Ready to create your first author website or redesign on a budget? Either way, your goal is the same: to improve your Internet presence. Acquire without spending a fortune the basics of do-it-yourself websites, how to register a domain name and where to find reliable hosting. You’ll also discover the best sources for website templates, services and software. Armed with a little knowledge of HTML, you’ll be able to update your own website and not have to wait (or pay) someone else to do it.
Class organizer and speakers: Lars Clawson, AmericanAuthor.com.
Speakers: TBA.

Is your website a relic from the past? Website WOW will reveal the secrets that will transform your website into a dynamic customer-attraction machine. By using these easy-to-implement techniques, your site will no longer resemble a stale online brochure. Learn how to engage your audience within the first three seconds and funnel prospective buyers through a powerful relationship-building process. Website WOW is the class you need to turn your website into a powerful marketing tool.
Class organizer and speaker: Jeniffer Thompson, Monkey C Media.
Speakers: Andrew Chapman, Ask the Publishing Pro; Penny Sansevieri, Author Marketing Experts.

You know about Amazon.com’s Advantage program and the importance of having lots of five-star customer reviews. If that’s the only way you’re using Amazon, you are missing the book promotion boat and leaving money on the table. Discover the many creative ways to use new interactive features of Amazon to create awareness and stimulate sales. Learn about AuthorConnect, Listmania and So You Wanna lists, video book reviews, tags, search suggestions, Amazon Friends, the simple power of your profile page and more.
Class organizer and speaker: Bob Baker, TheBuzzFactor.com.
Speakers: TBA.

Are you still trying to wrap your brain around the concept of blogs? Confused by RSS feeds and blog readers? Come to this class to find out what blogging is, why you need to tap into it, and how you can leverage blogs to your advantage. Learn about the pros and cons of Blogger, Wordpress, LiveJournal and other blog services. Discover the most basic elements every author blog should have, as well as the best ways to attract potential book buyers and build your blog subscriber base.
Class organizers and speakers: Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad.

This powerful class will teach you the psychology behind online surfing, what makes someone exit a sales page before buying and how to turn your website into a book-selling machine. Discover how to connect with your audience by writing irresistible sales copy, creating enticing offers that increase sales, and gathering potential buyer information for future use. You will also learn how to organically optimize your site for higher search engine results. Understanding the elements that convert traffic into revenue is the first step to batting a thousand in the Internet big leagues.
Class organizer and speaker: Jeniffer Thompson, Monkey C Media.
Speakers: Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad.

Reach out and find your online audience—and help them find you! Web 2.0 makes it possible for you to create an online community and encourage viral marketing that will turn your book into an online success! From social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and EONs to content-sharing sites like DIGG.com and del.icio.us, you will be able to target your market and create a buzz that will drive traffic and sell more books. With Web 2.0 strategies, you have more control to create fresh new content that will entice both your readers and search engines like Google. Plus, you will learn how to develop online marketing strategies using YouTube, Flickr, podcasting, book trailers and much more. Get a jump on Web 2.0!
This is an advanced class. To participate, you must have taken the Advanced Track or one of the basic web classes offered in the Internet Track.
Class organizer and speaker: Penny Sansevieri, Author Marketing Experts.
Speakers: David Stohm, Strominator.com; Bob Baker, TheBuzzFactor.com.

So you’ve written an eBook or are thinking of writing one. You’ve heard about people making thousands of dollars in passive income 24/7 from eBook sales. You’ve tried to sell eBooks, but for some reason, you’re not making any money. Where’s the profit in ebooks? Do they still make sense in the YouTube era? Can you really make money from eBooks? YES! And lots of it.

Making money from eBooks takes more than a well-written product. You need to know how to package it, promote it, develop a sales pages that will draw people in, find the market, know what motivates buyers and understand what it takes for people to willingly pull their credit card out of their pocket to make the purchase.

Kathleen Gage has been writing, promoting and selling eBooks for years. She consistently generates thousands of dollars in sales with each eBook she takes to market. Learn what she does and how you can do the very same thing.

Clas organizer and speaker: Kathleen Gage, Street Smarts Marketing
Speakers: TBA.

Now that you have an author blog it’s time to take it to next level by generating some big buzz. You’ll learn what your blog should and should not include, the secrets to building a groundswell of dedicated readers, the best and worst tactics for blog outreach, and the right ways to highlight and promote your book via a blog. You’ll also discover tips to help you get coverage from other bloggers and citizen journalists, position your blog in the blogosphere, and reach out to your core group of potential readers. This class will also address Blogger vs. Wordpress, blogrolls, how to use Feedburner, blog e-mail subscriptions, and how to write keyword-rich post titles, link bait and “cornerstone content.”
This is an advanced course. To participate, you must have taken the Advanced Track or the “Blogging Basics for Authors and Publishers” course or be an active blogger.
Class organizer and speaker: Nettie Hartsock, Hartsock Communications.
Speakers: Scott Ginsberg, HelloMyNameIsScott.com.

