The Independent Publishers Caucus convened yesterday afternoon in Baltimore's Hilton Hotel for a three-hour program that, unlike previous years since the organization launched in 2017, focused more on discussions of bread-and-butter issues relevant to indie publishers, and less on lofty ideals, though it did touch upon promoting diversity in recruiting employees. The program included two panel sessions, one on audiobook sales and the other on HR best practices, followed by a presentation made by Talonbooks president and publisher Kevin Williams on using income statements to boost profits and productivity.
“We don’t spend a lot of time with income statements,” Williams said, “It’s too painful. But hopefully, you review your income statements every year and use it as a planning device, to make changes, and make projections.”
The program wound up with a presentation by Catapult publisher Andy Hunter on Bookshop, the online bookstore that is launching on January 28 and is being touted as an alternative to Amazon. Noting that his hour –long presentation was squeezed into a 20-minute time slot, Hunter said that Bookshop’s primary objective is to support indie bookstores “and the eco-system around them, including the publishers in this room.” Publishers can become Bookshop affiliates, he explained, and earn 10% of list price of book sales they drive.
“There’s a lot you can do,” Hunter said, explaining that publishers can put together lists of related books to be posted on Bookshop’s home page, such as a list of “David Bowie’s favorite books,” for example. Indie presses can also support on their Bookshop page various affiliate bookstores, “even a different one each month.” Affiliate bookstores will earn 25% of list price book sales they drive, as well as a percentage of 10% of Bookshop sales revenue, doled out twice a year.
“We’re trying to make it so that we’re giving as much back to the community as possible,” Hunter said.
IPC made two announcements during the caucus: it is partnering with CLMP on educational programming and other projects, including a class on InDesign for publishers wanting to create their own e-books. The class is tentatively scheduled for March 13 in New York City. Indie Playlist, a program recently launched to provide discounts and cash awards to indie booksellers ordering from a rotating list of titles published by Seven Stories, Europa Editions, and Catapult, will be expanded to include all IPC member presses, which number about 60 to date.
In addition IPC leaders said they do not intend to replace departed executive director Ben LeRoy with another ED, but instead intend to hire an administrator who will work under the direction of the board. Ibrahim Ahmad of Akashic Books told PW, “we have plenty of ideas, we just need someone to implement them.”
