IBPA Publishing University 2025: Full Schedule

1:00pm CDT

Preconference Workshop 3: Optimizing Amazon for Profit

Thursday May 15, 2025 1:00pm - 5:00pm CDT

Optimizing Amazon for Profit
Ian Lamont

Amazon Ads. Kindle Direct Publishing. Amazon Advantage. No matter which way you turn, Amazon is always finding another way to take a bigger slice of the revenue pie ... and leave less for publishers. So how can publishers put some of that money back into their own pockets?

An experienced independent publisher and Amazon seller, Ian Lamont has deep experience with Amazon programs. While he doesn't have a magic wand, he has insights and best practices that can help everyone from independent authors to distributed publishers make more money from sales on Amazon.

Come prepared with your three biggest concerns about Amazon and your best listening skills. This fast-moving session will leave you with tons of notes and resources, and will feature an opportunity for on-the-spot evaluations of your own Amazon book listings.

Topics will include:

The 10 Commandments of Amazon
Detail Page Optimization for Books
Amazon Search Fundamentals
Best Practices for Amazon Ads
Navigating Dark Patterns on Amazon
Branding on Amazon, from A+ to Amazon Stores

Speakers

Ian Lamont

Founder, i30 Media Corporation

Ian Lamont is the founder of i30 Media Corporation (publisher of In 30 Minutes Guides) and Lean Media consulting. For more than 10 years, Ian has used a range of Amazon programs to grow his business, including Amazon Advertising, Amazon Seller Central, Amazon KDP, and Amazon Advantage... Read More →

Thursday May 15, 2025 1:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Preconference Workshops

Audience For This Session Everyone, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors), Start Strong Independent Publishers

1:00pm CDT

Preconference Workshop 4: Business Management

Thursday May 15, 2025 1:00pm - 5:00pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Business Management
Tieshena Davis and Maria Dismondy

Full session description to come.

Speakers

Tieshena Davis

CEO & Publisher, Publish Your Gift®

Tieshena Davis is the CEO of Publish Your Gift®, a hybrid publishing firm specializing in author branding for leaders at the top of their field. She is a seasoned award-winning entrepreneur, author and board director with over 24 years’ experience in strategic management, growth leadership, and corporate training. Tieshena... Read More →

Maria Dismondy

Publisher, Cardinal Rule Press

Maria Dismondy uses her experiences as a former educator and author for over a decade to work with writers on getting their messages into the world as the publisher at Cardinal Rule Press. Maria is the founder of Making Spirits Bright, a nonprofit dedicated to providing access to... Read More →

Thursday May 15, 2025 1:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Preconference Workshops

Audience For This Session Everyone, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors), Start Strong Independent Publishers

5:30pm CDT

Welcome Reception - Literature & Libations

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:30pm - 7:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Free reception for all conference attendees, as well as our MBPR and MIPA friends.

Come with a recommendation for an indie published book (published by someone else)!

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:30pm - 7:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors), Established Independent Publishers, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Executives and Key Staff

8:00am CDT

Small Group Breakfasts (additional fee)

Friday May 16, 2025 8:00am - 9:45am CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Come and join your peers for interactive small group breakfast meetups around topics you have a shared interest in!

List your top 3 topics when you sign up and get ready to make new friends. When you arrive, you can choose the table you'd like to sit at—and move around—according to topics posted at the various tables! (Be sure to bring business cards and/or be ready to share your contact information.)

We'll shuffle the room seating so you'll have the opportunity to join three different group discussions over the hour and 45 minutes.

While we wish we could offer this event for free, there is an additional fee of $65 to register for a small group breakfast, which only partly offsets the cost of food. (The breakfast buffet will have vegan options as well as gluten-free options.) You can sign up for the small group breakfast here.

Friday May 16, 2025 8:00am - 9:45am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors), Everyone, Established Independent Publishers, Start Strong Independent Publishers

11:00am CDT

Welcome and Opening Keynote: The Pillars of Publishing – Copyright and Freedom of Expression

Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

Our program begins!

Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, IBPA's CEO, will welcome everyone and introduce Maria A. Pallante for our opening keynote:

The Pillars of Publishing – Copyright and Freedom of Expression
The legal framework that supports the publishing industry has never been more important. Maria A. Pallante, President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, will discuss the bedrock principles that underpin the global publishing ecosystem: copyright and freedom of expression. The discussion will explore the landscape of copyright law and regulation, with a particular focus on exclusive rights of authors and publishers in their creative works, as well as the crucial role of freedom of speech and freedom to publish to our democracy and an informed citizenry.

Speakers

Maria A. Pallante

President and CEO, Association of American Publishers

Maria A. Pallante leads AAP’s strategic agenda and public policy portfolio, working with her talented team to advance and protect the laws that incentivize and protect creative and intellectual authorship. From 2011 to 2016, she served as Register of Copyrights and Director of the... Read More →

Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

Plenary

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

12:00pm CDT

Lunch & Meet Our Sponsors

Friday May 16, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT

Grab lunch and meet our sponsors!

