In Bed With The Reader

This year’s Book Summit (Presented by the Book and Periodical Council and Humber College, in association with IFOA) which takes place in Toronto at Harbourfront Centre on Thursday June 19th is entitled “In Bed with the Reader: Marketing Uncovered” and explores how the relationship with the reader has grown more intimate. How do we learn about our customers? And how do they learn about the books they want to read and to buy? No matter the place or the platform, uncovering reader preference, proclivities, and passions has become the marketing focus.

Book Summit 2014 provides a full day of practical labs to update on social media, measurability, branding strategies, and effective distribution. Lively panel discussions will inspire and inform about new models in the publishing world as well as recent developments in subscriptions, fan fiction, self-publishing, and more.

Speakers this year include Mike Shatzkin, who will open up the day with a talk on that highlights trends and issues related to digital publishing, book distribution and the evolving relationship between authors and publishers and discuss what they all mean for publishers large and small, authors, booksellers, agents, and readers. Professionals from BookNet Canada, Scribd, Simon and Schuster, Penguin Books, Diversion Books and Upworthy among many more will be providing valuable insights, perspective and commentary.  Professionals from across the book industry will also be there, from agents, editors, publishers, distributors, librarians and booksellers — providing an incredible opportunity to network and connect with some of the brightest minds in the industry.

Steven Spatz (Bookbaby), Hugh Howey, Mark Lefebvre (Kobo) and Orna Ross (Alliance of Independent Authors) at Book Expo America UPublishU – May 2014

Kobo Writing Life‘s Director, Mark Lefebvre will be on a panel with Wattpad‘s Ashleigh Gardner and internationally bestselling author and self-publishing advocate Hugh Howey entitled Non-Traditional Publishing Communities. National Post‘s books editor Mark Medley will be moderating the discussion on how self-publishing has gone from an endeavour of vanity and desperation to one of choice and opportunity. They will discuss how fan fiction, collaboration and open distribution are changing the literary landscape.

Kobo‘s Director of Merchandising, Nathan Maharaj, Hugh Howey and Ashleigh Gardner (Wattpad) at a NYC publishing event in 2013.

Whether you are a writer, editor, marketer, agent, librarian, retailer – or any kind of publishing professional – you won’t want to miss the 2014 Book Summit.

Thursday, June 19th – Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

Registration opens at 8:15 and walk-ins are welcome (but you can pre-register in advance)

For more information, contact the Book and Periodical Council at publicity@theBPC.ca and be sure to check out the full schedule!