Are you fully utilizing the benefits of Print-on-Demand (POD)? Find out how POD can transform your publishing business. Bring out-of-print books, or out-of-copyright volumes, back into play with economical, microquantity print runs. POD extends the “long tail” of your business, allowing you to exploit niches and microniches. With POD you can make corrections to a recently published book or even consider making frequent, instant updates. Today’s POD offers color printing, and some vendors offer capabilities for digital online extras. Discover how publishers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers are using POD to find new customers. POD—not just for backlist anymore!
Class organizer and speaker: John W. Warren, RAND Corporation.
Speakers: Jeff Harris, Rowman & Littlefield; Ron Powers, Lighting Source.

The total image and success of your book has as much to do with paper choice and print process selection as the words on the page. Should you use 50- or 60-pound paper? If you have photos, which paper is best? What kind of press is best for your book? Go to school on the principles of good book printing and see the results in your next profitability report card.
Class organizer and speaker: Lisa Pelto, Concierge Marketing.
Speakers: Mike Veso, Westcom Associates.

Whether your book is purchased by many or by few, having a top-notch cover is imperative. The quality of the cover will determine whether booksellers, libraries and consumers will buy. This is not the time to shop for bargains—quality is the only way to go. The colors, fonts, photos or illustration style you choose for your book cover are crucial. This class will explore the elements that will take the appearance of your book from ordinary to extraordinary. Learn the secrets to great book covers and interior designs!
Class organizer and speaker: Peri Poloni Gabriel, Knockout Design.
Speakers: Pamela Terry, Opus 1 Design; Penelope Paine, Paper Posie Publishing.

Is it enough to be fueled by passion for your topic and armed with a dynamite cover and an effective marketing plan? No! The missing element is strong editing. Your book must be professionally edited and must have the clarity, the organization and the right tone for your target audience. Where do you go to get help? Do you understand the different types of editing: developmental editing, professional copyediting and proofreading? Listen to this panel of top book editors and learn the basics of perfecting your book’s contents.
Class organizer: Rod Colvin, Addicus Books.
Speakers: Jennifer Redmond, Sunbelt Publications; Brian Richman, Iowa Wordwrights, LLC.

This class will examine the many ways to clarify your publishing mission and define what you most want to publish—and how to get it from authors. You’ll learn the difference between query letters and proposals, and why to ask for both—and in what order. You’ll also learn what constitutes a first draft of a book and how it differs from a finished manuscript. The panel will also discuss how acquisition editors can contribute to the marketing and promotion programs by turning their authors into marketing partners.
Class organizer and speaker: Jennifer Redmond, Sunbelt Publications.
Speakers: Mike Harris, La Frontera Publishing, Kimberly Cole, Iota Publishing.

Confused about which direction to go for printing? Are you unsure about your choices or even the terminology? This option-filled class could save you significant time, money and frustration. With frank discussion of the various types of printing processes you’ll learn what choices are best for each of your books. The panel will present options and answer questions on offset, Web, and POD printing both in North America and offshore.
Class organizer and speaker: Rita Mills, The Book Connection.
Speakers: Terry Rayner, Americas Press; Craig Landers, Taylor Specialty books.

With over 50 years of combined design experience, our panel provides insider information on how to start your book design on the right track. We’ll talk about doing complete market research before hiring a designer, what source materials to provide and how to develop a workable (and realistic) production schedule. Discover how to communicate your ideas effectively (without suffocating your designer’s creativity). Learn creative design solutions for multiple print productions processes from traditional offset to print-on-demand and e-books. You will gain the knowledge necessary to plan your future book design and checklists to guide you to success.
This is an advanced class. To participate, you must have taken the Advanced Track or the “Covers That Sell: Essential Elements of Great Book Design” class.
Class organizer and speaker: Peri Poloni Gabriel, Knockout Design.
Speakers: Shannon Bodie, Lightbourne; Michael Rohani, RD Studio.

Book packagers and book shepherds provide useful services that make the beginning publisher’s learning curve shorter. They can also make the experienced publisher’s product-development cycle smoother and faster. This class will examine the functions packagers and shepherds perform. When is it appropriate to use their services? What are the best ways to get the most out of what they do? The panel is composed of publishing veterans with intimate and practical knowledge of packaging and book shepherding. Find out how these services can contribute to your bottom line.
Class organizer and speaker: Bob Goodman, Silvercat Publications.
Speakers: Cynthia Frank, Cypress House; Karla Olson, Book Studio Books.

Each phase of book development needs a different type of editor. This panel of veteran publishers will help you decide which kinds of editors you need. You will learn the difference between developmental editing and copyediting and about other tasks editors perform to make sure the text is perfect before your book contents go to the designer. If you want to produce books that sell, you need professional editing. Better editing means better books that have a much better chance at success.
Class organizer and speaker: Pam Art, Storey Publishing.
Speakers: Jennifer Redmond, Sunbelt Publications; Deborah Balmuth, Storey Publishing.

You’ve heard of speed-dating on the personal side—well, here is speed-dating for your professional side. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to size-up the top book distributors all in one location. Over the course of an hour and a half, attendees will be divided into small groups, each meeting with a different distributor for 12 minutes to hear about each company and ask questions. A bell will sound and the groups will move to the next distributor until each has been seen. Meet key staff and get your questions answered. Sign up for this class if you are just starting in publishing and want to find a distributor.
The following distributors will be available for dating: Julie Schaper, Consortium; Mark Suchomel, IPG; Janet McDonald and Craig Pollock, IPS (Ingram); Davida Breier, NBN; Eric Kampmann, Midpoint; Elise Cannon, PGW; Darren Henry, STL (Christian Publishers); Clint Greenleaf and Meg La Borde, Greenleaf; and Tom Doherty, Cardinal Publishers Group.
Class organizer: Marianne Bohr, NBN.

