IBPA Publishing University 2025

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.

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.

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.