IBPA Publishing University 2025

Grab a yummy breakfast and learn about IBPA's committees, board, and volunteer opportunities.

Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press, in conversation with Jonathan Merkh (President and Publisher of Forefront Books), Angela Engel (Publisher and Founder of The Collective Book Studio), and Dr. Ayo Sekai (Founder, CEO, and Publisher of Universal Write Publications) about rethinking business models, what to do with business models that straddle more than one category, and issues like co-opting business model terms to the point of dilution. The panelists will talk about how they think about their own models, how they're changing with the times, and how they position themselves relative to traditional publishing and other models.

Revitalizing Your Backlist (Newly Acquired or Not)
Faculty: Keri-Rae Barnum, Kurt Brackob, and Jared Kuritz, with moderator and host Amy Barrett-Daffin

For independent publishers, a strong backlist can be leveraged as a foundational component for long-term success. But whether your titles have been in print for years or are newly acquired, the real question is: Are you fully maximizing their potential?
In this breakout session, industry experts Keri-Rae Barnum (President & CEO, New Shelves Books), Dr. Kurt Brackob (Editorial Director, Histria Books), and Jared Kuritz (President & CEO, STRATEGIES Public Relations; CSO/CMO, Zoundy) will guide experienced publishers through a proven framework for transforming stagnant backlist titles into consistent revenue generators.
You’ll gain insight into:

• Building a Backlist That Works
  Why your backlist matters, and how to grow it strategically through acquisition or internal development. (Presented by Dr. Kurt Brackob)
• Reigniting Sales & Engagement
  Modern marketing and publicity strategies to breathe new life into older titles—plus tactics for building and nurturing your reader list. (Presented by Keri-Rae Barnum)
• Leveraging Trends, Partnerships & Bulk Sales
  How to align titles with current events, secure bulk sales, and tap into sponsorships and cross-promotional opportunities. (Presented by Jared Kuritz)

With a mix of real-world case studies, actionable strategies, and an engaging panel discussion, this session is tailored to publishers who are ready to scale using assets they already own.
Don't let valuable assets sit idle—revitalize your backlist and unlock new revenue streams today!

The Established Publisher breakout sessions are intended for independent publishers who have an established business and experience in the industry, and are looking to successfully grow and scale their publishing company. (Generally you will have been in the publishing industry for at least four years, and have published more than ten titles.) Please note that if you are just starting out and you attend an Established Independent Publisher session you are auditing the class, and we ask that you not take up session time with beginner-level questions.

Grab some food, meet a few sponsors, and connect with your community!

Grab your food and join this candid discussion with room for everyone to contribute. We'll talk and share about how we are all impacted in an industry and culture that is pulling back from diversity commitments, and generate ideas for how we move forward by building trust, authenticity, and mutual learning within the publishing community to help diverse books reach the readers who need them.

Accessing Global Markets
With Edison Garcia

Explore the essential steps to identifying new markets beyond the USA and Canada, establishing international distribution partnerships, and launching new ventures.

Learning Objectives:
This session will focus on building regional alliances and collaborations in key markets such as Asia, India, Europe, the UK/EU, and Latin America. Participants will gain valuable insights into core concepts of global publishing, providing benefits for all professionals in the industry

The Established Publisher breakout sessions are intended for independent publishers who have an established business and experience in the industry, and are looking to successfully grow and scale their publishing company. (Generally you will have been in the publishing industry for at least four years, and have published more than ten titles.) Please note that if you are just starting out and you attend an Established Independent Publisher session you are auditing the class, and we ask that you not take up session time with beginner-level questions.

Succession Planning

With Faculty Alexa Bigwarfe and Miriam Warren, with moderator and host Renita Bryant.

Whether you're building a legacy or planning your next chapter, every publishing professional needs a solid exit strategy. In this practical, one-hour workshop, you'll learn how to prepare your business for retirement, sale, or the unexpected—with insights tailored to indie publishers and author-publishers.
Hosted and moderated by Renita Bryant of Mynd Matters Publishing, Miriam Warren (Director, the Fisher Company) and Alexa Bigwarfe (CEO, Founder, Write|Publish|Sell and the Women in Publishing Summit) will walk you through the key components of succession planning, from legal and financial must-haves to SOPs, contracts, and royalty management. You'll hear real-world examples (with a fun nod to Succession the show) and leave with actionable resources, checklists, and downloadable tools to future-proof your publishing empire. 

The Established Publisher breakout sessions are intended for independent publishers who have an established business and experience in the industry, and are looking to successfully grow and scale their publishing company. (Generally you will have been in the publishing industry for at least four years, and have published more than ten titles.) Please note that if you are just starting out and you attend an Established Independent Publisher session you are auditing the class, and we ask that you not take up session time with beginner-level questions.

Session Outline:

1. Introduction of the speakers and overview of goals of workshop - Renita - 5 mins
   
2. Overview of what succession planning is and the different pieces of it - Miriam - 10 mins
   
   1. Retirement, death, incapacitation, selling the business, gifting it
      
3. Legal & financial documents and things to have in place - what you need to do to prepare your business for succession - Alexa - 15 mins
   
   1. Wills
      
   2. SOPs
      
   3. Bank accounts
      
   4. Contracts
      
   5. Royalties
      
   6. Billing/payment methods
      
   7. passwords/logins
      
   8. insurance
      
4. Examples of other companies - bigger public and private - Miriam (throughout presentation)
   
5. Selling / gifting / preparing the company for sale - Miriam - 15 mins
   
   1. Process
      
6. Q&A - 15 mins - Renita moderating
   

Don't miss our closing session of raffle prizes and rapid-fire takeaways!