Get your questions answered at this informative session with key players from the top wholesalers. Representatives from Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Bookazine and regional wholesalers will give brief overviews of their companies, followed by an extended Q&A session. This class is intended for publishers who already have a general understanding of how to work with these companies but are looking for more in-depth information, including how to increase buys, how to gain access to wholesaler sales and demand reporting, subtleties of the distribution process, relationships between wholesalers and retailers and emerging trends. Attend this class if you have been in publishing for 3-5 years and need answers to your specific questions.
Class organizer and speaker: Nancy Stewart, Ingram Book Company.
Speakers: A representative from Baker & Taylor; and a  representative from a Regional Wholesaler.

Selling to trade bookstores is every publisher's dream. Find out what you need to know to get your titles accepted by these key accounts. What are they looking for? What do you need to provide? What changes are affecting these retailers? Get your questions answered at this informative session by key retail players. Representatives from Barnes & Noble, Borders and an independent bookseller will give brief overviews of their companies and information about working with their companies and will answer your questions.
Class organizer and moderator: Marianne Bohr, National Book Network.
Speakers: Marcella Smith, Barnes & Noble, Inc.; Christine Edwards, Borders Group, Inc.; Paul Hanson, Eagle Harbor Bookstore.

Reaching the academic, professional and medical markets is key for many small publishers. Yet the process and the players are different and confusing. Discover critical promotion strategies and how to determine the right time, right place, right book! Learn how to tap the distribution channels and who the players are. Discover the marketing tactics to reach decision makers with the right message and creating the sale.
Class organizer and moderator: Robin Bartlett, American Heart Association.
Speakers: TBA.

You wrote your book to share your message and make money. This entertaining and informative class shows how to reach more people and make more money than selling one book at a time ever will. You’ll wonder why you never did this before. Learn from those who have been successful with this technique. Leverage your content into at least seven products, with minimal costs. Identify new and larger bulk sales clients, with no returns. Create “rights” deals online or offline. Leave this session with renewed energy and new ideas for products and markets.
Class organizer and speaker: Paulette Ensign, Tips Products International.
Speakers: Sam Henrie, Wheatmark Inc.; Jacqueline Church Simonds, Beagle Bay, Inc.

The Internet brings an additional world of retailers that may often be intimidating for publishers. This golden opportunity also comes with a challenging learning curve. What’s the latest from Amazon, BN.com, BookSense and Borders.com? What are the differences and how do you set up with each? Are sales through these channels really worth it? The answer is YES, so come and listen to Internet experts and learn the strategies for achieving success.
Class organizer and moderator: Sharon Castlen, Integrated Book Marketing.
Speakers: TBA.

Does your book fit the Hispanic market? Capture the tools to evaluate your book’s potential. Learn about Hispanic readers, the topics of interest to them and their purchasing behavior. Understand why adoption, translations and editing are critical book development issues. Learn the unique aspects of marketing and sales strategies that apply to the Hispanic market. Bring your questions and be prepared to share your experiences. A resource guide of the key players in the industry will be provided at the end of the course.
Class organizer and speaker: Jonathan Ruiz, Velazquez Press.
Speaker: Rachael Sills, Velazquez Press.

The author, an excellent source of contacts, resources and doors to niche markets often goes untapped in the whole marketing process. Amazing but true! Do you have an author questionnaire to gain valuable insights about your authors and ways they can contribute? Whom does your author know that can be tapped for endorsements or even large volume sales? What organizations does your author know about or belong to? How can your authors reach out to their niches through speaking or bookstore signings? Listen to experienced veterans as they reveal how to tap your author’s skills and knowledge to help maximize sales.
Class organizer and speaker: Sharon Castlen, Integrated Book Marketing.
Speakers: Donna Babylon, Windsor Oak Press; Janey Bennett, Hopeace Press; Paul Hanson, Eagle Harbor Bookstore.

As the “religion” category continues to climb in sales, Christian and secular bookstores are selling your Christian titles. Churches and ministries also create volume sales. So what do you need to know to capture this huge market? The basic marketing tools are the same but the players, pricing and strategy are different. Seasoned professionals will share the critical differences in distribution and promotion. When is your book a “crossover book” from the Christian to secular stores? Discover new names in wholesalers, trade shows and media for Christian titles. Bring your questions and leave with answers plus valuable, necessary resources for your Christian titles.
Class organizer and speaker: Sharon Castlen, Integrated Book Marketing.
Speakers: Terry Draughon, STL.

It’s simply different when selling to the African American book market. Understanding these differences can translate into an incremental rise in sales or missed opportunities. Learn from those who have achieved success—what works and what doesn’t. Come away with key strategies and techniques for successful sales to African American readers. African American genres targeted include contemporary, history, celebrity bio, self-help and Christian.
Class organizer: James Fugate, Eso Won Books.
Speaker: Kassahun Checole, Africa World Press, Inc. & The Red Sea Press, Inc.