Friday May 16, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

12:45pm CDT

Board Recognition

Friday May 16, 2025 12:45pm - 1:00pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Join us to thank our outgoing – and welcome our incoming – members of the IBPA Board of Directors.

Friday May 16, 2025 12:45pm - 1:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

1:15pm CDT

Breakout 1 (Author Publishers) - Your Brand and Value Proposition

Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Details and faculty to be announced.

The author publisher breakout sessions are intended for author publishers (a.k.a. self-published authors) who are creating and publishing their own works.

Speakers

Lindsy Bivens

Consultant & Publisher, The Author's Pen

Lindsy Bivens is a powerhouse consultant, publisher, and dynamic speaker who has empowered countless authors, entrepreneurs, and leaders to transform their stories into movements. As the visionary behind The Author’s Pen, LLC, Lindsy has personally guided over 100 authors and impacted... Read More →

Brandon Birkmeyer

Personal Branding Coach, Brands On Brands Consulting

Brandon is a personal branding specialist and a former Coca-Cola and Apple advertising executive with over 22 years of experience at Madison Avenue advertising agencies advising top FORTUNE 100 companies on brand strategy. In 2018, he launched the Brands On Brands podcast, which is... Read More →

Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

Audience For This Session Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

3:00pm CDT

Breakout 2 (Author Publishers) - Consumer Marketing

Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Consumer marketing
Juliet Wills and Django De Gree, II

Details to be announced.

The author publisher breakout sessions are intended for author publishers (a.k.a. self-published authors) who are creating and publishing their own works.

Speakers

Django De Gree, II

CEO, Author, Wrote By Me

Django De Gree is the CEO & Co-Founder of Wrote By Me and the author of I Hope You Wake Up. A visionary entrepreneur, Django is dedicated to revolutionizing the book publishing industry by empowering authors and publishers to sell directly to readers, keep more of their earnings... Read More →

Juliet Wills

VP Global Sales and Rights, Galaxy Press

Juliet Wills: I started in publishing while still in High School as the receptionist of a literary agency. Early in life I discovered a passion for inspiring our youth to read (I started as a reluctant reader myself, and with a great book fell in love with reading, so I know how important... Read More →

Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

Audience For This Session Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

4:15pm CDT

Friday Afternoon Keynote Panel: AI and Publishing - Opportunities, Challenges, and Transformation

Friday May 16, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

In this panel discussion moderated by Keith Riegert (President of the Stable Book Group and CEO of Perfect Bound), Mary Rasenberger (CEO of the Authors Guild), Amanda Zila, PhD (Co-Founder of Inkbloom), and Trip Adler (Founder and CEO of Created by Humans) will address the various opportunities, challenges, and transformations happening as AI impacts the publishing landscape.

Topics will include:

Acquisition management
Copyright protection
Fair use and ethical considerations
Licensing opportunities
Editorial, production, and marketing tools

These industry experts will provide their insights into the emerging technologies that are rapidly changing our industry. With ample time for Q&A, the audience will also have the opportunity to share and engage on these topics.

Speakers

Mary Rasenberger

CEO, The Authors Guild

Mary Rasenberger is the Chief Executive Officer of the Authors Guild. Prior to joining the Guild in November 2014, Mary practiced law for over 25 years in the areas of intellectual property, media and technology, with special expertise in copyright law. Most recently, Mary was a partner... Read More →

Trip Adler

Co-Founder & CEO, Created by Humans

Trip Adler is an entrepreneur and executive who has spent his career at the intersection of publishing and technology. He is the co-founder and CEO of Created by Humans, an AI Rights licensing platform that connects creators and AI companies. The company is dedicated to preserving... Read More →

Amanda Zila

Co-Founder & CEO, Inkbloom

Amanda Zila, PhD is the CEO and Co-Founder of Inkbloom, an AI software platform helping publishers make more efficient acquisition, editing, and marketing decisions. Her previous experience includes innovation consulting, technology transfer, and neuroscience research. In her free... Read More →

Keith Riegert

President / CEO, The Stable Book Group / Perfect Bound

Keith Riegert is the CEO of the SaaS platform, Perfect Bound, as well as the president of The Stable Book Group. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and is a member of the Board of Advisors and an adjunct professor at NYU’s Masters... Read More →

Friday May 16, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Plenary

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

8:30am CDT

Breakfast and Intentional Membership

Saturday May 17, 2025 8:30am - 9:00am CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

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

Saturday May 17, 2025 8:30am - 9:00am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

9:15am CDT

Saturday Morning Keynote Panel: Re-Thinking Business Models

Saturday May 17, 2025 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

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.

