Angela Bole

Happy November, IBPA members! It’s time to get online.

Almost a year ago, on Dec. 19, 2016, IBPA revealed an updated, user-friendly web portal for its 3,000 members. The online portal, called SocialLink, offers IBPA members the ability to build detailed member profiles and connect with one another across an integrated online networking platform. Increased community collaboration links members with relevant discussion forums, experts, and member benefits. It’s very cool, but, as with everything, it only works if you use it.

For this issue of Director’s Desk, I’m extending a personal invitation (perhaps a challenge!) to those of you who haven’t engaged with SocialLink yet. I’d love to see you online before the end of 2017. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Update your MEMBER PROFILE so others know who you are and the level of expertise you bring to the table.
• Join an ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUP and start asking your own questions, as well as commenting on others.
• Build your CONNECTIONS so more people see your updates and can communicate with you.

If you’re new to SocialLink, we’ve posted several short instructional videos online here. They’re worth checking out. Then, you can log in with your username and password by visiting ibpa-online.site-ym.com/login.

The power built into SocialLink provides like-minded IBPA members the ability to share information and work together toward goals they couldn’t achieve alone. When used, this moves us closer to IBPA’s vision of a world where every independent publisher has the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage in all aspects of the publishing industry.

So, I hope to see you online soon, where perhaps you’ll make me your very first CONNECTION. If you have questions in the meantime, I’m reachable—as always—at angela@ibpa-online.org

Just before Angela Bole became IBPA’s Chief Executive Officer, she was Deputy Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG), which fosters conversation and consensus across all sectors of the book business. Before that, Angela served for two years as BISG’s Associate Director and two years as its Marketing and Communications Manager.

Angela Bole

It’s been a couple years, so in this month’s Director’s Desk, I thought I’d pull the curtain back on a recent IBPA Board of Directors meeting.

IBPA’s board is a 14-person leadership team—13 voting members, plus the chair—tasked with setting the association’s strategic direction and managing its cash reserves. IBPA’s board held its annual face-to-face meeting Aug. 17-18, 2017, in Redondo Beach, California. Over the course of the meeting, the board:

• Received a refresher on the board’s roles and responsibilities, including:
  • setting strategic direction for the association,
  • ensuring and protecting the association’s resources, and
  • hiring and evaluating the CEO.
• Reviewed and confirmed IBPA’s strategic objectives for fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018), including:
  • advocating for independent publishing within the broader publishing community,
  • developing and promoting best practices in independent book publishing,
  • evaluating and promoting services and benefits for IBPA members, and
  • growing and retaining a diverse and inclusive membership base.
• Received an update on IBPA’s financials from IBPA Treasurer Ian Lamont (Publisher, i30 Media).
• Discussed and accessed the viability of several key IBPA member benefit programs, including IBPA’s trade show programs and IBPA Independent magazine, in relation to the following three factors:
  • degree to which the program provides a strong member benefit,
  • degree to which the program bolsters IBPA’s name and reputation in the industry, and
  • degree to which the program generates revenue to help run the association.
• Heard a report from IBPA Member Benefits Committee Chair Joshua Tallent (Director of Outreach & Education, Firebrand Technologies), including a proposal for three new member benefits and a discussion on how IBPA might approach the growing number of paid book review programs in relation to offering them as official IBPA member benefits. Historically, IBPA has not endorsed paid book review services. During this meeting, the board moved to allow the Member Benefits Committee the ability to consider paid book review programs as part of the overall member benefits recommendation process.
• Heard a report from IBPA Advocacy Committee Chair Brooke Warner (Publisher, She Writes Press), including an update on Amazon’s policy allowing third parties to “win” the official Buy Button.
• Brainstormed ideas for ensuring maximum engagement at IBPA Publishing University 2018, scheduled for April 6-7, 2018, in Austin, Texas.
• Heard a report on the current state of IBPA membership, including strategies for recruiting new members and tactics to safeguard membership renewals.

At the next IBPA meeting, board members will continue their review of IBPA’s strategic objectives and current member benefit programs with the goal of fortifying IBPA’s spot as the No. 1 trade association for professional independent publishers.

Just before Angela Bole became IBPA’s Chief Executive Officer, she was Deputy Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG), which fosters conversation and consensus across all sectors of the book business. Before that, Angela served for two years as BISG’s Associate Director and two years as its Marketing and Communications Manager.

Angela Bole

As you read through the September 2017 issue of IBPA Independent magazine, I invite you to consider what you do each year to inspire and motivate yourself to innovate and move forward in your chosen profession of publishing. In other words, what are you doing to stay on "the reading edge?"

If you’re not able to quickly rattle off one or two things, I recommend putting some thought into it. Your response will help keep burnout at arm’s length. For me, the answer to finding inspiration and avoiding burnout comes each year in the form of the American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) Annual Meeting, which I attended last month along with the rest of IBPA’s office staff.

Just as IBPA is an association for independent publishers like you, ASAE is an association for association executives like IBPA’s staff. And, just as IBPA Publishing University is an event tasked with inspiring and educating the independent publishing community, of which you’re a part, the ASAE Annual Meeting is an event tasked with inspiring and educating the association management community, of which IBPA is a part.

I’m a firm believer in what ASAE calls "The Power of A." This is the power associations like IBPA and ASAE have to positively impact the professions they serve. In virtually every business sector and across the country, associations mobilize millions whose expertise and challenging work collectively create stronger communities and business practices. I can’t image an independent publisher not wanting to be part of the IBPA community, just as I can’t image not being part of my association management community through ASAE.

But back to inspiration and motivation.

During last month’s ASAE Annual Meeting, I wrote down three to-dos that I wanted to share in homage to the IBPA motto of "helping each other achieve and succeed." Perhaps one of these to-dos will prove as valuable to your work as I anticipate they’ll be to mine. I hope so!

Read Chris Bailey’s The Productivity Project (ISBN: 978-1101904039). Bailey presented on his "year of productivity," during which he used himself as a guinea pig to explore how to become as productive as possible. It was funny and practical, and I think I have a lot to learn. Check out the book here.

Explore the degree to which my work is a harmonious passion vs. an obsessive passion. Daniel Learner, a professor of psychology at New York University, revealed the ways our passions can open doors and inspire us (harmonious passion), but also lead to poorer well-being through long hours and an obsessive need to be the best (obsessive passion). It was heartfelt and introspective and gave the audience a lot to think about. Take a look at his website for more of his insights and join us at IBPA Publishing University, April 6-7, 2018 in Austin, Texas, where Daniel will provide the keynote address.

Double down on servant leadership. I’ve long expressed to the IBPA staff my belief that the essence of leadership is service. I was thrilled, then, to hear at least half a dozen speakers reference the ideas first shared in Robert Greenleaf’s book, Servant Leadership (ISBN: 978-0809105540). Here we learn that servant leadership is about identifying and meeting the needs of colleagues, customers (I call them members), and communities above the needs of one’s quest for power and privilege. A welcome lesson to continue exploring in today’s age. See greenleaf.org.

Just before Angela Bole became IBPA’s Chief Executive Officer, she was Deputy Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG), which fosters conversation and consensus across all sectors of the book business. Before that, Angela served for two years as BISG’s Associate Director and two years as its Marketing and Communications Manager.

Angela Bole

Welcome to the August 2017 conference issue of IBPA Independent magazine! In this issue, you’ll find numerous articles to help you navigate a year of events.

For terrific tips and tricks for conference attendance, check out Joshua Tallent’s "Musings of a Conference Veteran." Or, if your interests are more locally inclined, Deb Vanasse provides great insight into regional programs in "Publishing Gatherings: The Power of Small."

Of course, with all this conference talk, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you about the annual IBPA Publishing University, scheduled for April 6-7, 2018, in Austin, Texas.

Whether you’re looking for introductory learning on new-to-you topics or hunting for strategic approaches to new challenges, IBPA Publishing University is the place for you. If you attend, you’ll advance your publishing program through 30+ individual sessions including panel discussions, experiential learning labs, insightful keynotes, a gala book award ceremony, fun networking events, and much more.

It may seem early to plan for April 2018, but it isn’t. Last year, the IBPA Publishing University sold out by January, and we had to negotiate a waitlist that kept dozens of people from attending. As this conference is one of the only times we’re able to bring members face-to-face each year, having to turn people away was no fun at all. If you register early, however, this won’t be a problem for you. In addition, you’ll save 15 percent off the general registration fee by being an "early bird." It’s a win-win.

Over the next couple of months, you might also consider submitting a speaker proposal or applying for a scholarship to attend. Speaker proposals are accepted until Oct. 1, 2017 here and the scholarship application is available until Nov. 30, 2017 here. It would be our pleasure to consider you for either opportunity.

