Between traditionally published and self-published books, there are over 3 million books published per year, so in order for a book to stand out, sometimes independent publishers have to think outside the box.

Independent publisher Holloway has a unique system with their publishing strategy in terms of discoverability and direct-to-consumer sales, which has been quite successful for them, so COO Andrew Savikas joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share details about Holloway’s savvy publishing model; how they’ve developed their website for search engine optimization; and how other independent publishers can apply some of the same techniques to their own businesses.

There is a huge market for books outside the United States, so how can U.S. publishers break into the international market, and how do publishers know which markets are a good fit for their titles? Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Red Hen Press Dr. Kate Gale joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share details about how her publishing company succeeded with international sales, as well as the challenges and opportunities publishers face based on the city where they set up their business; tips on book distribution; and much more.

No matter where you are in your publishing journey—whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been publishing books for decades—you’re always hoping to level up your business. Fruition Publishing Concierge Services Founder and CEO Alesha Brown joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share advice about the best artificial intelligence (AI) publishing technology and the ones to avoid; paying author royalties; whether it’s worth hiring someone to do your social media; and much more!

With a new year comes all kinds of new possibilities for publishers to thrive! IBPA’s mission is to set up independent publishers and author publishers for publishing success, so CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the major issues that publishers are sure to face in 2024, and ways that publishers can overcome them. She discusses distribution challenges; creative ways that publishers can find funding; solutions to market access obstacles; difficulties with running a publishing business and ways to tackle them; and so much more.

In the last few years, TOKYOPOP has had incredible success, leading Publishers Weekly to declare them one of the fastest growing independent publishers of 2023. It’s always helpful for indie publishers to learn from each other, so TOKYOPOP’s COO and Publisher Marc Visnick joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the achievements and challenges they’ve had since the company began in 1997, including how they were able to bounce back so successfully after some difficulties in 2010 when, among other things, a major partner of theirs, Borders, went bankrupt.

Independent publishers run into many of the same challenges with publishing, so the best way to figure out how to overcome those challenges is to learn from other publishers’ achievements and missteps. Taevo Publishing Founder and CEO Tamara Mayo joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss the best methods she’s learned about how to work with her authors; how to solve accounting issues; how to find funding; how to balance running a publishing business while also maintaining a full-time job; and much more!

Many independent publishers feel a great divide between them and the Big 5 publishers. One of the biggest issues is access to various sales markets, such as bookstores, retail stores, and more. The good news is that there are new ways that these major publishers and indies can work together to the betterment of both.

One such way is through distribution. It can be quite difficult for independent publishers to land traditional distribution, but some indie publishers have found a path through Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster Vice President of Publisher Services Keith Parent joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share details about how to apply.

Independent publishers and author publishers are always seeking effective ways to promote their books, and one great way to do so is through LibraryReads. The Executive Director, Rebecca Vnuk, joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to explain how LibraryReads creates a widely read list of must-read, new books based on library staff recommendations and how indie publishers can get their books on that list. Rebecca also used to be a librarian, so she shares tips about how publishers can get libraries to carry their books.

Are you hoping to sell your books to libraries? If so, trade reviews are a vital component to enticing libraries to buy your books, and librarians especially value “Booklist” reviews—the official trade publication of the American Library Association. So IBPA invited “Booklist” Editor and Publisher George Kendall as a guest on “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to discuss how publishers can land a “Booklist” review; how they can best leverage their review; and much more.