Special marketing and sales challenges are quickly evident to small publishers when selling to the educational market. What are the different goals, standards and procedures for selling books and ancillaries for students and teachers? Learn from those who are in the trenches and sell daily to the elementary and high school marketplace. What do you need to do differently, who are the key contacts, and how do you reach them are all addressed plus time for your specific questions.
Class speaker: Lee German, Sylvan Dell Publishing; others TBA.

Do I sell the rights of my book to a foreign publisher or do I find a distributor to sell my books in that country? Learn the answers to this question and find out more about international distribution and foreign rights sales. Discover which nonfiction categories are hot, and learn about various retailers worldwide, the principles of publishing your U.S. book overseas, the economics of selling internationally and how to maximize your revenue from international sales.
Class organizer and speaker: Les Petriw, NBN.
Speakers: Munro Magruder, New World Library; Amy Rennert, The Amy Rennert Agency, Inc.

Learn the six keys to selling more books and having fun doing it! Experienced publishers of children’s and young adult books share practical ideas for creative marketing and substantial sales. Find out the secrets to making $1,000 a day talking to children about your books, finding new target niches for your books, expanding your reach through libraries, leveraging awards to increase sales, securing endorsements that allow others to help sell your books, developing invaluable partnerships—all leading to your own individual map for success.
Class organizer: Lee German, Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Speaker: Richard Lowe, National Book Network.

How can you catch the librarian’s eye to increase the likelihood that your title will appear on the library shelf? What makes a library marketing campaign successful? How can you increase library sales on your new and backlist titles? Learn from a panel of experts how to increase your sales to the library marketplace. Leaders in publishing, distribution and library administration will share with you how to successfully sell and market to librarians nationwide.
Class organizer and moderator: Sally Neher, Baker & Taylor.
Speakers: Shelley Ekeroth, County of Los Angeles Public Library; David Hargrave, Baker & Taylor.

Do you want to attract larger, more profitable sales with no returns? Be a magnet for the big bucks by finding new and profitable opportunities in nonbookstore markets. Sell large quantities of books to corporations, associations and discount stores. Find the loadstone for lucrative sales of more books to supermarkets, schools, warehouse clubs, the military and even on home-shopping networks. Book clubs, catalogs and many other outlets are easy to find if you know where to look. You will have all the secrets after attending this session.
Class organizer and speaker: Brian Jud, Book Marketing Works, LLC.
Speaker: Dan Poynter, Para Publishing.

How and where do you find buyers in special markets—people who buy your books on short discount with no returns? Here’s an opportunity to participate in one-on-one meetings with people who can buy your books in large quantities. After a brief introduction of concepts and strategies, we will break into small groups. Come prepared to pitch your books to a niche buyer. Here’s a chance to make new contacts that can help you sell more books in high volume for years to come.
Class organizer: Frank Gromling, Ocean Publishing.

Sign up for 10-minute mock TV interviews with an actual TV host and producer, with real lights and cameras. You will be interviewed “on the air” for 5 minutes and receive a 5-minute critique. Experience what it feels like to be in front of a “white hot spotlight” and a live audience. Media training can cost thousands of dollars. This is a rare opportunity to gain experience and insight from TV experts. You must bring a video tape to take your performance and critique home with you. This class is limited to the first 20 persons to sign up. Observers are welcome to attend and learn.
This is an advanced course. To participate, you must be an experienced publisher.
Class organizer and moderator: Brian Jud, Book Marketing Works, LLC.
Speaker: Judy Jernudd, Startegic.

A complete mini media-training course with tactics you need to prepare for radio and TV interviews. Discover hints and strategies for selling more books on the air. Apply memory techniques to use if your mind goes blank and how to adjust your answers to the amount of time allotted on the show. We’ll cover special hints for radio to improve your interviews when taking calls from listeners and dealing with belligerent callers. Find new ways to communicate effectively on television as you project confidence and use your body language, gestures and facial expressions strategically. You must take this course before participating in the mock interviews in “It’s Show Time.”
Class organizer and speaker: Brian Jud, Book Marketing Works, LLC.
Speaker: Judy Jernudd, Startegic.

What’s the least expensive form of book promotion? Of course, it’s word-of-mouth. That’s when readers, retailers and the media do your marketing for you by recommending your books and raving about them to their friends. It’s also called generating buzz—that elusive level of public awareness that every author wants but few attain on a large scale. In this course, we dissect buzz and tell you what it is, how other authors and publishers have achieved it, and how you can do it too.
Class organizer: Bob Baker, The Buzz Factor.
Speakers: Scott Ginsberg, HelloMyNameIsScott.com.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a wholesaler and a distributor. Or how commission rep groups work? Or better yet, what do you need and how does the system work? This class will provide answers to these questions and more. Bring your questions for the always lively Q&A session.
Class organizer and speaker: Davida Breier, NBN.
Speakers: Charles Harrison, Ingram; Gavin Grant, Small Beer Press.

