IBPA Publishing University 2025

IBPA Publishing University 2025

1:00pm CDT

Preconference Workshop 3: Optimizing Amazon for Profit

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

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

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

10:00am CDT

Welcome First Timers! Learn How to Get the Most out of IBPA Publishing University

Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Full description to come.

Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone

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

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

11:00am CDT

Exhibit Hall Hours (meet our sponsors!)

Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 5:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Meet our sponsors in person!

Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Audience For This Session Everyone

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

Main Ballroom (During Breakout Session 1) - Ask the Experts and Meet our Sponsors!

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

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Ask-the-Experts consults (both one expert-with-one attendee and one expert-with-five attendees) will be happening in the main Colorado ballroom during Breakout 1, and you can chat with our sponsors as well.

Sign ups will be on-site, and will open on Friday May 16th at 10am by Registration.

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 Everyone

2:15pm CDT

Friday Afternoon Snack and Meet Our Sponsors!

Friday May 16, 2025 2:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Grab a snack, chat with some of our conference sponsors, and connect with your community!

Friday May 16, 2025 2:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone

3:00pm CDT

Main Ballroom (During Breakout Session 2) - Ask the Experts and Meet our Sponsors!

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

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Ask-the-Experts consults (both one expert-with-one attendee and one expert-with-five attendees) will be happening in the main Colorado ballroom during Breakout 2, and you can chat with our sponsors as well.

Sign ups will be on-site, and will open on Friday May 16th at 10am by Registration.

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 Everyone

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

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

6:00pm CDT

IBPA Book Awards Reception

Friday May 16, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

The 37th Annual IBPA Book Awards!
6:00-7:00pm Cocktail Reception
7:00-9:30pm Dinner and Ceremony
9:30-10:30pm Photos and After-Party

Friday May 16, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

IBPA Book Awards

Audience For This Session Everyone

7:00pm CDT

IBPA Book Awards Dinner and Ceremony

Friday May 16, 2025 7:00pm - 9:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

The 37th Annual IBPA Book Awards!
6:00-7:00pm Cocktail Reception
7:00-9:30pm Dinner and Ceremony
9:30-10:30pm Photos and After-Party

Finalists and judges receive a free ticket. Email terry@ibpa-online.org to arrange that, please. There is an additional fee to attend the dinner and ceremony.

Friday May 16, 2025 7:00pm - 9:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

IBPA Book Awards

Audience For This Session Everyone

9:30pm CDT

IBPA Book Awards After-Party and Photos

Friday May 16, 2025 9:30pm - 10:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

The 37th Annual IBPA Book Awards!
6:00-7:00pm Cocktail Reception
7:00-9:30pm Dinner and Ceremony
9:30-10:30pm Photos and After-Party

Finalists and judges receive a free ticket. Email terry@ibpa-online.org to arrange that, please. There is an additional fee to attend the dinner and ceremony.

Friday May 16, 2025 9:30pm - 10:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

IBPA Book Awards

Audience For This Session Everyone

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)

8:30am CDT

Exhibit Hall Hours (meet our sponsors!)

Saturday May 17, 2025 8:30am - 5:30pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Meet our sponsors in person!

Saturday May 17, 2025 8:30am - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Audience For This Session Everyone

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

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

10:40am CDT

Main Ballroom (During Breakout Session 3) - Ask the Experts and Meet our Sponsors!

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

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Ask-the-Experts consults (both one expert-with-one attendee and one expert-with-five attendees) will be happening in the main Colorado ballroom during Breakout 3, and you can chat with our sponsors as well.

Sign ups will be on-site, and will open on Friday May 16th at 10am by Registration.

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 Everyone

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

Main Ballroom (During Breakout Session 4) - Ask the Experts and Meet our Sponsors!

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

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Ask-the-Experts consults (both one expert-with-one attendee and one expert-with-five attendees) will be happening in the main Colorado ballroom during Breakout 4, and you can chat with our sponsors as well.

Sign ups will be on-site, and will open on Friday May 16th at 10am by Registration.

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 Everyone

2:40pm CDT

Saturday Afternoon Snack and Meet Our Sponsors!

Saturday May 17, 2025 2:40pm - 3:20pm CDT

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Grab a snack, chat with some of our conference sponsors, and connect with your community!

Saturday May 17, 2025 2:40pm - 3:20pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

Community Building

Audience For This Session Everyone

3:30pm CDT

Main Ballroom (During Breakout Session 5) - Ask the Experts and Meet our Sponsors!

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

Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront

Ask-the-Experts consults (both one expert-with-one attendee and one expert-with-five attendees) will be happening in the main Colorado ballroom during Breakout 5, and you can chat with our sponsors as well.

Sign ups will be on-site, and will open on Friday May 16th at 10am by Registration.

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 Everyone

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)