As always, I remain at your disposal should you have questions about IBPA Publishing University … or anything at all. Please let me know how I can help at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Just before Angela Bole became IBPA’s Chief Executive Officer, she was Deputy Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG), which fosters conversation and consensus across all sectors of the book business. Before that, Angela served for two years as BISG’s Associate Director and two years as its Marketing and Communications Manager.

Angela Bole

Last month, IBPA published an open letter about the March 1 Amazon policy change that makes it possible for third-party sellers to compete for the Buy Box for books. As this issue is ongoing, I wanted to take some time in this month’s Director’s Desk to update you on reactions and additional thoughts that circulated immediately after our open letter dropped.

In case you’re not visualizing the Buy Box in your mind, it looks like this:

When you go to a product page on Amazon, the “Add to Cart” Buy Box is the default option. Additional options fall below the Buy Box, a bit out of the way and not always known to consumers. Where books are concerned, the default Buy Box has always belonged to the publisher. When you buy a book, Amazon pays the publisher 45 percent of the list price. This means a consumer’s purchase is supporting the entity that published the book, namely the publisher, and authors are making a profit (albeit small) every time a consumer buys because the publisher is paying an author royalty for each sale.

Now Amazon is offering that priority spot to third-party sellers, relegating the publisher button to a far less favorable position, below the landing page screen line, often last in a list of third-party sellers offering the book for a significantly lower cost in addition to free shipping.

See the following example:

IBPA believes Amazon’s policy change, allowing third-party sellers to compete for the Buy Box for books in “new condition,” hurts authors and publishers. And it’s not just us. Here is how a May 10, 2017, article in the New Republic entitled “Amazon Steps Up Its Battle with the Book Industry” described the problem:

"To qualify, third-party sellers have to sell new books and meet certain criteria involving price, availability, and delivery time. The rub is that these third-party sellers have not always purchased books from publishers—they sometimes are selling remainders or advance copies. Publishers—including some very, very large ones like Penguin Random House—are now desperately figuring out the sources of these sellers’ books. They are worried that publishers and authors may not be paid from all sales."

Where might these third-party sellers be getting the books they sell that don’t result in author compensation? Any number of ways, including donated books, closeout sales, sidewalk sellers, remainder and overstock dealers, “hurts” from distributor stock, stolen books, and promo copies and ARCs.

After Publishers Weekly’s May 9, 2017, article, "New Amazon Buy Button Program Draws Ire of Publishers, Authors," we finally heard directly from an Amazon spokesperson on the issue. The spokesperson wrote to PW to insist that books obtained in one of the ways described above wouldn’t qualify because the books must be “new.” Here is how Amazon says they define new:

"What Amazon defines as new is found in its guidelines as: 'brand-new, unused, unread copy in perfect condition. The dust cover and original protective wrapping, if any, is intact. All supplementary materials are included and all access codes for electronic material, if applicable, are valid and/or in working condition.'"

The problem is that Amazon does nothing to enforce the “new” policy. The entity that gets to declare that the book is “new,” by simply choosing the “new” option, one assumes, is the third-party seller. Anyone in the book industry for any length of time knows that other categories of books are rampant.

Karla Olson, director at Patagonia Books, said, "We received a comment on one of our books that it was riddled with typos, and the captions were all the same for the second half of the book. It took us a few reads to figure out that the customer had bought, as 'new,' an ARC, from Amazon. As you can imagine, the best quality is key here, and we take these comments very seriously. I ended up sending the guy a copy of the actual book, but he was misled."

And Cynthia Frank, president at Cypress House, pointed out another problem. "We’ve learned that some of the third-party sellers who have won our Buy Boxes are actually fly-by-night sellers who’ve only been in business a few months. Some likely don’t have even a single copy. On various listservs and forums, including LinkedIn, I’ve read that some customers pay for a book, but it never arrives. Amazon, because they take good care of their customers (as opposed to their vendors), ends up holding the bag and has to pay out a refund."

If there’s been any pushback against the new Buy Box policy being a problem, it comes from people, authors and publishers included, who strongly support used book sales and the legitimacy of the first-sale doctrine.

IBPA doesn’t agree, however, that being against the new Buy Box policy is the same thing as being against the used book market. We all know there’s a market for used books and that this market is out of the publisher’s control and produces no revenue. There’s nothing new there.

The issue is the Buy Box placement and authority and the instances of piracy that the policy change supports. Consumers have come to assume Amazon’s big orange buy button offers the spanking-new-from-the-publisher book. In the past, it did. Now, it won’t (necessarily).

According to Ian Lamont, founder at i30 Media, in a written statement, "Even before the policy change, there were several recent cases of counterfeit paperbacks being commingled with legitimate inventory at an Amazon warehouse (as reported by No Starch Press) and taking over the buy box (which happened to author Dave Burgess). Knock-offs taking over the Buy Box has been a massive issue for manufacturers for several years (see this Forbes article and this online discussion), and it’s clear that Amazon can’t control this new it. If they can’t solve the counterfeit problem."

If Amazon cared about publishers, it would have given publishers guidelines and maybe even a first pass at winning the Buy Box. They didn’t. For this reason, and all the reasons above, IBPA will continue to research and monitor the situation and inform our members of any changes to the policy. In the meantime, I’d love to know of your experiences with this issue. Please e-mail me at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

Peter Goodman, chair of the IBPA Board of Directors and president of Stone Bridge Press, completes his six years of service on the IBPA board in June 2017.

In appreciation of Peter's longstanding support of the association, we were privileged to honor him on April 7, 2017, as part of IBPA’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Members, held during Publishing University in Portland, Oregon. In addition to hearing him speak about his vision for ways to improve the retail book-buying environment for consumers, we presented Peter with a commemorative desk clock engraved with the following:

IBPA BOARD SERVICE YEARS: 2011-2017
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened." —Buddha
Thank you, Peter, for graciously and unselfishly sharing your light. By all measures, the IBPA community has improved immensely under your watch.

It's been an honor to work with and learn from Peter over the three years I’ve been executive director, then CEO of IBPA. As a leader, Peter listens to and tries to understand your vision and goals, then he does all he can to clear a path toward your success—a model to emulate. The gift of appreciation presented to him at the annual meeting was a small, but heartfelt, token of gratitude for all he’s done to support and foster a professional independent publishing community.

Outgoing IBPA chair, Peter Goodman (left), with incoming IBPA chair, Rob Price (right) at the 2017 IBPA Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon.

Taking the position of board chair when Peter vacates on June 30, 2017 is Rob Price of Price World Publishing and Gatekeeper Press. Rob began his service on the board of directors in 2014. Since 2015, he has served as treasurer of the board. Rob’s one-year term starts on July 1, 2017, and is renewable for an additional year. He can be reached at RPrice@PriceWorldPublishing.com.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

In this month’s Director’s Desk, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the newest member of the IBPA team, our Administrative Assistant Caitlin Walker.

As most members know, it’s the helpful and knowledgeable office staff that bring an IBPA membership to life. I invite you to join me in welcoming Caitlin to her new position with IBPA where she’ll be first on hand to help answer your questions and guide you through the IBPA community.

Below Caitlin answers some get-to-know-you questions, but you should also feel free to reach out to her directly at caitlin@ibpa-online.org. She’s happy to help!

4 Questions for IBPA’s Caitlin Walker

What were you doing before you joined IBPA?

"After graduating college, I spent a few years living in a handful of cities on the East Coast. I met lots of diverse people while experiencing different lifestyles and locations. My work included an internship at PEN American Center in New York City, a policy position at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and a slew of server and barista jobs. After taking a road trip across the country to get back to California, I spent the next few months freelance writing, modeling, and developing other creative projects."

What made you want to work for an organization like IBPA?

"IBPA allows me to combine my passion for literature with my desire to help others in my community. I have so much admiration for the independent publishing community and believe that helping each other is the most essential thing we can do to ensure success. The cooperative spirit that IBPA embodies, its dedication to its members, and the hard work put in by everyone involved creates an organization that I am proud to be part of."

Which IBPA projects are you most excited about?

"I am very excited to be attending Publishing University this year. After spending the last two months learning about and engaging with the IBPA community from our office, it will be wonderful to get to meet so many of our members in person. The event also embodies the connectedness that IBPA works to create, and I am looking forward to hearing our incredible list of speakers. Plus, I can’t wait for my first trip to Portland!"

Who inspires you?

"I’m inspired by everything from Yellowstone National Park to crowdfunded novels, Frida Kahlo to particularly clever memes. As I get older, empathy and action are two things that not only inspire me, but reassure me. The idea of kindness as a verb is something that resonates with me. I’m fascinated by other people and tend to make strong connections. My interpersonal relationships have given me the strength and inspiration I’ve needed to grow."

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

This month, we pay tribute to Gene Schwartz, a past IBPA board member and treasurer (1990-1994), as well as a dear friend to many of us in the publishing industry. Gene passed away on Jan. 30, 2017. He was 90 years old.

