101 episodes

"Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)" wants to make you a smarter publisher by giving you access to powerful ideas, strategies, and tools for success.

Our interview guests are independent publishers, author publishers, and hybrid publishers, as well as distributors, printers, reviewers, booksellers, marketers, visionaries, and opinion leaders from all sectors of the book publishing industry.

We are sponsored and supported by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the largest book publishing association in the U.S. serving independent publishers and author publishers. IBPA’s vision is a world where every independent publisher has the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage in all aspects of the publishing industry.

Your host is IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services Christopher Locke.

Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA‪)‬ Christopher Locke

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 17 Ratings

"Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)" wants to make you a smarter publisher by giving you access to powerful ideas, strategies, and tools for success.

Our interview guests are independent publishers, author publishers, and hybrid publishers, as well as distributors, printers, reviewers, booksellers, marketers, visionaries, and opinion leaders from all sectors of the book publishing industry.

We are sponsored and supported by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the largest book publishing association in the U.S. serving independent publishers and author publishers. IBPA’s vision is a world where every independent publisher has the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage in all aspects of the publishing industry.

Your host is IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services Christopher Locke.

    Solutions to Independent Publishers’ Challenges with Traditional Distribution

    Solutions to Independent Publishers’ Challenges with Traditional Distribution

    Distribution continues to be one of the most consequential pain points for independent publishers, and with fewer and fewer distributors from which publishers can choose, it seems like major changes need to occur to fix the system. Microcosm Publishing’s Founder and CEO Joe Biel joins "Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to chat about ideas for how distribution can be improved for indie publishers; the repercussions of the recent closure of Small Press Distribution; why so many independent distributors have shut down; and much more.

    • 50 min
    Learn from Holloway’s Clever Direct-to-Consumer Sales & Discoverability Techniques

    Learn from Holloway’s Clever Direct-to-Consumer Sales & Discoverability Techniques

    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.

    • 41 min
    Advice to Sell Your Books’ International Rights

    Advice to Sell Your Books’ International Rights

    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.

    • 37 min
    Tips to Level Up Your Independent Publishing Business

    Tips to Level Up Your Independent Publishing Business

    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!

    • 50 min
    Independent Publishing’s Biggest Challenges & Opportunities in 2024

    Independent Publishing’s Biggest Challenges & Opportunities in 2024

    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.

    • 47 min
    Important Lessons Learned from TOKYOPOP’s Incredible Resurgence of Success

    Important Lessons Learned from TOKYOPOP’s Incredible Resurgence of Success

    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.

    • 36 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
17 Ratings

17 Ratings

JBhumitra ,

Great topics, fantastic host

This podcast is excellent! The topics and rotating guests are always well-chosen, but I especially like how host Christopher Locke guides the guests with intelligent and helpful questions—the details we really want to know about various facets of indie publishing but are too afraid to ask. Locke is also charismatic and funny and makes every episode entertaining. I’ll keep tuning in!

Lightboxr ,

Love it

Great insight. Answered some questions I had. Thank you. Looking forward to the next ones.

mrlan888 ,

Deep dive into indie publishing

This is a really solid interview style podcast about independent book publishing. The host brings a lot of knowledge to the interviews, and has a good sense of humor which helps carry along the discussions. It is professionally produced. I particularly enjoyed the episode about Indesign, which I knew almost nothing about before I listened to the program.

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