Edited and combined, here are two news releases from Digital Book World. – D.R.
Marketing costs are rising. Sales channels are shrinking. Google is looming. And now, politicians are entering the debate about book pricing. Are publishers ready for the future? And how about independent booksellers?
Digital Book World—with speakers from such companies as Razorfish, HarperCollins, Hachette, Random House, and even Google itself—will discuss new business models and other strategies that publishers and others can use to survive the book world’s transition to digital. The conference will take place January 26-27, 2010, in New York City.
What’s more, independent bookstores can benefit from a free Webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or 10 a.m. Pacific. Register here. HarperCollins executive Debbie Stier (left photo) will moderate a panel with three leading indie booksellers. The free Webinar will address such questions as: What effect will publishers selling direct to consumers have? Where do POD and e-books fit in the picture? How can social media be used to build a community, online and in-store?
You can also register now for the New York conference to be held in January at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, and, besides going to DigitalWorld.com, you can keep up via a blog and on Twitter at @DigiBookWorld. Like the Webinar, the conference is organized by F+W Media, publisher of Writer’s Digest among other publications. The conference will be of special interest to senior management, editors, agents, marketers, production and e-media experts and digital strategists. Chair of the conference advisory board is Mike Shatzkin, digital strategist with decades of book-related experience.
Opening keynoter will be Shiv Singh (photo), VP and Global Social Media Leader at Razorfish (honored as an Ad Age Media Maven).
Following the Singh speech, Dominique Raccah (Sourcebooks) will present a progress report on the innovative vertical community, PoetrySpeaks.com, Amanda Edmonds of Google will discuss books in “the cloud,” and Brian Napack of Macmillan will tackle the controversial issue of piracy and eBooks.
Second Day
Day Two of Digital Book World opens with “Today’s eBook Consumer,” offering an exclusive first look at 1st-Round Data from BISG’s Ongoing Survey of Consumer Attitudes Toward eBook Reading, with Angela Bole of the Book Industry Study Group and Kelly Gallagher of RR Bowker.
Raelene Gorlinsky (Ellora’s Cave) will offer insights gleaned from 10 years of being at the forefront of digital publishing, while Liza Daly (Threepress Consulting) will offer best practices for eBook creation. The morning will conclude with a provocative panel discussion on “The eBook Tipping Point,” moderated by Mike Shatzkin and featuring Ken Brooks (Cengage Learning), Michael Cader (Publisher’s Lunch), Larry Kirshbaum (LJKLiterary Agency), and Evan Schnittman (Oxford University Press).
Breakout sessions will focus on three critical areas of interest: “Evolving the Business Model”; “eBooks: Opportunity or Threat?”; and “Marketing in the Digital Age.”
Evolving the Business Model
New Business Models: Changing the Commercial Rules of Publishing
Richard Nash, Richard Nash Group; Eoin Purcell, Green Lamp Media; Chris Morrow, Northshire Bookstore; Diane Naughton, HarperCollins Children’
s Books
Back-Loaded Book Deals: No (and Low) Advance Contracts, Profit-Sharing and Other Innovative Business Models
Roger Cooper, Perseus Vanguard; Robert Miller, HarperStudio; Susan Ginsburg, Writer’s House
Getting Comfortable in the Niches: Reports from Publishers Working their Verticals
Brent Lewis, Harlequin; Reid Tracy, Hay House; Margo Baldwin, Chelsea Green
Selling Direct to the Consumer: Risks and Rewards and the Best Practices for Publishers
Rick Hunt, Sharedbook; Cory McCloud, Giant Chair; Sara Domville, F+W Media, Inc.
Tomorrow’s Book Contract: New Language and Provisions to Reflect New Conditions
Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Agency; Simon Lipskar, Writer’s House; John Schine , Penguin Group USA.
The Changing the Agent-Author Relationship: How it will Affect the Business Model
Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary; Scott Waxman, Waxman Literary Agency; Brian DiFiore, DeFiore and Company; Wendy Keller, Keller Media, Inc.
Synergizing the Book and Web: Books Plus In the 21st Century
Will Schwalbe, Cookstr; Lisa Holton, Fourth Story Media; Alison Norington, Author; Hillel Cooperman, Jackson Fish Market
Digital Tools: How the Sales and Marketing Process Is Changing
Noah Genner, Booknet Canada; John Rubin; Susan Ruszala, NetGalley; Peter Balis, John Wiley and Sons; Kim Reynolds, Ingram Content Group
eBooks: Opportunity or Threat?
Optimizing Ebooks: Cost Effective Enhancements, Updates, and Multimedia Options
Josh Koppel, ScrollMotion; Brad Inman, Vook; Andrew Malkin, Zinio
eBook Challenges: Competing with Free and Getting the Timing Right
eBook Pricing: What They Should Cost, and Why
Tim McCall, Penguin Group USA; Michael Tamblyn, Shortcovers; Kassia Kroszer, BookSquare
Getting on the Virtual Shelves: Untangling the Ebook Supply Chain
Neil DeYoung, Hachette Book Group; Peter Balis, John Wiley and Sons, Andrew Weinstein, Ingram Digital
Marketing in the Digital Age
How Publishers Can Build Their Own Communities: Using Social Media Tools
Pablo Defendini, Tor.com; Jesse McDougall, Catalyst Webworks; Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, F+W Media,
Teach Them to Fish: Empowering Authors to Market Themselves
Peter Clifton, FiledBy; Debbie Stier, HarperStudio; Matt Schwartz, Random House; Cecilia Tan, Circlet Press
Fundamentals of an Email List Management Strategy: Capturing and Utilizing Today’s Most Cost-Effective Asset
Eleanor Elliot, Harlequin; Rachel Chou, HarperCollins; Mitch Rubin, Applied Info Group
The New Farm System: Scouting Blogs and Self-Publishers for Commercial Books
Byrd Leavell, Waxman Literary Agency; Kate Lee, ICM; Sulay Hernandez, Simon & Schuster, Kate Hamill, Harper Perennial
Get Noticed! How to Earn Attention for Every Book
Christina Katz, Author; Yen Cheong, Penguin Group USA
Registration is now open for Digital Book World. Learn more about Digital Book World programs and events and register by November 20 for a discounted early rate to the Conference at digitalbookworld.com or follow @digibookworld on Twitter or join the Digital Book World group on LinkedIn.
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For more information, please contact:
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
212-447-1400 x12114
Twitter: @digibookworld