I first met Gene 12 years ago when I worked for the Book Industry Study Group in New York City. At the time, he reported on the publishing industry for several periodicals including Book Business magazine and Foreword Reviews. We spent time together at conferences and cocktail receptions, committee meetings, and advisory boards. He was always clear thinking, supportive, and positive. When I was hired as the executive director of IBPA back in 2013, Gene was one of the first to call with congratulations. He understood that good business is built on community connections—and he kept his connections strong.

Several years ago, Gene moved back to Del Mar, California, a place where he’d spent a great deal of time in his youth. During his first year back, IBPA’s COO Terry Nathan and I met him for lunch in Manhattan Beach. I remember him being as enthusiastic about the independent publishing community as ever. We discussed his work with Consortium House, a publishing consultancy he launched nearly 40 years ago, and his thoughts about the important position indies continue to hold in the overall publishing industry. I left lunch inspired and ready to dig into my work with improved focus.

Gene Schwartz (right) with the founder and publisher of Foreword Reviews, Victoria Sutherland (left). "He was the reason we started Foreword. And our biggest supporter," Victoria said.

Good mentors are hard to find. For many of us, Gene was a great one. I hope you will enjoy the following tribute to his life and legacy and thank IBPA’s managing editor, Alexa Schlosser, for preparing it. As always, your personal thoughts are welcome at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Gene Schwartz: ‘Publishing Maven, Publishing Maverick’

“Starting out in the book production department of Random House, he spent many years overseeing the production departments of many major publishing companies. However, his interest in the book publishing business far exceeded his role in production. He became a board member of PMA, the group that would eventually become IBPA, and began writing articles and columns about the business for many trade journals.”

His latest venture, Worthy Shorts, gave Gene the opportunity to use the skills he’d acquired throughout the years to guide writers and publishers through the business of creating, selling, and marketing books.

“His love of the business was obvious,” Shur says.

A Passion for Publishing

That love of the publishing business shined through in Gene’s endless drive and positivism. Bill Gladstone of Waterside Productions especially admired his friend’s curiosity. “He was still learning right up to his 90s and introducing me to new trends in book publishing,” he says.

“Gene loved books,” says Joel Gordonson, an author and friend of Gene’s. “He shared that love with everyone he met. His life was devoted to producing the printed paper and screens that we love to hold in our hands and read for a richer life. Every time I saw him talk about format, production deadlines, pricing, and all manner of things involved in publishing books, he all but rolled up his sleeves at the exciting prospect of all the facets that would come into play in getting a manuscript to market.”

Gene was simply too excited to retire, and he knew he had too much to share to let it go to waste. “He was the consummate networker,” says former IBPA board member Marcella Smith. “[Gene was] constantly working on behalf of his clients helping them make the connections they would need to advance their work.”

Insightful and Kind

People didn’t come to Gene for advice just because he’d been in the industry for so long; he had a way of thinking about the industry that was especially thoughtful. Plus, he was incredibly kind.

“He was always ready with a smile, a word of advice, and questions that made me think—and re-think,” says Florrie Binford Cooper, former IBPA president and publisher of Patria Press Inc. “Gene covered independent publishing as a journalist from its inception, and his insights and perspectives were invaluable.”

Terri Boekhoff of Rudi Publishing continues: “Was there an aspect of independent publishing that he did not touch? In any endeavor, his quiet, thoughtful demeanor brought objectivity and innovation. Ever mindful of other’s points of view, kindness, and civility, any discussion was better by having his participation.”

On the Cutting Edge

It might be hard to believe that someone who had been around the publishing industry for so long could keep up with—and be eager about—modern trends, but Gene certainly was.

“I recall his enthusiasm for e-books starting as early as 2004,” says former IBPA board member Dan Snow. “This seemed remarkable to me [because of his] age at the time.”

Gladstone agrees: “When he started Worthy Shorts in his late 80s, I was amazed that he was still on the cutting edge of both the book publishing industry and the new internet-based technologies that have and continue to transform book publishing over the last 20 years.”

In addition to technological advances, Gene was also ahead of the curve on the rise of independent publishing. “[He] predicted the indie publishing boom well before the Big Six in NYC caught on,” Snow says.

But not only did he predict it, he was highly supportive of independents.

“He was a real committed advocate of small presses and contributed so much knowledge,” says former IBPA President Don Tubesing."He was the first person I shared my idea for Foreword magazine with," says Victoria Sutherland, founder and publisher of Foreword Reviews. "After grilling me for three hours about our intentions to celebrate indies in a new way, he ended the meeting with a request to join us."

Forever Inspiring

The publishing world will miss Gene, but his accomplishments and inspiring presence will live on. “He will be with us always through the inspiration he has provided and through our continued dedication to the world of books and knowledge,” Gladstone says.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

I know, I know. Most of you didn’t enter the business of publishing because of a love for operations. You entered this business to share ideas, to reach people with the written word—perhaps to change the world. Mastering metadata and managing contractors wasn’t tops on your list.

Even so, anyone in this business for any length of time learns the value of operations. There are no guarantees, but one thing’s for sure: Solid attention to operational matters must certainly be in place if success is to be possible. In other words, and as noted in the subhead of this issue’s cover story, “having a good product is important, but if you don’t implement sound management practices, your business will flounder.”

To get you thinking along these lines, we’ve packed this issue with advice and anecdotes. I’ve already mentioned Deb Vanasse’s in-depth cover story, “Organizational Value”, where she discusses business structures, working relationships, accounting, royalties, and more. You’ll also find Helen Sedwick’s piece, “Navigating the Legal Landscape of Manuscript Reviews” and a look at the state of ethnically diverse characters in children’s books in “Where Are the Ethnically Diverse Characters in Children’s Books?” by Paul Dixon.

For my part, I wanted to leave you with a short list of books that have contributed to my professional education over the past 15 years. I hope this list is helpful and that you’ll e-mail me at angela@ibpa-online.org with your additional suggestions. Together we help each other achieve and succeed!

Book Recommendations

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

by Eric Ries (ISBN 978-0307887894)

Why it’s great: Eric Ries defines a start-up as “an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty.” By this definition, every book published is a start-up that could benefit from leveraging creativity more effectively. This book helps you understand how.

Publishing for Profit: Successful Bottom-Line Management for Book Publishers (5th Edition)

by Thomas Woll (ISBN 978-1556529979)

Why it’s great:As Dominique Raccah, Publishers Weekly’s 2016 Person of the Year and Publisher at Sourcebooks, wrote, “[This book] is as close to an operations manual for a book publishing company as can be found.”

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

by Jen Sincero (ISBN 978-0762447695)

Why it’s great:This is just great fun. Although not specifically a business book, its ability to help you better understand your motivations will certainly apply to your business—especially if you’re self-employed.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It

by Michael E. Gerber (ISBN 978-0887307287)

Why it’s great:This has been one of my favorites for over a decade. In it, Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the “guiding light of all businesses that succeed.” A must-read for anyone looking to expand their business without knowing exactly how.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

In just three short months, IBPA members will gather in Portland, Oregon, for our annual Publishing University. The conference is scheduled for April 7-8, 2017, with special pre-conference sessions on April 6, and registration is open at publishinguniversity.org. Will you be there?

Whether you’re looking for introductory learning on new-to-you topics or hunting for strategic approaches to new challenges, I truly believe Publishing University is the place for you. You’ll press fast forward on your publishing program with nearly 30 educational sessions, including experiential learning labs, an insightful keynote speaker, a gala book award ceremony, fun networking events, and so much more.

Introducing Jane Friedman

Last month, I was thrilled to announce the official keynote address for Publishing University 2017: a fun and informative discussion with Jane Friedman.

Jane Friedman

Jane has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She’s the co-founder and editor of The Hot Sheet (hotsheetpub.com), the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. She has been interviewed and featured by NPR, PBS, The Washington Post, the National Press Club, and many other outlets.

In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com (200,000 visits per month). She’s delivered keynotes on the digital era of authorship at the San Francisco Writers Conference, The Muse & The Marketplace, and Willamette Writers Conference, among many others. She speaks regularly at industry events such as BookExpo and Digital Book World, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund.

Her essays have been published in anthologies by the University of Chicago Press, Seal Press, Milkweed Editions, and McPherson & Co. She has a book forthcoming from the University of Chicago Press, The Business of Being a Writer (2017).

A Preview of Other Attractions

In addition to Jane Friedman’s address, Publishing University 2017 will host nearly 30 breakout sessions, a special cocktail hour called Literature & Libations, one-on-one consultations with industry experts, a gala book awards program, IBPA’s Annual Members Meeting luncheon, and—for the first time anywhere—a screening of the new documentary Word Slingers: The Story of Self-Publishing. There truly will be something for everyone.

Of course, my door is always open to your thoughts and feedback. Please feel free to e-mail me any time at angela@ibpa-online.org to let me know how to make your Publishing University experience the best it can be. I remain at your disposal and look forward to seeing you in Portland!

