“Women at the Intersection of Publishing, Finance and Technology” and “Transformation in Publishing: Quarto & Sourcebooks” are just two of the highly anticipated sessions and hot topics at the upcoming Digital Book World Conference + Expo (DBW). Other key issues at the event include transformation in publishing, investment trends in digital publishing and media, the book buyer’s journey, and digital audio, among many others. DBW 2016 is the premier event for book publishers and content providers of all sizes and business models.
The 7th Annual Digital Book World Conference + Expo (@DigiBookWorld – #DBW16) takes place March 7 – 9, 2016 at the New York Hilton Midtown in N.Y.C. Registration and program details are available at digitalbookworldconference.com (the best early-bird rates expire Feb. 8; the final pre-conference registration rate expires March 6).
Women at the Intersection of Publishing, Finance and Tech
Is publishing really a woman-friendly field? At all levels? What happens when women executives in the publishing world interact with the cultures of the tech and finance worlds?
Four women executives from the publishing world — who interact often and deeply with the worlds of tech and finance — will share their experiences and observations on the subject in a DBW 2016 panel presentation. The session is called “Women at the Intersection of Publishing, Finance and Tech,” inspired by a session on sexism in tech at South by Southwest Interactive last year (which was later cancelled), and fueled by a newly released study called Elephant in the Valley that focuses on workplace issues facing women in the tech industry.
“What are the best ways for women publishing executives to successfully grow their businesses while encouraging equality in all sectors of the business world, as well as helping to grow and develop the female leaders of the future?” asks DBW Conference Chair Mike Shatzkin (@MikeShatzkin), founder of The Idea Logical Company and a partner at Publishers Launch Conferences. “Are the attitudes in tech and finance inhibiting growth and innovation in publishing? We’ll explore and discuss this topic with leaders from the publishing community, in what’s sure to be a well-attended session at DBW 2016.”
Panelists in the DBW session include: Dominique Raccah (@draccah), CEO, Sourcebooks; Susan Ruszala, president, NetGalley (@NetGalley); Joanna Stone Herman, managing director, DeSilva+Phillips (@desilvaphillips); Katherine McCahill, senior director, apps channel, Penguin Random House (@penguinrandom); and panel moderator Charlotte Abbott (@charabbott), digital publishing, social media and marketing strategist, Abbott Communications and INscribe Digital.
Transformation in Publishing: Quarto & Sourcebooks
Sourcebooks’ Dominique Raccah is also presenting at DBW 2016 on transformation, along with Marcus Leaver, CEO of The Quarto Group. Their session is titled “Transformation in Publishing: Quarto & Sourcebooks.” The Quarto Group is the leading global illustrated book publisher, and Sourcebooks is one of the largest independent book publishers in the United States and is home to dozens of bestselling authors.
Raccah will discuss how her company has changed by creating new direct-to-consumer business models and revenue streams, one of which is Put Me In The Story. Put Me In The Story builds and delivers customized children’s books and other products based on bestselling titles licensed from all publishers. Put Me In the Story just announced that it’s partnering exclusively with Barnes & Noble, Inc., to introduce the personalized books platform into many of the retailer’s brick and mortar stores and online at BN.com/putmeinthestory.
At DBW 2016, Raccah will describe how Sourcebooks’ new businesses have impacted the entire organization and how Sourcebooks is becoming an even more powerful publisher on its own and through the new capabilities it has built.
Also during the session, The Quarto Group‘s Leaver will present on transformation. Quarto was assembled largely by acquisition since its founding in 1976. Its CEO since 2013, Leaver, spent the first two years of his tenure reorganizing the company internally and positioning it for further growth. Leaver will share how The Quarto Group has rationalized the service elements of the company and recognized that the company’s creative efforts fall into 10 discrete “vertical” (topical) areas. These areas are now represented as components of a new overarching “Quarto Knows” brand, and this new global corporate structure enables rapid growth either organically or by acquisition.
Quarto Publishing Group USA, part of The Quarto Group, recently announced the acquisition of The Harvard Common Press, an independent publisher primarily focused on cooking and childcare. The purchase, which was completed on Feb. 1, adds hundreds of titles to the Quarto backlist as well as more than 25,000 recipes. The acquisition furthers Quarto’s position as a leading publisher of lifestyle-oriented titles for consumer markets.
Other DBW sessions on transformation include: “Transformation at Ingram Content Companies“; “Transformation at Rodale“; “Transformation at Wiley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt“; and “Transformation in Publishing: NetGalley and Diversion Books.”
Investment Trends in Digital Publishing and Media
Among its many education sessions, DBW 2016 also presents “Investment Trends in Digital Publishing and Media.” The panelists in this session have all been on the frontline of disruption and continue to leverage it to transform how digital content is created, delivered and consumed. They are both operators and investors who bring unique perspectives to any discussion about the technology the DBW audience needs to anticipate and understand. Topics include: emerging trends in digital content, key investment themes, challenges to early-stage investing, what to expect over the next two to three years, who’s at risk and who will win. The panel will be led by David Joseph, the former Morgan Stanley Internet analyst and co-founder of Hatch Group, a venture development firm that scales new tech businesses from ideation to commercialization.
The Book Buyer’s Journey: Understanding the Consumer Path to Purchase
In this session, expert marketers along with players who track consumer behavior will shed light on how publishers can provide the right information to the right people at the right time, to convert a customer’s book discovery into a purchase. Panelists include: Peter McCarthy (@petermccarthy), co-founder and chief creative officer, The Logical Marketing Agency; Tom Thompson, senior vice president, digital strategy/group director, Verso Advertising (@VersoDigital); Peter Hildick-Smith, president, Codex Group, board member of the Book Industry Study Group.
Digital Audio
This DBW 2016 panel will talk about the growth the digital audio market has seen and what the drivers for growth might be in the future. Panelists include: Erica Lazzaro, general counsel and director of publisher services, OverDrive, Inc. (@OverDriveLibs); Troy Juliar, senior vice president, content and acquisitions, Recorded Books, LLC (@recordedbooks); and Amanda D’Acierno, senior vice president, publisher, Penguin Random House Audio, Fodor’s, Living Language at Penguin Random House (@penguinrandom).
DBW 2016 is produced by F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company in partnership with Publishers Launch Conferences.
Visit digitalbookworldconference.com to register (the best early-bird rates expire Feb. 8; the final pre-conference registration rate expires March 6).
Also download the new, complimentary DBW white paper, Viewpoints on Publishing’s Digital Transformation, which features DBW 2016 speakers: digitalbookworldconference.com/index.php/whitepaper.
About…
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).