Good marketing starts at home, with who and what you know best. Three marketing experts, with experience in regional marketing, share their experiences, ideas, and successes to help you put a tiger in your tank and start off right. Just what makes a book regional? How big can your region be? Should you attend regional books shows, enter regional book awards? What about Booksense for a regional book? Have you faced major competition or roadblocks in marketing your book? With answers to these questions and more, wel grab that tiger by the tail, and start your day with a roar!
Class organizer and speaker: David Cole, Bay Tree Publishing.
Speakers: Frank Gromling, Ocean Publishing.

This dynamic, practical, and highly profitable class will show you how to significantly increase your book sales by developing and using professional speaking skills at bookstore events, conferences, seminars, events and trade shows. Learn how to create a powerful umbrella brand centered on your expertise and enhance your success as an author and a speaker. This course will also provide a proven formula for evaluating and defining the ideal target markets for your speaking engagements. Discover the inside secrets for creating a “killer keynote” presentation that will generate high demand for you and your topic.
Class organizer and speaker: Dick Bruso, Heard Above The Noise.
Speaker: Marc LeBlanc, Small Business Success.

Ideally, publishing fiction and poetry connects passionate creators with like-minded readers. Start by framing your marketing endeavor as nurturing long-term relationships with each book’s perfect reader, thus tapping into your authors’ imaginations. Step outside the bookstore box and learn to build audiences that appreciate the books and voices you offer. Innovative marketers of fiction and poetry outline proven techniques for attracting readers, including sponsorships, subscriptions, and performance, as well as adapting tools from nonfiction marketing. Create your niche, build momentum, connect with readers, expand the audience, and nurture those passionate author-reader relationships by staying in touch.
Class organizer and moderator: Bobbye Middendorf, Marketing Consultant & Copywriter.
Speakers: Cynthia Frank, Cypress House Press; Charlotte Cook, KOMENAR Publishing.

Create win-win relationships and results when you attract nontraditional partners, collaborators, strategic alliances, or joint ventures into your book and publishing marketing plans! In this discussion, experts share proven strategies for expanding sales, visibility, and buzz by leveraging marketing partnerships with causes, nonprofits, or nonpublishing collaborators related to your book’s content. Make the connections that lead to high-value branding for your title. You’ll learn to build your audience and your sales by identifying appropriate partners, making high-impact introductions and presentations, negotiating winning agreements, and building long-term alliances.
Class organizer and speaker: Bobbye Middendorf, Marketing Consultant & Copywriter.
Speakers: Maggie Lichtenberg, Open Heart Publishing; Robin Bartlett, American Heart Association.

It is important to know the needs of your audience when preparing sales and promotional materials. A sell sheet presented to a “big box” buyer needs to be different from a promotional flyer designed to capture media attention. While each one contains the basics—ISBN, price, format—the “pitch” is different. This class will help you understand the different needs and offer suggestions for creating clear and focused collateral materials.
Class organizer and speaker: Tressa Helvey, NBN.
Speaker: Betsy Young, The Harvard Common Press.

Who is your audience and how do you reach them? Niche publishers, who usually rely heavily on backlist sales, market their books and other related products to a select and targeted group whose needs they must intimately understand. This panel will share strategies for increased sales through Internet, print and e-newsletters, specialty conferences, associations, mailing lists, mixed media, and other tools. Each panelist will present numerous creative approaches to marketing and will answer questions from participants.
This is an advanced class. To participate, you must have taken the Advanced Track or the “Special Sales: Magnetic Marketing for Maximum Money” class.
Class organizer and speaker: Leigh Cohn, Gürze Books.
Speakers: J. McCrary; Sharon Castlen, Integrated Book Marketing.

If you print it they will come. That concept might have worked a few years ago, but not in today’s crowded publishing marketplace. Every book, large or small, needs a marketing plan that will target a market and drive consumers to purchase. Join industry professionals as we look at creative ways to plan, market and sell your titles. Learn why successful marketing begins at acquisition and ends at remaindering. Appreciate why your marketing plans should evolve over time, the importance of developing a title specific marketing calendar and how best to work with your authors and sales people to maximize your efforts.
Class organizer and speaker: Jeanne Kramer, NBN.
Speaker: TBA.

Sign up for 10-minute mock TV interviews with an actual TV host and producer, with real lights and cameras. You will be interviewed “on the air” for 5 minutes and receive a 5-minute critique. Experience what it feels like to be in front of a “white hot spotlight” and a live audience. Media training can cost thousands of dollars. This is a rare opportunity to gain experience and insight from TV experts. You must bring a video tape to take your performance and critique home with you. This course is limited to the first 20 persons to sign up.
(Observers are welcome to attend and learn and don't need to register to attend.)
This is an advanced class. To participate, you must be an experienced publisher.
Class organizer and moderator: Brian Jud, Book Marketing Works, LLC.
Speaker: Judy Jernudd, Startegic.

Ever crossed your fingers when signing a publishing agreement? We all need to be aware of the important legal concerns of book publishing. This comprehensive overview session will focus on the top legal issues that arise in publishing, including copyright, permissions, trademark, defamation, rights of privacy and publicity, digital rights, licensing, contracts and more.
Class organizer and speaker: Lloyd Rich, Attorney at Law.