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

Happy December, IBPA members! I hope you’re flowing into the new year with friends and family and a good feeling about all you’ve accomplished in 2016.

For this issue of Director’s Desk, I wanted to extend a personal invitation to next year’s Publishing University conference, scheduled for April 7-8, 2017, in Portland, Oregon (with pre-conference activities all day on April 6).

Publishing University is the one time each year that IBPA members come together to learn from and network with one another. It’s the highlight of our year, and I couldn’t head into 2017 without providing a little background for those who aren’t familiar with it yet.

Ali Shaw of Indigo Editing checks out the IBPA welcome table while Amanda Bullock of Wordstock and Kristin Walrod converse.

Why Publishing University?

I know there are literally hundreds of book conferences you could attend next year, mostly filled with information that’s irrelevant to small presses and self-published authors. That’s why IBPA created Publishing University. For nearly three decades, IBPA’s Publishing University has been the indie publishing community’s must-attend networking and educational event. Why? Because our expert speakers understand how to start, grow, and succeed in publishing's new world—and they can't wait to share what they know with you.

Publishers, editors, and authors converged at the IBPA happy hour in celebration of Publishing University at the Benson in Portland, Oregon.

Interested in More Information?

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

After consultation with this magazine’s Editorial Advisory Committee, a good deal of effort went into building an issue focusing on all aspects of planning for and attending the book publishing industry’s best meetings and conventions. I hope you will save this issue and refer back to it as needed.

If you’re a self-published author just starting out, Smashwords’ Jim Azevedo’s article, “10 Tips for Conquering an Industry Conference,” should provide the 101-support you need to tackle your first year of conference attendance in a way that prioritizes your time and success.

For the more established indie presses, Victoria Sutherland of Foreword Reviews breaks down the Chinese publishing market. While book markets in the West are flat or declining, China is still experiencing phenomenal growth … and there’s no reason for US indie presses to be left out in the cold. IBPA partners with Foreword Reviews to ensure member representation at the Beijing Book Fair and the China Children’s Book Fair in Shanghai. Contact Member Benefits Liaison Joanne Kenny at joanne@ibpa-online.org for more information.

And who isn’t budget conscious nowadays? Not us! At IBPA, we consider our conference participation very carefully, and we know you do, too. That’s why we included Nielsen Book’s Kristen McLean’s creative strategies for investing in the right publishing events for you.

For my part, as I considered what this Director’s Desk should focus on to pay tribute to a meetings and conventions issue, I fell on it right away: IBPA’s member committees. For those who don't know, IBPA hosts a growing list of committees that connect the association with the attitudes, expectations, and real-world needs of its members. In addition to the Board of Directors, IBPA currently supports three governance-focused committees and two member-focused committees.

These committees represent, involve, and serve the members. They also provide an important training group for future independent publishing leaders. Any IBPA member in good standing is welcome to apply for a seat on a membership-focused committee. Only members of IBPA’s Board of Directors may serve on a governance-focused committee. Serving on an IBPA committee provides individual members with an opportunity to make tangible contributions to the IBPA community while affecting change within the independent publishing community at-large.

To say IBPA couldn’t do what it does without the support and guidance of these wonderful committee members wouldn’t be strong enough. They are pivotal to the success of this association, and I’d like to personally thank them, not only for their time and tireless efforts, but for the considered and crucial counsel they provide to me and others on the IBPA staff.

Advocacy Committee

IBPA’s Advocacy Committee is responsible for positioning IBPA as a leader in the industry by championing the causes of independent publishers.

Editorial Advisory Committee

IBPA’s Editorial Advisory Committee is responsible for brainstorming content for IBPA Independent magazine both on a monthly basis and thematically as part of a larger strategy. Committee members suggest diverse contributors for articles and departments/columns and provide feedback on submission ideas—all while ensuring the practical nature of the magazine’s content remains a top priority.

Executive Committee

IBPA’s Executive Committee is responsible for providing high-level support to IBPA’s chief executive officer —functioning as a sounding board between official meetings of the IBPA Board of Directors. 

Member Benefits Committee

IBPA’s Member Benefits Committee is responsible for developing a portfolio of membership benefits that are attractive to independent publishers. Each quarter, the Member Benefits Committee, with assistance from an online Member Benefits Jury made up of at-large IBPA members, reviews existing benefits and recommends new or revised benefits. The Member Benefits Committee also recommends the disbanding of benefits when necessary. All Member Benefit Committee recommendations must be approved by IBPA’s Board of Directors.

Investment Committee

IBPA’s Investment Committee is responsible for developing and executing an investment policy with the following three objectives: 1) ensuring that IBPA has sufficient cash or cash-equivalent investments to meet its operating expenses for at least six months; 2) allocating a percentage of remaining surplus funds to expand ongoing IBPA programs or launch new IBPA programs; and 3) investing a percentage of remaining surplus funds in short- or long-term investments with the goal of preserving their value while earning the highest possible rate of return with low to moderate risk growth.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

IBPA has served the independent publishing community since 1983. Today, as self-publishing, e-books, print on demand, hybrid publishing, and an ever-increasing number of other options make it possible for anyone to publish—or at least print—books, the precise definition of “independent publisher” seems to have grown blurry to some—but not to us.

IBPA Independent magazine - September 2016 issue

In a 2010 blog post for Shelf Awareness and IBPA, Robert Gray wrote, "… an independent publisher can be an author publisher, traditional publisher, or hybrid publisher. … an independent publisher can be brand new or in business for decades. … an independent publisher can have one title or 10,000+ titles. … an independent publisher can work out of his/her home or a high-rise office building. … an independent publisher can have one  or 100+ employees."

With this, Robert is pointing out that, in the end, the beauty of independent publishing is that size really doesn’t matter—nor does the technology used to produce the content, the business model employed to finance the content, or who the author is. What matters is the independent publisher’s focus on his or her publishing business—that blend of sales, marketing, editorial, production, and promotion that serves as the launching pad for publishing success. What matters is the independent publisher’s dedication to professionalism and excellence.

This means that, at the end of the day, any person or organization publishing content outside the large conglomerates and able to commit to IBPA’s approved Code of Ethics is encouraged to join IBPA’s community of over 3,000 active members. That’s amazing! But it leaves IBPA’s leadership with an organizational challenge. How do we account for the different interests of such a diverse membership? If we’re going to do it right, what IBPA offers to its members can’t be one-size-fits-all.

Enter the IBPA Board of Directors.

IBPA's Board of Directors (from left): Robert Price, Price World Publishing; Peter Goodman, Stone Bridge Press and IBPA Board Chair; Ian Lamont, i30 Media; Keith Garton, Red Chair Press; Brooke Warner, She Writes Press; Shannon Okey, Cooperative Press; Elizabeth Turnbull, Light Messages Publishing; Mark Wesley, me+mi publishing; Robin Cutler, IngramSpark; Joshua Tallent, Firebrand Technologies; Karla Olson, Patagonia Books; Leslie M. Browning, Homebound Publications. (Not pictured: Jim Milliot, Publishers Weekly.)

To its credit, the IBPA board directly addressed this challenge during its August 2016 meeting where it approved new membership types to go into effect when IBPA’s new website launches at the end of this year (See: “Growing, Innovating, Connecting: A Preview of IBPA’s New Website” in the August 2016 issue of IBPA Independent). The new membership types are:

• Future Publisher: Persons (student or otherwise) considering or preparing to publish their own or other people’s work. Future Publishers may not serve on committees, may not vote, and may not serve on the Board of Directors.
• Author Publisher: Persons exclusively publishing their own work (e.g., self-published authors and authors working with hybrid publishers).
• Independent Publisher: Persons or organizations involved in publishing other people’s work using a traditional, royalty-based publishing model and/or an author-subsidized publishing model.
• Publisher Partner: Persons or organizations involved with supplying services or products to the field of publishing.
• Honorary Member: Previous board chairs and special volunteers (not a front-facing membership type).

Our hope is that each of you can see yourself in one of the membership types above. Over time, we will develop personas for each type, set up dedicated discussion boards, and sort the member benefits so that the most relevant benefits float to the top. It will take some time, but the framework is starting to take shape, and that’s very exciting.

As always, I welcome your feedback on IBPA’s new membership types (and anything else!) as we move through these organizational changes. I remain at your disposal at angela@ibpa-online.org and look forward to hearing from you.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

In this issue of IBPA Independent, you’ll find a focus on innovation—something independent publishers need to think about every day in order to keep their heads above water as they navigate a competitive book industry.

IBPA Independent - August 2016 issue

Here at IBPA, we’re working hard to create new ideas, processes, and products. The goal being, of course, to positively impact our members’ businesses while providing them with more opportunities for networking and education. In last month’s Director’s Desk column, Living Our Values, I wrote a little about one of these initiatives: a new online presence for IBPA and its members. In this column, I’d like to write a bit more about this important project.

Why Launch a New Online Presence?

