggest challenges facing independent publishers right now, including working with Amazon and trying to land traditional distribution; and share tips about how to successfully run a company. Also, host Christopher Locke extends a heartfelt thank you to Angela for her many contributions to IBPA and indie publishing.

PARTICIPANTS

As chief executive officer of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the past nine years, Angela Bole worked to support the growing independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. She holds a Master of Science degree in Book Publishing from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Gender Studies from Indiana University Bloomington. In 2018, she was awarded the Book Industry Study Group’s Community Builder Award, given to an individual in recognition of significant work done to engage a representative set of book industry stakeholders. In 2019, she was named a Publishers Weekly notable person of the year.

In February 2023, Angela will become CEO of Firebrand Group.

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 helps guide the 4,000+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

You can learn more about Firebrand Group here: https://firebrandtech.com/

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

Social media platforms can be a great way to build your independent publishing brand and garner exposure for your books, but how do you turn all those followers on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and so on into lifelong fans of your books? Also, which are the most effective platforms for indie publishers to use? Lulu’s VP of Marketing Matt Briel visits “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share tips about how independent publishers can get the most out of social media, as well as advice about how to improve your newsletter.

PARTICIPANTS

Matt Briel is the VP of Marketing at Lulu.com. After more than 15 years leading Sales and Marketing teams in the Media & Publishing space, he’s developed a unique passion for helping creators and solopreneurs become more successful by leveraging books as a catalyst for opportunities and sustainable revenue.

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 helps guide the 4,100+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

You can learn more about Lulu.com here: https://www.lulu.com/

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

Click on the following links to learn more about the social media services that Matt referenced:

Influencer Marketing - Shoutcart

Email Marketing - ConvertKit

Email Marketing - Send In Blue

Email Marketing - Klaviyo

Artificial intelligence has created many helpful improvements to book publishing, such as improving discoverability of books and finding copyediting errors in manuscripts, and there are many more to come as technology advances, but is there also a downside to some of these advancements? For example, will these advancements cost people jobs? Authors A.I. and BingeBooks co-founder and CEO Alessandra Torre joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss these issues, as well as some helpful AI programs currently available for publishers and new exciting ones on the horizon.

PARTICIPANTS

Alessandra Torre is the Co-founder and CEO of Authors A.I. and BingeBooks, as well as an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five novels. Alessandra found her greatest success with self-publishing, hitting the New York Times list seven times with self-published novels. Alessandra is a popular public speaker and presents frequently to universities, conventions, and author groups. She has online classes, an annual conference and has built a community of over 40,000 aspiring and published authors.

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 helps guide the 4,100+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

You can learn more about the IBPA member benefit for Marlowe Pro here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/marlowepro

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

Follow Alessandra Torre on:

www.authors.ai << Authors A.I. website

www.alessandratorre.com << Alessandra’s author site

facebook.com/alessandratorre0

instagram.com/alessandratorre4

twitter.com/readalessandra

There are many considerations for independent publishers wanting to sell books in the government, education, and healthcare markets. How is selling into these markets different from the retail trade? How do you get started? What are some reasons independent publishers may or may not want to pursue these markets? What are some tips for doing this well? IBPA Board Chair Karen Pavlicin, publisher of Elva Resa Publishing and owner of Military Family Books, shares tips and insights from her 25+ years of navigating bulk sales, niche markets, and community advocacy programs as a primary business model.

PARTICIPANTS

Karen Pavlicin is the founder and publisher at Elva Resa Publishing, a traditional publisher specializing in resources for and about military families. She also owns and operates Military Family Books, an independent bookstore and wholesale distributor specializing in bulk sales to the military, education, and healthcare markets. She served four years on the IBPA Board of Directors and is the current board chair.

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 helps guide the 4,100+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

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

Follow Elva Rese Publishing on:

Websites: ElvaResa.com, MilitaryFamilyBooks.com

Social accounts:

Facebook: @ElvaResaPublishing @KarenPavlicin @MilitaryFamilyBooks.com

https://fb.com/ElvaResaPublishing

https://fb.com/KarenPavlicin (public page)

https://fb.com/MilitaryFamilyBooks

Twitter: @ElvaResa @Pavlicin @MilFamBooks

https://twitter.com/ElvaResa

https://twitter.com/pavlicin

https://twitter.com/MilFamBooks

IG: @ElvaResaPublishing @KarenPavlicin @MilitaryFamilyBooks

https://instagram.com/ElvaResaPublishing

https://instagram.com/KarenPavlicin

https://instagram.com/MilitaryFamilyBooks

LI: @ElvaResaPublishing, @Pavlicin

https://www.linkedin.com/company/elvaresapublishing/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlicin/

YouTube: @ElvaResa

https://www.youtube.com/user/elvaresa

If independent publishers and author publishers optimize their books properly for Amazon, it could lead to excellent sales, but likewise, if they don’t, it could hurt a book’s chances of succeeding. Also, advertising on Amazon can be a powerful tool, but it can be a complicated process. Don’t fret, on this episode of “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA),” we invited Greenleaf Book Group’s Marketing Manager Chelsea Richards to share her expertise with Amazon optimization and ads!

PARTICIPANTS

As Marketing Manager at Greenleaf, Chelsea Richards works with authors to create strategic marketing campaigns, build their author brands, and increase visibility and exposure for their books. She helps authors establish their authority as experts through developing their online presence, harnessing the power of their existing networks, and targeted advertising to both the trade and consumers. Chelsea holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Exeter in England, a BA in English and communications from Southwestern University and completed New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute. A passionate reader and writer herself, Chelsea delights in helping authors reach readers. Prior to her role at Greenleaf, she worked in magazine and book publishing in San Francisco and London. Chelsea is a bibliophile and an Anglophile, and in her spare time she enjoys gardening, traveling, yoga, and baking. 

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 helps guide the 4,100+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. 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

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

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

Follow Chelsea Richards:

LinkedIn, Greenleaf Twitter, Greenleaf Facebook