Speakers

Brooke Warner

Publisher, She Writes Press

Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press and SparkPress, president of Warner Coaching Inc., and author of Write On, Sisters!, Green-light Your Book, What's Your Book?, and three books on memoir. Brooke teaches memoir intensives online and in person, and publishes around 50 memoirs... Read More →

Angela Engel

Publisher & Founder, The Collective Book Studio

Angela Engel is the visionary founder of The Collective Book Studio, a publishing company committed to honoring the author’s voice throughout the entire creative process. With a rich background in traditional publishing, Angela has a keen eye for bringing beautifully crafted books... Read More →

Jonathan Merkh

President & Publisher, Forefront Books

Jonathan Merkh is a seasoned publishing executive with over 30 years of experience in the book industry. Throughout his career, he has worked with a diverse range of authors, including Brad Paisley, Glenn Beck, Dave Ramsey, and the Robertson family from Duck Dynasty, helping to turn... Read More →

Dr. Ayo Sekai

Founder, CEO & Publisher, Universal Write Publications

Dr. Ayo Sekai stands as a force in academia, championing equity, intellectual rigor, and the amplification of Black scholarship. With over 20 years of groundbreaking leadership in publishing, she is the visionary Founder, CEO, and Publisher of Universal Write Publications, LLC (UWP... Read More →

Saturday May 17, 2025 9:15am - 10:30am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Plenary

Audience For This Session Everyone, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors), Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers

10:40am CDT

Breakout 3 (Author Publishers) - Author to Thought Leader to Publicist-in-chief: You as a Speaker

Saturday May 17, 2025 10:40am - 12:10pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Author to Thought Leader to Publicist-in-chief: You as a Speaker
Jeniffer Thompson and Mary Catherine Jones

Details to be announced.

The author publisher breakout sessions are intended for author publishers (a.k.a. self-published authors) who are creating and publishing their own works.

Speakers

Jeniffer Thompson

Creative Director, Monkey C Media

Jeniffer Thompson is the founder of Monkey C Media, an award-winning book cover and author website design house since 2004. She is also a personal branding coach, book marketing strategist, and publishing consultant. She is the host of The Premise podcast, co-founder of the San Diego... Read More →

MaryCatherine Jones

Owner, Executive Producer, The Audiobook Experience

ABOUT MEHi everyone! I am Mary Catherine, Owner and Executive Producer at The Audiobook Experience at Voice Over Vermont, LLC - a boutique audiobook production company. I delight in working with authors to bring their stories into the world, either using their voices or finding the... Read More →

Saturday May 17, 2025 10:40am - 12:10pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

Audience For This Session Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

12:15pm CDT

Lunch and Meet Our Sponsors!

Saturday May 17, 2025 12:15pm - 1:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

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

Saturday May 17, 2025 12:15pm - 1:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

12:30pm CDT

Diversity in Publishing Roundtable Discussion

Saturday May 17, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

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.

Saturday May 17, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

1:40pm CDT

Breakout 4 (Author Publishers) - Data-Driven Decisions for Author Publishers

Saturday May 17, 2025 1:40pm - 2:40pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Data-Driven Decisions for Author Publishers

Faculty and details to be announced.

The author publisher breakout sessions are intended for author publishers (a.k.a. self-published authors) who are creating and publishing their own works.

Speakers

Leigh Pierce

Key Account Sales Manager, Ingram Content Group

Leigh Pierce is a Key Accounts Sales Manager at IngramSpark, part of Ingram Content Group, and has been with the company for seven years. She started her career in Customer Support, where she quickly moved through the ranks before transitioning to the Sales team. As a Key Account... Read More →

Crystal Hardison

Business Development Manager, IngramSpark

Crystal J. Hardison is the US Business Development Manager at IngramSpark, part of Ingram Content Group. With several years of experience developing and maintaining partnerships in commercial and not-for-profit industries, she specializes in developing strategic partnerships for organizations... Read More →

Saturday May 17, 2025 1:40pm - 2:40pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

Audience For This Session Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

3:30pm CDT

Breakout 5 (Author Publishers) - Cover Design Live Critique Panel

Saturday May 17, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Cover Design Live Critique Panel!

Details to be announced.

The author publisher breakout sessions are intended for author publishers (a.k.a. self-published authors) who are creating and publishing their own works.

Speakers

CB Messer

Artist, CB Messer Illustration & Design

CB Messer is an Air Force veteran and award-winning illustrator and designer whose work has been featured by the American Red Cross, private enterprises throughout the tech and artisan communities, and U.S. Armed Forces units across the globe. Known for her evocative and mindful approach... Read More →

Lacey L. Bakker

Owner/Publisher, Pandamonium Publishing House

Lacey L. Bakker is a best-selling author and founder of Pandamonium Publishing House, an independent publishing company that has been helping authors bring their stories to life for nearly a decade. Lacey has a proven track record of guiding authors through every step of the process... Read More →

Paul Nylander

Book Designer, Illustrada Design

Melding a passion for design, printmaking, and photography with a background in science and engineering, Paul Nylander loves creating unique, well-crafted, and intriguing books. Collaborating with authors, artists, businesses, and small publishers, he attentively adapts their visions... Read More →

Claudine Mansour

Creative Director/Owner, Claudine Mansour Design

Claudine Mansour is a graphic designer specializing in publishing, marketing, logo, website, and music design. She’s been a publishing Art Director for the last 30 years working for all of the Big Five US publishing companies designing both fiction and nonfiction book covers and... Read More →

Saturday May 17, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

Audience For This Session Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)

4:40pm CDT

Closing Session and Raffle

Saturday May 17, 2025 4:40pm - 5:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

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

Saturday May 17, 2025 4:40pm - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone, Start Strong Independent Publishers, Established Independent Publishers, Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)