In today’s world, the way people connect, learn, purchase products, and share information is changing at a rapid pace. As a member of IBPA, you expect instant value and personalization from us across every channel and on every device … and we want to provide this to you.

Several months ago, we took a hard, honest look at our current website and considered its front-end structure and back-end functionality in terms of how we know people interact on the web today. Unfortunately, we weren’t satisfied with what we found.

In particular, we discovered that the front end isn’t mobile-optimized and, even if it were, there’s no clear way to know how to navigate all of the information presented so you’re placed on the path that’s most relevant to you.

When we got to the back end, we discovered that our member directory is hard to search and devoid of contact information that would make it truly useful as a networking tool. We also learned that the member management software doesn’t support social networking or discussion boards.

When we connect, we grow. In order to remain relevant to the majority of independent publishers working today, IBPA needs to offer its members the ability to build robust member profiles and the capacity to connect with each other across a seamless online networking platform.

Put another way, it’s no longer okay to be “one size fits all.” In support of this idea, here is something from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) that I have taped to the wall in my office as inspiration for the work IBPA does:

IBPA needs to be part of the technological revolution. Our new online presence should take us several steps in the right direction.

How Will IBPA Members Benefit from Our New Online Presence?

IBPA members can look forward to several innovative features once the new website and back end member management system launch. In particular, members will be able to:

• choose a membership option tailored to the particular projects and services they’re interested in;
• easily connect, collaborate, and share across IBPA’s social community, expanding their network and developing lasting relationships;
• develop professionally through personally targeted online learning programs;
• access information, products, and services targeted to match their interests; and
• search an online directory of service providers active in the IBPA community.

I think you’ll agree the new platform provides a more dynamic, interactive means of networking within the IBPA community.

What’s Next?

IBPA staff is working hard to learn the new system and transfer data from the old website. Our expected launch date is December 2016, and we can’t wait! If you have any feedback or questions for us as we’re ramping things up, I hope you’ll let me know. I am available, as always, at angela@ibpa-online.org, and I’m happy to help.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

Alfonso “Al” Ramón López was an American baseball player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. Although I enjoy going to baseball games in New York and count Field of Dreams as one of my favorite movies, I’m not really a huge baseball fan. The good news is, of course, that you don’t have to be a baseball fan to get behind these wise words: “…whether it’s business or baseball,” the concept applies.

And the concept seems especially fitting this month of July as all of us at IBPA kick off the association’s new fiscal year. What better time than the start of a new year to again pledge our strong love for the work that we do while applying renewed commitment to giving it our very best.

Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, IBPA leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,100 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the United States. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage in all aspects of the publishing industry.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of something so empowering?

I’m pleased to say that over the past year I have had the pleasure of watching IBPA truly raise the bar for itself and our members. We saw many notable successes in fiscal year 2016. Chief among them are:

• The rebranding of the magazine you’re currently reading— IBPA Independent
• The approval of an investment policy set to create a sustainable financial future for the association
• The endorsement of a vision statement to communicate what we aim to achieve through the work that we do
• The growth of our Benjamin Franklin Book Awards program
• The launch of a community-driven member benefits approval process
• The meeting of our overall budget goals for the third year in a row

I believe all of this was possible due to the high degree to which our staff and volunteers align themselves with IBPA’s core values. These are the implicitly understood, deeply held convictions that guide the spirit and nature of the IBPA board, staff, and volunteers. They include:

• Service, which expresses IBPA’s commitment to openness and accessibility. IBPA’s desire to be authentically and truly helpful (with no other agenda) reflects an understanding that the essence of leadership is service.
• Leadership, which is expressed through IBPA’s position as the largest professional publishing association in the United States, as well as in its commitment to providing expert programs and perspectives to aid independent publishers in the business of publishing.
• Independence, which reflects a deep commitment to independent points of view and the belief that enabling access to these points of view is essential to creativity and innovation.

Core values are important because they shape an organization’s overall culture and inspire people into actions that suit the group’s distinct convictions. In other words, alignment with our core values helps us stay on the right track when making decisions that affect the direction of IBPA.

Looking Ahead: A New Online Presence

This coming fiscal year, IBPA intends to put service, leadership, and the support of independent points of view into action as we work to build and launch a new website and online networking platform for IBPA members.

The goal of IBPA’s revamped website is to provide the value and personalization our members expect through technologies that make online networking and information gathering easier than ever before. The new site will deliver relevant content and information to members at any time and through any device. It will also include a robust member database that is searchable across multiple parameters—something IBPA has never had before.

Investing in the website illustrates IBPA’s commitment to meeting our members where they are. We know money is tight and you can’t always travel to meetings and conferences in order to have the conversations you need to move your businesses forward. The new website will provide ample opportunity for online engagement through access to member profiles and discussion boards tailored to specific topics of interest. I, for one, can’t wait to get it off the ground!

My Commitment to You

At the end of the day, IBPA’s ability to lead the independent publishing community depends on putting our shared understanding of the organization’s mission, vision, and core values into action. I am committed to continuing IBPA’s proud tradition as a service-first organization, calling on the great range and diversity within our membership and volunteer leadership, in the development of helpful initiatives like those described above.

This month, as we lean into another year of doing what we love to do and giving it our very best, I hope you’ll consider joining IBPA if you’re not already a member. We look forward to continuing along our successful path together with you.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

You’ll likely notice something special about this month's issue of IBPA Independent magazine. In addition to the general content the magazine is prized for, throughout this issue you’ll find a focus on awards with the goal of celebrating the different contests and winners raising our profile as a community of independent publishers.

Award recognition can be important to a publishing program. To win an award is to be recognized by your peers and the industry at large for doing excellent work in your chosen profession. In addition, a coveted award showcases your commitment to professionalism, standards, and ethics.

And, at IBPA, professionalism matters.

In a December 2013 Director’s Desk column titled A Code for Our Community, I wrote:

This strong belief in professionalism fuels IBPA’s approved Code of Ethics for our members. Many of you are familiar with this code, but for those of you who are new to our community, I thought I’d share it again in light of this issue’s focus on awards.

The truth is, of course, that not every deserving book is able to win an award. Still, every book can adhere to professional standards. With the help of IBPA, it’s easier today than ever before.

IBPA’s Code of Ethics -

As part of the independent publishing community, we pledge …

• To uphold the highest standards of our industry, to create works of lasting financial and/or cultural value, and to pursue editorial, design, and production excellence.
• To respect the rights of authors and other creators and stakeholders, to observe all copyright laws and conventions, and to never knowingly publish plagiarized work.
• To reward authors and contributors for their work, to be honest in our financial dealings, to write contracts in understandable language, to resolve all disputes promptly and fairly, and to foster equal opportunity in our workplaces.
• To not mislead readers or buyers with false promises, inflated sales data, or manipulated reviews.
• To recycle and reuse and to follow green practices.

How Do You Engage? -

How about you? How do you feel your company is connected to IBPA’s approved Code of Ethics for our members? Does your company have its own, separate code as well? Email me at angela@ibpa-online.org. I’d love to hear from you.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

Member benefits are the lifeblood of any successful trade association. Knowing this, everyone at IBPA must work hard to ensure that the benefits we offer to our members are legitimately helpful. As of today, IBPA offers more than 50 distinct member benefits. If you haven’t reviewed them lately, you can do so here.

Looking at this list, the question we have to ask ourselves is: How many of these benefits are essential to a member’s decision to join or engage? And, on the flip side, how many are barnacles attached to the hull of our ship, slowly dragging us below the surface because we haven’t taken care to clean them off?

To help us answer these questions, we’re thrilled to announce the hiring of a new member benefits liaison, Joanne Kenny. Joanne joined IBPA in February 2016 and has quickly familiarized herself with the current list of benefits so that she can begin recommending what to keep, what to change, and what to discontinue.

Joanne won’t be working alone. In my February 2016 Director’s Desk column, I wrote about a new Member Benefits Committee tasked with overseeing the portfolio of IBPA member benefits. Joanne will lead this committee, ensuring that all changes to the benefits portfolio are informed by members working day-to-day in the business of publishing. This is important because, as I’ve written numerous times before, changing something without understanding the underlying culture can be detrimental to a community.

I hope you will join me in welcoming Joanne to her new position with IBPA. Below, she answers some questions in introduction. If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to her directly at joanne@ibpa-online.org. I know she’d love to hear from you!

4 Questions for IBPA's Joanne Kenny

IBPA's new Member Benefits Liaison Joanne Kenny (left) with IBPA Project Manager Mimi Le (right) at BookExpo 2016.

What were you doing before you joined IBPA?

"Prior to joining IBPA, I worked in various sales positions at Penguin (national accounts, trade paperback sales, distributor sales, and special markets). Most recently, I sold books either out of inventory or custom printed books for corporations and organizations that use books for giveaways and/or promotional tools. We never knew who would call for what on any given day. I can already see this background coming in handy at IBPA!"

