By far the largest BookExpo exhibitor in terms of space on the floor at the Javits Center was the international distributor Ingram Content Group, which is an interesting comment on this publishers’ trade show in itself.
Its area for meetings covered more floor space than any of the Big Five’s installations. And its self-publishing program IngramSpark had its own stand running parallel to the main space, as it did at the London Book Fair. Another “street” of 20 or more smaller stands presented publishers who use Ingram Publisher Services.
Of special interest to writers, IngramSpark—which last month was honored by the Authors Guild with its award for distinguished service to the writing community—made an interesting move during BookCon on Saturday and Sunday. The self-publishing program worked with Publishers Weekly’s BookLife to offer a five-hour program for BookCon attendees, on both days, who might want to publish their own books. The main Ingram space for meetings was transitioned to a theater space for the program, which featured author CJ Lyons, Smashwords’ Mark Coker, and more.
Bottom line: In a year in which BookExpo largely dismissed self-published authors, IngramSpark director Robin Cutler and Publishers Weekly’s Carl Pritzkat took note of ReedPOP’s stated interest in getting more adults onto the floor of BookCon. A hunch that more mature attendees might themselves be interested in writing paid off. Before noon on Saturday, more than 160 attendees had registered for the program.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