What is a book hook? How does it differ from a sound bite? How many hooks should an author have? What kinds of hooks capture media attention? And how do you translate these hooks into a media appearance or interview that sells books? Whether you are publishing fiction or nonfiction, every book and every author has a hook. This interactive session will teach you how to go beyond your book for the best hooks. Bring your working ideas and your elevator speech, and learn how to mine your expertise and your topic for the hooks that will make you media relevant and capture audience attention. This class will call on audience members for participation.
Class organizer and moderator: Antoinette Kuritz, Literary Strategies.
Speakers: Joel Roberts, Joel Roberts and Associates.

What should be included in a virtual media room? Do you have enough information? Have you included too much? With an electronic media room, you don’t have to guess what a reporter wants or overload the media with materials. This class will discuss in detail the key components that electronic media rooms should contain, as well as optional pieces that can be created depending on your publicity needs and goals. In addition, attendees will learn how to use this material to attract the media to their website by creating a consistent look and feel that reflects their personal brand and sets them apart from the competition.
Class organizer and speaker: Kate Bandos, KSB Productions.
Speakers: Susan Foster, Smart Travel Press; Kathy Sena, Freelance Journalist.

The foundation of any good publicity campaign starts with the right building blocks set atop a solid platform. This session will set in place the cornerstones needed to effectively launch a new book—establishing an overall plan and timeline—and will build from there emphasizing the key elements from pitch letters/emails and galleys to trade reviews, releases and more. Attendees will be given a tested industry timeline, along with other valuable and practical handouts that they can depend on long after Publishing University is over. An independent publisher will contribute first-hand, successful examples, including important dos and don’ts of publicity learned the hard way.
Class organizer, moderator and speaker: Kate Siegel Bandos, KSB Promotions.
Speakers: Heather Shaw, ForeWord Magazine, Maggie Anton Parkhurst, Banot Press.

Having established a solid foundation (see Basic Publicity Course I), the options for constructing a campaign are almost limitless. In this session, jump-start your own ideas by learning strategies that have worked for other independent publishers. Sample releases, articles and suggested resource lists will be provided with uses and importance outlined. Come prepared to share your book/project PR materials and get immediate feedback. A media representative will offer tips on what piques an editor/producer’s attention. An award-winning independent publisher will share her experience with successful ongoing publicity campaigns.
Class organizer, moderator and speaker: Kate Siegel Bandos, KSB Promotions.
Speakers: Susan Foster, Smart Travel Press; Catharine Hamm, Los Angeles Times.

Put your authors on a world tour without spending a dime on transportation or lodging. There’s a strong consensus about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to online author tours. Learn how to produce an online author tour and promote it like a pro; pitch your authors as guests to blogmasters, chat hosts and discussion group moderators; do advance promotion for online tours; and work around problems. This class covers chat tours, blog tours, online seminar programs, and other clever ways to interact with readers on the Internet.
Class organizer, moderator and speaker: Steve O’Keefe, Patron Saint Productions, Inc.

Take this class to learn how to build, maintain and capitalize on relationships with editors, producers, freelancers, bloggers and all media. Learn the art of building relationships with journalists—and pitching accordingly. Discover some tricks of the trade to approach journalists and ensure they will always take your call. Each member of the media likes to be approached differently. Discover how to make lasting, good impressions and not blow it by coming on too strong. See how the “Goldilocks Rule” can change your relationships with the media.
Class organizer: Marika Flatt, PR By The Book, LLC.
Speaker: Erin Saxton, The Idea Network, Inc.

Do you grind your teeth when you turn on the TV or radio to see and hear their authors instead of yours? You may need a publicist! This panel will give you both sides of the story of hiring and getting the most from a publicist—from the publicists themselves and from a publisher who’s been through the process. Bring your questions and ideas and let us help you keep your teeth for years to come!
This is an advanced class. To participate, you must have taken the Advanced Track or the Basic Publicity I and II classes.
Class organizer and moderator: Paul F. Eno, New River Press.
Speakers: TBA.

While everyone understands Amazon’s importance as a sales option, there are definite ways to use this book site as part of your online presence for publicity purposes. This session will show how and why it is important to add better artwork, late-breaking reviews, new endorsements, a book excerpt, a longer author bio, and reader reviews. The focus will be on what you can do for free to enhance your Amazon page so it is working for you all the time. This session will critique several attendees’ Amazon pages. You may volunteer your Amazon page in advance of the meeting for possible critique. For consideration, send an email to Steve O’Keefe at steve.okeefe@patronsaintpr.com.
Class organizer, moderator and speaker: Steve O’Keefe, Patron Saint Productions, Inc.

Your news releases, one-sheets, producer sheets, and other materials are meant to position you as an expert/authority on producer rolodexes and to garner you great media coverage. If your materials aren’t resulting in placement at a fever pitch, we’ve got the cure! Seasoned professionals who view materials every day will briefly explain what producers and interviewers look for. Then we’ll break into small-group discussions, rotating every ten minutes so you’ll get a variety of “diagnoses.” Limited to 50 attendees! Be sure to bring your publicity materials to the meeting.
Class organizer and moderator: Melanie Rigney, Editor For You.