What made you want to work for an organization like IBPA?

"In evaluating my next career move, I kept circling around two values that I held as important for my next role: 1) I wanted to do something that would contribute to “the greater good,” and 2) I wanted to continue to be a champion for storytelling. I was excited when I started talking with the staff at IBPA and realized I could accomplish both these things with this organization."

What do you like to do in your free time?

"How clichéd would it be to say that I like to read? Very, I’m sure, but it doesn’t make it any less true. I also like spending time with family and friends, eating good food, and drinking good craft beer or whiskey. I’d be glad to hear about your favorite IPAs (and especially black IPAs), if you’d like to share.

Which IBPA projects excite you most?"

"I’m excited to dig into member benefits in an effort to deliver some of the best companies and offers to the IBPA community. We’re close to launching a revised process for onboarding new benefits and, hopefully, members will start reaping the rewards of this streamlined process in the near future. If there are certain benefits that members would like to see added to IBPA’s roster, don’t hesitate to contact me directly at joanne@ibpa-online.org. I’m happy to help!"

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Over the past year, a team of IBPA board members, staff, and professional consultants have been working hard to refresh and reshape this magazine. Our goal has been to create an updated look for a valued member benefit without losing the thoughtful content and practical analysis that has made this publication central to IBPA’s culture and branding since our founding in 1983. The magazine you hold in your hands is the result of this work: a clear extension of IBPA’s superb legacy, newly designed to guide the growing independent publishing community into the modern age.

The fully redesigned IBPA Independent magazine - April 2016 issue

We modified nearly everything. You’ll notice a revamped banner, along with new typefaces and contemporary page designs. You’ll also notice a clear rhythm and structure throughout the magazine, which was developed to create a sense of familiarity by using clearly branded sections, allow readers to intuitively navigate the publication from cover to cover, and permit flexibility and the element of surprise.

The renovated structure will feature new departments like “The Help Desk,” “Innovators,” and “Advanced Track;” distinctive columns from thought leaders; two in-depth features each month; and a thoughtful design that allows for readers to distinguish departments from features. On top of all this, each issue is now focused around central editorial themes like sales and distribution, marketing, design/production, and legal issues.

We’ve made these changes to address key reader recommendations that we focus on practical, how-to articles on the business of independent publishing, diversify article lengths and formats, and create specific, recurring departments and columns.

We believe you will now find the magazine much easier to navigate and read, richer in content, and a great deal more attractive. It also, by the way, has a slightly different name and a shiny new tagline.

The Name

After rounds of discussion about the possibility of changing the publication’s name, the team decided to formally add “IBPA” to “Independent” and include a prominent tagline. This move reinforces the brand equity of the magazine’s long-standing name—Independent—while tying it closer to IBPA as an organization. It also creates a stronger sense of the magazine’s purpose within the independent publishing community through the addition of the tagline.

With that, we proudly present:IBPA Independent: Helping Publishers Achieve and Succeed.

Special Thanks

It takes a village to rebrand a magazine, and we’re eternally grateful to those who donated time and insights to this effort. They include our Redesign Committee: Ian Lamont (i30 Media), Mark Suchomel (Perseus Book Group), Karla Olson (Patagonia Publishing), and Jim Milliot (Publishers Weekly). They also include our expert advisers Lynn Rosen, Darhiana Téllez, Dennis Coyle, Steve Biernacki, and Stephanie Yanecek.

We hope you enjoy the newly redesigned IBPA Independent. Contact me at  angela@ibpa-online.org or 310-546-1818 with any feedback.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

Thirty years ago, a group of 15 Southern California independent publishers who couldn’t afford to attend the American Booksellers Association’s annual conference decided to pool funds and send a single representative to the show. As many of you know, this trip was a triggering factor in the formation of the Independent Book Publishers Association as a professional trade group in service to independent publishers nationwide.

The independent publishing landscape has changed a great deal in the past 30 years and no one could anticipate how big an association like IBPA might become. The answer, I’m happy to say, is quite big. Today, IBPA’s more than 3,100 members make it the largest book publishing association in the United States. This is exciting, to be sure, but we can do more. IBPA leadership is working hard to position the association for further growth in an effort to positively impact more independent publishers.

Part of this work includes revisiting the IBPA mission statement and formulating an approved vision for the future. I first addressed the board’s work toward crafting the association’s first-ever vision statement in my October 2015 Director’s Desk titled, "What Your Board Is Up To":

When I wrote that, the board was at the beginning of its process, and I couldn’t say what the final vision statement would be. It simply hadn’t been developed yet. Now, however, after five months of discussion and consideration, I’m pleased to unveil IBPA’s new vision, approved during the January 2016 board of directors meeting and coupled here with our long-standing mission:

• Mission Statement: To lead and serve the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success.
• Vision Statement: A world where every independent publisher has the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage in all aspects of the publishing industry.

The approved vision won’t come as a surprise to those who’ve followed IBPA over the years. IBPA has long favored, and worked hard to achieve, a level playing field for anyone interested in becoming involved in the business of publishing. While the conglomerate publishers will always have some advantages, independent publishers must certainly have access to distribution, fair terms, and a chance to present their books to trade buyers, librarians, and consumers alike.

Of course, IBPA can promise only opportunity. We can provide the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage with the publishing industry, but we can’t promise success. It’s up to individual publishers to define what success means to them and make the most of what they can from the opportunities IBPA opens for them. It’s a partnership. It always has been.

IBPA members stand out within the ranks of independent publishers based on their profound passion for the work, as well as their commitment to excellence and professionalism in the field. I can’t wait to see what we achieve as we come together as a single community with focus and determination.

Here’s to your success!

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

“The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”

These words, from Japanese scholar Kakuzo Okakura, ring true to me. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how people and organizations embrace change. In my personal life, it’s never the same day twice: I’m often asked to solve a new problem as soon as I sit at my desk each morning. There’s no use wishing it were different. It couldn’t be. Change or die, they say. So, each morning I adjust to new circumstances; I choose life.

Angela Bole

But that’s personal change. What about organizational change? From my vantage point, for example, it seems the very definition of a membership organization is evolving before our eyes. With more than 3,000 members (and counting!), IBPA serves more publishing professionals than any other book trade association in the United States. We’re a big organization—a big ship—but we still need to change directions every now and again in order to address the evolving definition of professional publishing.

On a strategic level, IBPA is addressing the need for change in several ways. Members will see an increased focus on advocacy during the latter part of 2016, for example. And most of you already know that the board of directors is working to dress up our appearance with a modern redesign of the IBPA website and this Independent magazine.

I’ve always believed the most important way an association can affect positive change in its community is by working closely with its members on the projects that mean the most to them. Traditionally, a trade association is either staff-driven or volunteer-driven. A new model is emerging, however, based on being “work-plan-driven.” Under this model, associations engage volunteer committees to help develop and drive a plan of work for specific high-profile projects. By incorporating the varying perspectives of members through this committee process, an association can be certain that approved plans address the real-time needs of the community, as well as the skills and availability of the staff. It’s a win-win.

Given the success of the board, comprised of a highly dedicated group of volunteers, we see potential in tapping deeper into the expertise of our general membership. This is why we are launching at least two new member committees in 2016.

First up is an Editorial Advisory Committee, which will assist in providing content and themes for the Independent. This all-volunteer committee will help develop content ideas and identify subject matter experts, as well as advise on how well the overall direction of the magazine continues to meet the needs of an evolving independent publishing community.

Next on deck is a Member Benefits Committee, which will oversee the portfolio of IBPA member benefits, ensuring that all benefits endorsed by IBPA are attractive and helpful to independent publishers and self-published authors. Twice per year, the committee will recommend a slate of new, revised, and disbanded member benefits to IBPA’s board of directors for review. Following the board’s approval, IBPA’s official Membership Benefits Handbook will be updated.

Change or die, they say. But, of course, changing without understanding the underlying culture can be detrimental to a community. This is why the Editorial Advisory Committee and the Member Benefits Committee will play such an important part in the future of IBPA. By tapping into our membership base through key volunteer groups like these, the IBPA staff can truly connect with your needs and ensure that the association is making the right moves. I, for one, am excited to get the process started. Will you join me?

If you are interested in serving on a volunteer committee in 2016, contact IBPA CEO and executive director Angela Bole at angela@ibpa-online.org or 310-546-1818.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

It’s January and you know what that means: a new year stretches before us ripe for the filling. If you’re like me, you have many exciting projects on your plate and plenty of trends to consider. In honor of this busy time, I thought I’d pull together a brief list of five things to keep an eye on in 2016. You’ll find a couple of events, some trends, and one infamous brick-and-mortar bookstore.

Of course, there’s lots more to keep on your radar, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please email them to me at angela@ibpa-online.org for consideration in a future blog post on ibpa-online.org.

Now, on with the show.

