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Data Guy takes a fresh look at ebook sales, the indie-publishing market, a fast-changing publishing business

Digital Book World Session helps publishers Improve sales and earnings; Conference + Expo takes place March 7 - 9 in N.Y.C.

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DataGuySpiderData Guy, the tech and data wizard behind the Author Earnings website and one of the most intriguing and quietly influential figures in the book community, will present on stage for the first time during the 7th Annual Digital Book World Conference + Expo (DBW). The session is titled “Outside the Data Box: Taking a Fresh Look at Ebook Sales, the Indie-Publishing Market, and a Fast-Changing Publishing Business.” The DBW ’16 main-stage presentation is one of the most highly anticipated sessions at the event, which takes place March 7 – 9 at the New York Hilton Midtown in N.Y.C. Registration and program details are available at digitalbookworldconference.com (@DigiBookWorld – #DBW16). TeleRead community members can save five percent by entering the code TELEREAD5.

Data Guy says the industry’s largest online retailers do not share data on digital sales. “Traditional industry statistics and methodologies are no longer able to provide a comprehensive view of the market—they need to be augmented with newer data collection techniques, to fill in the growing visibility gap. The focus of our Author Earnings reports has so far been on authors and their digital earnings, but our raw data and methodology can provide equally useful information to publishers and agents who are seeking to understand the fuller industry picture, so that they can use that knowledge to inform their business strategies as well.”

During the DBW ’16 presentation, Data Guy will provide useful insights into important “known unknowns” and show how creative data hacks can help expand the book, content and technology communities’ understanding of the digital publishing business. “DBW represents an opportunity to look at our Author Earnings data from a completely different perspective—namely that of publishers, instead of authors,” says Data Guy. “The questions we’ll be asking and answering with that data will be different there; we’ll be focusing upon what insights publishers can glean from our data, and then use to improve their own sales and earnings.”

Data Guy notes the most recent Author Earnings report shows authors are taking charge of their careers and publishing their work independently, just one of the insights from the data. “Publishing independently is no longer a fallback choice for authors in today’s market—it may even be a far superior choice for most now,” says Data Guy. “What was good career advice even a year ago might be poor advice today. Every author, however they choose to publish, should educate themselves about the new shape of the market and make career choices that are informed by up-to-date data on our industry.”

Data Guy, who produces the Author Earnings website in conjunction with Hugh Howey (@hughhowey), is responsible for Author Earnings’ data scraping and analysis. His DBW 2016 session is primarily a presentation of some his latest findings and processes, with an eye towards what would be most interesting and relevant for an audience comprising trade publishers. At the end of the presentation, there will be a short conversation with Michael Cader (@PublishersLunch), founder of Publishers Lunch and PublishersMarketplace.com.

In addition to Data Guy’s main-stage DBW presentation, there will be a separate 50-minute open Q&A session, where DBW conference attendees can ask questions and, for the first time, engage in a direct dialogue with Data Guy.

“I think [the DBW session] is actually a pretty exciting opportunity to take a step back from our usual focus on author advocacy and author earnings and say, ‘Let’s look at this—the raw data—from a completely different perspective. Let’s look at it from a publisher earnings perspective,'” says Data Guy. “Where are there opportunities here? Where are there risks? What genres are particularly conducive to publisher earnings where money is left on the table? How does ebook pricing as a policy affect hardcover sales and print sales? How do those two things interact, and are there any insights that smaller publishers, who maybe don’t have as large a dataset to work with as the big guys, can gain from our data that help them go back and crank their own earnings up—change their policies? Again, it does slide back in to author advocacy, because ultimately we think that will help traditionally published author earnings as well as publisher earnings.”

Visit digitalbookworldconference.com to register for the event and to hear Data Guy’s exclusive DBW presentation. For more insights from Data Guy, read the Digital Book World Q&A here: bit.ly/1Tx0vxG.

DBW 2016 is the premier event for book publishers and content providers—of all sizes and business models – that plan to thrive through and beyond publishing’s digital transformation. The event offers an overview of the big changes and new challenges of today’s digital publishing landscape, presented by an array of visionaries and influencers—both publishing leaders and pundits from outside the industry.

Highlights of other presenters scheduled for DBW 2016 include: Fred Argir, vice president and chief digital officer, Barnes & Noble, Inc.; John Ingram, chairman and CEO, Ingram Content Companies; Marcus Leaver, CEO of The Quarto Group; Dominique Raccah, CEO, Sourcebooks; Katherine McCahill, senior director, apps channel, Penguin Random House; Mary Cummings, vice president and editorial director, Diversion Books; Scott Galloway, clinical professor of marketing at NYU Stern School of Business; Jon Taplin, professor of media studies, University of Southern California; and many more.

DBW 2016 is produced by F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company in partnership with Publishers Launch Conferences.

About…

Author Earnings
Author Earnings’ purpose is to gather and share information so that writers can make informed decisions. Their secondary mission is to call for change within the publishing community for better pay and fairer terms in all contracts. The website is by authors and for authors. (authorearnings.com)

F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company
F+W connects passionate, like-minded groups of people to share an ongoing exchange of information, ideas and inspiration. F+W is committed to providing the very best experience for its customers across its communities — digital media, writing, design, outdoors and lifestyle, among many others. The company offers exclusive events, online learning programs, research services, custom content, books and magazines (digital and print), curated kits and other services to its millions of customers worldwide. (fwmedia.com)

Publishers Launch Conferences
Publishers Launch Conferences is a comprehensive conference/education business that addresses the urgent needs of book publishing professionals around the world. The organization was founded by two highly-respected trade publishing veterans, Michael Cader of Publishers Lunch and PublishersMarketplace.com and Mike Shatzkin of The Idea Logical Company. Publishers Launch works closely with established players and institutions throughout the publishing world, to transition to prosperity in the era of new technology, players and paradigms. (publisherslaunch.com).

(The above is sponsored content from the 7th Annual Digital Book World Conference + Expo.)

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