A great interview, a well-placed article, or a good review can make sales of your book go through the roof. So how do you pique media interest? How do you get the opinion makers to respond to your call, your email, or your mailing? Learn directly from some of the movers and shakers in the media just what they are looking for in a guest, interview or article; what kind of PR materials make them sit up and take notice; what it takes to get their attention and to make them put you in print or on the air; and what turns them off. This interactive panel discussion will provide practical, useful knowledge, so bring your questions!
Class organizers and moderators: Antoinette Kuritz, Literary Strategies; Joanne McCall, McCall Public Relations.
Panelists: Dave Berg, Senior Producer, Tonight Show; Michelle Anton, Former Oprah Producer, Former Dr. Laura Producer; Nita Valens, The Nita Valens Radio Show; Kalina Rahal, Morning Show Senior Producer, KTLA, Los Angeles.

Media competition is fierce, and once you get media, making it translate into sales is an art. Learn how to get past the competition and onto producer Rolodexes, and then how to translate those all-important interviews and appearances into sales. Getting the interview is only the first step. Translating it into interest in you and your book is the all-important step that will sell your book. Learn how to make yourself media-relevant and then how to make the media work for you! Bring your PR materials and your best pitch to this interactive session.
Class organizer and moderator: Antoinette Kuritz, Literary Strategies.
Speakers: Joanne McCall, McCall Public Relations.

This high-energy “how-to” session offers you a multitude of creative direct & internet marketing techniques for authors and publishers. You’ll walk away with a wealth of up-to-the-minute strategies, innovative techniques and bold new ideas proven to help you build your lists and sell more books. Don’t miss this chance to energize and ignite your online marketing strategies.
You’ll learn:
• 14 techniques to turbo-charge your results, even on a limited budget;
• The inside secrets of social media marketing
• When pay-per-click is right for you.
• Blogging tactics for authors and publishers
• How to design or redesign your website to increase conversions;
• How to use the PSP method™ for increasing sales as much as 500%!
• How to create your Internet massive action plan
Attend this session and you might get selected for a special “marketing-makeover” hot seat critique of your web site! This program is not just another boring breakout session, but an interactive "action-training" that creates a lasting positive impact – Guaranteed!
This is an advanced class. To participate, you must have taken the Advanced Track or the Basic Publicity I and II classes.
Class moderator: Ford Saeks, Prime Concepts Group, Inc.
Panelist: Antoinette Kuritz, Strategies Literary PR, La Jolla Writers Conference.

Congratulations! Attending Publishing University is your first step on the path to publishing success. What’s next? How about networking with fellow publishers in your regional affiliate group, reaching thousands of libraries and bookstores with news of your books, and saving money while accessing educational opportunities that are second to none? Find out about these and many more services offered by PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association to help you grow your publishing program. Learn what PMA can do for you. Join with 4,200 publishing members who have taken the NEXT step to publishing success.
Speakers: Florrie Binford Kichler, President, PMA/IBPA, Patria Press; Carlene Sippola, Chair, PMA Affiliates, Whole Person Associates.

Learn how to “walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk” as if you’d been in the publishing business for 25 years from someone who has! This class highlights the three days of Publishing University programming and provides insightful recommendations for what courses to take and how to budget your time. No matter how many times you’ve attended Publishing University in the past you’ll welcome the valuable handouts and savvy advice to get the most from your Publishing University experience.
Speaker: Robin Bartlett, Educational Chair, PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, American Heart Association.

Here is an opportunity to hear one of today’s most successful and innovative independent publishers speak about her dramatic and insightful experiences as she built her growing company. Dominique Raccah, President and CEO of Sourcebooks, will share her “I Did It and So Can You” publishing story. Passionate about books she has published, Dominique declares: “The issue for book publishers in the coming decade is readership and it will continue to be readership. We need to explain to the nation why reading matters and specifically why reading books matters. It is a conversation we need to start having and include everyone: librarians, teachers and our customers. Books are different, books are not the Internet, books are not a screen, books give you a different kind of information and experience.” Come, be inspired and have the opportunity to participate in the Q&A session.
Speaker: Dominique Raccah, President and CEO, Sourcebooks.

We all would like to have one, but what elements actually go into the making of a best seller? And just what constitutes a best seller anyway? This eye-opening course presents a road map of the basic actions a publisher needs to follow to create a bestseller. One of the greatest mistakes a publisher can make is to think that everything needs to be done in the first week of launch. Publishing a book is a lot like having a baby and raising a child. You have to work on the publication every day and build it step-by step to maturity. John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, will present some practical and revealing information designed to help you be just as successful as the big guys. Pull out your microscopes and come away from this course with easy-to-understand, practical information that will help any independent publisher position its titles to achieve maximum success in its publishing niche.
Class organizer and speaker: John Kremer, Open Horizons Press.

Want to build equity without building an empire? Learn from three savvy and successful publishers how to stay small while thinking big as they share their secrets for staying profitable. Who needs a huge warehouse and fleet of trucks? In the 21st century it’s all about outsourcing and the “virtual office.” Discover techniques for making the numbers work while staying “lean and mean.”
Class organizer and speaker: Carlene Sippola, Whole Person Associates.
Speakers: Florrie Binford Kichler, President, PMA/IBPA, Patria Press; Frank Gromling, Ocean Publishing.