BookExpo 2016

For the first time since 2009, BookExpo America (BEA) takes a break from New York City in favor of the Windy City: Chicago. BEA visits Chicago’s McCormick Place from May 11–13. All of us at IBPA figured this would mean decreased costs, but be aware! Microsoft Ignite will share Chicago with BEA in May. This means discounted hotel rooms could go quicker than usual. And, of course, booth rental fees have increased, per usual. To help combat the rising prices, IBPA has partnered with BookExpo to offer low-cost booth design packages to members who purchase a 10×10 space within our complex on the show floor. In addition, our cooperative booth fee will stay the same as it ever was—just $185 per title.

Amazon’s First Brick-and-Mortar Bookstore

On Nov. 3, 2015, Amazon opened its first physical bookstore, Amazon Books, in the University Village shopping mall in Seattle, Washington, and the book industry took notice. According to Jennifer Cast, vice president of Amazon Books, since the store “will be limited by four walls” that can house only between 5,000 and 6,000 titles, the buying focus is placed on “great books.” All books carried by the store have at least a four-star rating from Amazon customers and are placed face out on the shelves. In a Nov. 6, 2015, article by Jim Milliot on PublishersWeekly.com, Cast acknowledged that while Amazon has certain goals in mind for the store, they “have no idea what is going to happen.” I suppose that means we’ll all be waiting to see.

Slipping E-book Sales—or Not

In September 2015, the New York Times finally caught wind of an industry story those in the know had been talking about for months. In an article titled “The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales Slip, and Print is Far From Dead,” NYT reported on data the Association of American Publishers collected from 1,200 publishers indicating that e-book sales fell by 10 percent in the first five months of 2015. Interesting data, but in the fourth paragraph from the bottom of the 1,300-word article, NYT hits on something that could use a bit more fleshing out (emphasis added):

While declining e-book sales continue to plague the Big Five publishers (see also “Declining E-book Sales Hit Home” published Nov. 6, 2015, on PublishersWeekly.com), indie publishers and self-publishers continue to find relevance in the platform. Will 2016 bring a deeper split here?

Increased Use of the On-Sale Date Among Self-published Authors

Toward the end of August 2015, IngramSpark rolled out nine new metadata fields, including the addition of an on-sale date option.

I’ve often thought small presses and self-publishers were at a disadvantage since the tools they used, like IngramSpark and CreateSpace, didn’t allow for long-term publication plans. However, with the on-sale date option, IngramSpark publishers now have the ability to select an on-sale date for their print titles (this functionality already existed on the e-book side). By setting an on-sale date prior to the publication date, publishers can market their book and collect pre-orders leading up to the publication date. This is a huge step toward leveling the playing field for self-published authors in the professional book market, and I look forward to seeing many take advantage of it in 2016.

IBPA’s Publishing University 2016

In the business of publishing, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. This is why IBPA launched Publishing University more than 25 years ago. If you go to one publishing conference in 2016, Publishing University should be it. Scheduled for April 8–9 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Publishing University presents a professional, community-oriented environment where you’ll be exposed to new ideas and creative thinking that will support your individualized publishing goals. But don’t just take my word for it! Check out the previous attendee testimonials available at publishinguniversity.org. For example, Karen Gray of Acacia Publishing, Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona, wrote:

Again, I welcome your emails to angela@ibpa-online.org with additional trends and events to look out for in 2016. Here’s to a strong new year!

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

Did you know that IBPA, as the largest national association of publishers, supports 24 regional affiliates that may be of benefit to you? This December, as you think about ways to make the next year a successful one for your publishing business, perhaps you could add “Join an IBPA affiliate” to your list of resolutions.

IBPA’s mission is to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success. Adhering to this mission helps create a world where every independent publisher has the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage with all aspects of the publishing industry.

But we can’t do it alone. IBPA’s affiliate associations play an important part in helping achieve all the above

While IBPA is large enough to support marketing and educational programs at a national level, each one of our affiliate associations offers person-to-person proximity that can bridge you with colleagues at a local level. Affiliate associations often meet monthly, and when you join one you receive a discount on your IBPA membership and a chance to win a scholarship to Publishing University.

The book industry doesn’t discriminate against independently published books or even self-published books. It penalizes poor quality and, in the case of our downstream trading partners, limits access at multiple points of distribution in an overcrowded market. At a bare minimum, IBPA members must produce high-quality books, differentiated in the market by professional reviews, strong comparables, and documented author credentials, and distributed via trusted, widely used distribution platforms.

Literary Attorney Jean Makene packed the house at a recent St. Louis Publishers Association (SLPA) meeting.

Of course, it is IBPA’s privilege to provide education, marketing, and networking resources that help members reach the standard of excellence described above. Still, local markets can be a strong factor in an indie publisher’s success, and your regional affiliate is your connection to all things local.

For example, here are a few things happening at affiliate associations (perhaps) near you:

The Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE) can display your book at the New England Library Association (NELA) Annual Conference.

You won’t miss a beat with the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA). Because it covers 12 states, it now records its monthly member meetings and provides these recordings free to members who can’t attend in person.

In 2016, the Northern California Publishers Association (NCPA) will host its first conference since 2010. Volunteers welcome!

The Publishers Association of Los Angeles (PALA) can be counted on for its monthly in-person program series covering everything from book design to distribution options.

The Texas Authors Association (TAA) will host an Authors Marketing Conference on April 30 and May 1, 2016, in Austin. Again, volunteers welcome!

This list gives you just a small taste of what awaits you as an active member of an IBPA affiliate association. I hope you will consider joining one and then taking advantage of your IBPA member discount, as well—two birds with one stone!

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

Last month I had the pleasure of dining with Rana DiOrio, founder of Little Pickle Press and member of IBPA’s board of directors. As dinner companions go, Rana is topnotch. Her unbelievable knack for picking great restaurants is surpassed only by her always direct and meaningful conversation. I consistently walk away smarter.

During this particular dinner we talked about many things—work-related and personal—that eventually led her to recommend a book that’s been making the rounds: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown.

You may recognize the phrase daring greatly from Theodore Roosevelt’s famous speech, "Citizenship in a Republic." In this speech Roosevelt said:

This speech, important on many levels, served as inspiration for the 12 years of pioneering research Dr. Brown draws on in Daring Greatly to prove her argument that vulnerability is culture’s most accurate measure of courage. In addition to the findings from her research, Dr. Brown includes a good deal of autobiographical detail which humanizes the book—she’s not one to take herself too seriously—and she’s funny.

I’m always looking for books that help me work smarter. I’m sure you are, too, which is why I wanted to use this Director’s Desk to recommend Daring Greatly along with a couple of other books that have had a strong impact on how I think about my work and life. Happy reading.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Author: Brené Brown Publisher: Avery

Why it matters: It’s amazing how often many of us get in our own way by refusing to step outside our comfort zones. Dr. Brown’s down-to-earth approach to vulnerability helps us understand how to embrace the unknown without fear, shame, or the anxiety that comes when we don’t think we’re good enough for the job. There is danger in pursuing certainty and control above all. The world needs more guides like Dr. Brown who are able to show us a different way.

From the book: “When we spend our lives waiting until we’re perfect or bulletproof before we walk into the arena, we ultimately sacrifice relationships and opportunities that may not be recoverable, we squander our precious time, and we turn our backs on our gifts, those unique contributions that only we can make. Perfect and bulletproof are seductive, but they don’t exist in the human experience.”

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t

Author: Jim Collins Publisher: HarperCollins

Why it matters: Two words: the Hedgehog Concept. Good to Great has been around since 2001, so you may already be familiar with the Hedgehog Concept and its focus on the ability to identify the one thing your company is the best at in the world and then stick to it. Even if you’ve already identified this once, it helps to reconnect with it every now and then to be sure it’s still relevant. How have you narrowed the focus of your company’s resources to suit your distinct field of competence?

From the book: It is “not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, a plan to be the best. It is an understanding of what you can be the best at. The distinction is absolutely critical"

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

Author: Adam Grant Publisher: Penguin Books

Why it matters: I was thrilled to find this book. It was named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, the Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal, as well as one of Oprah’s riveting reads, Fortune’s must-read business books, and the Washington Post’s books every leader should read. It explains how success is more dependent on how we interact with others than on drivers that usually come to mind, such as passion, hard work, talent, and luck.

From the book: "If we create networks with the sole intention of getting something, we won’t succeed. We can’t pursue the benefits of networks; the benefits ensue from investments in meaningful activities and relationships."

Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book

Author: Dan Poynter Publisher: Para Publishing

Why it matters: People are always asking me for a step-by-step guide to self-publishing. When they do I point them to Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual. Now in its 15th revised edition and its 19th printing, this book is a complete reference to writing, printing, publishing, promoting, marketing, and distributing your own book.

From the book: "Nearly everyone wants to write a book. Most people have the ability, some have the drive, but few have the organization. Therefore, the greatest need is for a simple system, a road map. The basic plan in this book will not only provide you with direction, it will also promote the needed drive and expose abilities in you that may never have been recognized."

What Do You Think?

I’d love to hear your reactions to this short list of recommended reading. Please e-mail me at angela@ibpa-online.org to share your thoughts and your own recommendations. I’ll include them in an upcoming blog post at ibpa-online.org.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

Angela Bole

IBPA’s board of directors is a 14-person leadership team—13 voting members plus the chair—tasked with setting the association’s strategic direction and managing its cash reserves. The best description I’ve heard of what a board does in relation to what office staff does is this: “The board decides where to go. The staff describes how to get there.”

The board’s mandate is big, complex, and important. In order to collaborate effectively, all members work from a set of shared values, with the idea that real growth—in work and in life—comes when these values are put into action. They are:

• We belong to a single human family.
• We can cooperate, not just compete.
• Everyone can make a difference for the better.
• The essence of leadership is service.
• The ends and the means are the same.

I invite you to consider the shared values that govern your leadership team—even if you’re a leadership team of one. As you’re making strategic decisions for your business, what glue binds you? Sometimes knowing this can help you thoughtfully resolve differences of opinion or competing ideas and keep everything pointed in a direction that serves the common good.

But I said I’d pull the curtain on a recent IBPA board meeting. Here we go.

The first board meeting of IBPA’s fiscal year 2016 (July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016) took place in August in California, and I’m pleased to report that almost every member of the board joined the IBPA staff for two days of face-to-face strategic planning. We covered a lot of ground. Here are some highlights.

Investing in a Strong Future

First on the agenda was a report from IBPA’s treasurer, Robert Price of Price World Publishing. Rob presented final numbers for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2015. On the whole, IBPA’s financial picture remains strong. For the second year in a row, net income exceeded budget projections. Even better, net income for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, nearly doubled that of the previous year, increasing by 87.5 percent.

IBPA board chair, Peter Goodman of Stone Bridge Press (left), review financial statements with IBPA board treasurer, Robert Price of Price World Publishing, during a break in the meeting.

Rob suggested that the board now has the opportunity to invest, but that it first needs to decide how much money IBPA should keep in reserve for a rainy day. To address these two issues, he called for the formation of an Investment Committee charged with developing and enforcing an investment policy and ensuring that IBPA conscientiously meets its reserve targets.

Once reserve targets are met, the fun can begin. Revenue in excess of reserves can be spent on any number of member benefits, including:

• grants and travel scholarships for Publishing University
• website features that will improve online collaboration
• events
• additional support of affiliate associations
• scholarships for BookExpo America, the ALA Annual Conference, and similar conventions
• legal support for advocacy issues (e.g., freedom of speech)
• [insert your idea here]

Investment Committee, whose members are Rob Price, Peter Goodman of Stonebridge Press, Ian Lamont of i30 Media, and me, will present initial recommendations during the next board meeting.

Developing a Vision Statement

One thing I’ve learned as IBPA’s executive director is that independent publishers run enterprising businesses. No one has time for fly-by-night management concepts and the corporate words that describe them. But there is one management concept I firmly believe all businesses—big or small (or very small)—can benefit from, the one that mandates developing a clearly defined and universally understood vision statement.

The IBPA board of directors works in small groups to brainstorm vision statements for the association

You start to understand the importance of a vision statement when you recall the inventor’s credo: You can’t create what you can’t imagine. This short declaration expresses the long-term change that should result from your company’s existence. In other words, the best vision statement is a clear and inspirational description of the overall benefit your company will bring to the world. Vision statements should be specific enough to say something about what you will do and also what you will not do.

For example, here are some vision statements from a few well-known nonprofits:

• Habitat for Humanity: A world where everyone has a decent place to live
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society: A world free of MS
• NPR, with its network of independent member stations, is America’s preeminent news institution
• Feeding America: A hunger-free America

IBPA’s board members spent several hours brainstorming and discussing possible vision statements for IBPA. It’s too early to say what the final statement will be, but it’s clear it will incorporate the board’s understanding of IBPA as a collaborative community committed to excellence and professionalism in independent publishing.

New Business

At the next IBPA board of directors meeting, in November 2015, board members will continue their vision statement discussion and consider a few concrete strategic objectives to take IBPA through the end of 2016. We’ll be looking for those “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (BHAGs) as proposed by Jim Collins in Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. I look forward to it.

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.

When you’re overburdened with e-mail and cranky people make it their job to interfere with your day; when your printer messes up your order, your distributor doesn’t stock enough books to cover your author tour, you’re late on one deadline or another . . . again; or [insert your current stressor here]; are you able to take a deep breath and get a bit of perspective in appreciation for the amazing profession we’re engaged in? I hope so.

Angela Bole

Recently, I took a poetry workshop at the Esalen Institute, a learning and retreat center in Big Sur, CA. Over the course of six days, I wrote three poems and listened to dozens of others, including original works from each of the other 12 participants. If you’re a lover of words and metaphor as I am—and I’m fairly certain most of you are—you can appreciate what a transcendent experience this was.

Esalen draws people interested in exploring deeper spiritual possibilities and forging new understandings of self and society. The original poems developed during that experiential workshop were confessional, passionate, and profound. Being moved, I offered to collect them and publish a chapbook. Although I’ll make the book available for purchase and work out requisite royalty calculations, I don’t expect to make any money on the project. My only objective is to be sure the good work developed in that small room during that concentrated period of time finds a place to exist beyond the pages of our ragged notebooks.

Anyone paying attention knows there’s no guarantee of success in indie publishing—however you define success. Ours is a wild and often frustrating business. The rules continuously change. Today your print-on-demand books are listed in-stock; tomorrow, who knows? Today anyone can review a book on Amazon; tomorrow, not so much. Is it any wonder so many people cycle in and out of indie publishing? Even if everything goes completely right, we’re playing a game of long odds.

And yet, here we are.

IBPA member Nancy Gee, author/publisher of The Secret Drawer, tells us, “My grandchildren loved to hear the story over and over and told me I should write a book so that this amazing story could be shared with all children. And that is what I did!”

And IBPA member Garry Rogers, an advocate for nature in fiction and nonfiction, says, “At first, I wrote and published to report my discoveries. Then, I began writing and publishing to inspire emotion. Now I do both.”

These quotes come from the Featured Member section of the IBPA website. Over the past two years, this has become one of my favorite places online; I visit often. When I read about the motivations, success stories, and aspirations shared here, I am inspired by the ways members of IBPA’s community have taken on the weighty privilege of bringing stories written with intention and fearlessness to the minds and hearts of readers.

If you’re an IBPA member, I hope you’ve shared, or will share, your publishing story in this space. In doing that, you join healers, educators, bridge builders, comedians, therapists, and others committed to bravely communicating their very human desires, identities, politics, struggles, and joys to the greater world. It’s a powerful place.

What It Means to Members -

The standard definition of publishing is the business of producing books, magazines, and so on to sell to the public (per Merriam Webster). In the end, this seems an inadequate definition, doesn’t it? “It took me two years to show a profit,” says IBPA member Barbara J. Genovese of Kolorwacks. “But this wasn’t about monetary profit. It was more intangible than that—and something that money couldn’t buy—the soul of an artist. It was also about having compassion for myself. Without rendering that for yourself, you’re lost.”

Before reading about Brenda’s motivations, I hadn’t thought of publishing as a means of rendering compassion for oneself. Now, this idea is integrated into the complex way I understand what it means to be successful as an indie publisher. I’m grateful for the additional perspective.

So, when the daily stressors seem to be closing in and you feel as if you might be losing the long game, I hope you’ll take that deep breath I mentioned before and check in with that part of you that knows it’s a magical and wonderful thing to be able to publish.

To help, I leave you with further thoughts and inspirations from members of the IBPA community. Enjoy!

“Publishing my first book and the overwhelmingly positive feedback I received boosted my confidence. Now I have all kinds of subjects that I want to write about.” —Helen Raleigh, author/publisher of Confucius Never Said

“Publishing is undergoing tremendous ‘climate change.’ I like the challenge of adapting and thriving.” —Dave Bricker, PubML

“It is important to me to be of service to others by sharing a new perspective on parenting, one based in spiritual ideology.” —Jeanmarie Wilson, Parenting from Your Soul

“It’s extremely satisfying to see the finished product: a beautiful book full of helpful info or humorous stories that many people will see/read/enjoy.” —Lisa Nordquist, Love Yourself Fit

“Being a teacher has allowed me to see firsthand what is missing at home and in the school system. I wanted to publish books that encourage kids to be leaders and to devote more of their time to reading.” —Taneeka Bourgeois-daSilva, Building Voices

Director's Desk is a monthly column written by IBPA CEO Angela Bole and originally published in the front pages of IBPA's monthly IBPA Independent magazine. Angela welcomes your public comments below and private comments to her personally at angela@ibpa-online.org.