Three BookExpo America veterans offer up a course full of tips, dos and don’ts and horror stories and more to help you survive the biggest book show in America while maximizing your company’s and authors’ presence. This panel consists of a distributor, publisher and author who have attended numerous Expos and survived to share their knowledge with you. We will show you how to prepare, what marketing materials to bring, how to network, what to do when everything falls apart and more. Join us for tips to help improve this year’s BEA and for years to come.
If you are a displaying Author at the PMA Cooperative Booth, you can apply for a FREE badge through that program.
Class organizer and speaker: Amanda Willis, MSB Media Group.
Speakers: Davida Breier, NBN; Ray Friesen, Don’t Eat Any Bugs Productions.

Publishing University is offering a special opportunity to meet with speakers and industry veterans for brief, one-on-one, private consulting sessions on a wide range of publishing topics. They can review your publishing direction, book jackets, marketing plans or anything else on which you’d like feedback. Bring your materials and bring your questions. Each attendee may sign up for up to two 10-minute appointments with any two Experts. (You may not meet with the same Expert twice.)
Your appointment schedule will be distributed to you when you check in at the University. The registration desk will have sign-up forms for any remaining open appointments.
Class organizer: Frank Gromling, Ocean Publishing.

Publishing University is offering a special opportunity to meet with speakers and industry veterans for brief, one-on-one, private consulting sessions on a wide range of publishing topics. They can review your publishing direction, book jackets, marketing plans or anything else on which you’d like feedback. Bring your materials and bring your questions. Each attendee may sign up for up to two 10-minute appointments with any two Experts. (You may not meet with the same Expert twice.)
Your appointment schedule will be distributed to you when you check in at the University. The registration desk will have sign-up forms for any remaining open appointments.
Class organizer: Frank Gromling, Ocean Publishing.

This session allows attendees to present their title or titles to a panel of top publishing experts and discuss ways in which you have marketed or positioned your title. You will also be able to explore new opportunities for expanding your sales universe. Bring your questions and receive expert professional advice on how to market and promote your book and leave this session ready to implement what you’ve learned. To participate, you must bring a copy of the book you want to brainstorm and a 500-word description and be prepared to make a one-minute presentation about how you have marketed in the past and what success you have achieved. For new titles, tell the panel how you plan to market this title and about the audience.
Class organizer and moderator: Florrie Binford Kichler, President, PMA/IBPA, Patria Press.
Panelists: The PMA Board of Directors.

Where am I now? Where do I want to be? How do I get there? In today’s fast-changing markets, you need to know this, and how to take advantage of current trends to get you where you want to be. Having a long-range business plan is vital, but if you fail to plan strategically for the short term, your enterprise will not live up to its potential. It might not even survive. Whether you are a new publisher or seek to take your established company to the next level, strategic planning allows you to determine your destiny. This panel presents valuable planning exercises, model templates and case studies that enable you to take a fresh look at your business and the direction it is heading.
Speakers: Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks; Kathy Welton, American Bar Association Publishing.

Discover how to put the three “Ps” of passion—purpose, positioning, and personality—into practice to build your publishing program. From developing your vision, mission, and purpose to creating a positioning statement, tagline, and personality attributes, you can create your own passion plan. Case studies will provide ideas and insights on how to reinvent publishing categories, simplify processes and procedures, and transform business challenges into opportunities. Learn the secrets of success to focus your energy so that passion + publishing = profits.
Speakers: Kathleen A. Welton, American Bar Association Publishing; Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks, Inc.

This course will provide an overview of trends in bookselling at Barnes & Noble, Inc., including www.BarnesandNoble.com. It will include a report on 2007 results and 1st quarter results for 2008 together with challenges and opportunities in bookselling in 2008. This session features Marcella Smith, Director Small Press and Vendor Relations for Barnes & Noble. Marcella will talk about trends in the industry, what drives the business, successful promotions, and how a publisher can develop a successful relationship with Barnes & Noble.
Class organizer and speaker: Marcella Smith, Barnes & Noble.

This course will provide an overview of trends in bookselling at Barnes & Noble, Inc., including www.BarnesandNoble.com. It will include a report on 2007 results and 1st quarter results for 2008 together with challenges and opportunities in bookselling in 2008. This session features Marcella Smith, Director, Small Press and Vendor Relations for Barnes & Noble. Marcella will talk about trends in the industry, what drives the business, successful promotions, and how a publisher can develop a successful relationship with Barnes & Noble.
Class organizer and speaker: Marcella Smith, Barnes & Noble.

This introductory class presents the financial topics every publisher must know. Learn to understand, develop and master budgets, financial statements, your P&L, reprint formulas and sales management tools. The success of your business will revolve around understanding your all-important cash flow—predicting, measuring and managing the flow of money coming into and going out of your company. You’ll leave this session knowing how to talk to your accountant like a pro.
Class organizer and speaker: Tom Woll, Cross River Publishing.

Most budgets are just numbers on a piece of paper, but they can be immensely powerful tools. Find out how to build a better budget, and how to use that budget to avoid future problems, spot opportunities and capitalize on your strengths. This class is a step-by-step, hands-on view of what goes into building a useful budget, what the process of building it can do for you, and how to use the end results to effect the greatest possible improvements in your bottom line.
Speaker: Marion Gropen, Gropen Associates.