THE INDIE PRESS SUMMIT at Winter Institute is a long-standing meeting of IPC member publishers at the annual conference of the American Booksellers Association. The Summit features a keynote presentation, two education sessions, and an open forum (Town Hall) for publishers to discuss and address important issues. The day ends with a mixer over drinks before the Winter Institute opening reception. So be sure to make your travel arrangements accordingly and join us on Monday, February 23 for this important annual meeting.
Color template & design provided by Melissa Corcoran
Indie Press Summit
We can’t wait to see everyone in-person at Winter Institute in Pittsburgh, PA
Don’t miss IPC’s Indie Press Summit on Monday, February 23 from 12:00-4:00pm. We will follow the program with a social hour gathering.
The full schedule is now available below and on our registration page. Panelists will be announced in January. And reach out to us with any ideas or questions!
at Winter Institute
Note: IPC does not require paid registration for the Indie Press Summit. The Summit is subsidized through ABA, however, attendees must be sponsors. Winter Institute sponsorship activation fee is $800. All sessions will be recorded and shared with all IPC members.
Press from 2025 Summit:
Publishers Weekly
Shelf Awareness
Press from 2024 Summit:
Publishers Weekly
Shelf Awareness
2026 SCHEDULE
12 :00 – 12:15pm
Welcome, Introductions
Daniel O’Brien - Executive Director, Independent Publishers Caucus
Allison Hill - CEO, American Booksellers Association
12:15 – 1:15 pm
Keynote Conversation
State of the Industry: An Analysis
How did we get here? There has been an onslaught of change for the industry this year. Baker & Taylor has shuttered (among others). Venture capital has (more than) reared its head. The Trump agenda threatens the stability of local communities, including bookstores and libraries. Thinning margins (somehow) keep thinning. What is an indie press to do? We aren’t sure we have the answers, but we know we need to talk about the elephant(s) in all the rooms. Instead of recreating the same panel format, we’re trying something new. IPC will host a series of six speakers to identify their 5 minute "hot take" analysis of how we got here, and what we need to be thinking about now. Followed by 30 min Q&A. Moderated by Patrick Hughes (Pluto Press). Speakers to be announced in January.
1:30– 2:15 pm
Education Session:
Learning from Alternative & Adaptive Models
What lessons can we learn from challenging our own status quo? Traditional publishing models continue to be a challenge, and the nonprofit "alternative" now faces its own crisis of funding. Many publishers are adapting or creating new business models altogether. In this session, we’ll hear from three such publishers– all of whom have deep industry experience–who will build on the analysis of our previous session. They’ll identify the industry realities that led to their decision to adapt, how they implemented their model, challenges they faced, and benefits they are currently experiencing. We'll then open up to a Q&A that allows publishers to engage in deeper discussion around how alternative and adaptive models can inform how we move forward. Moderated by Andrea Fleck Nisbet (IBPA). Speakers to be announced in January.
2:30– 3:15 pm
Education Session
The Top 40: Publicity, Discoverability, and the Case for IPC’s Bestseller List
This year, IPC launched the Independent Press Top 40, a new bestseller list in partnership with the ABA. As we all know, publicity and discoverability continue to be a serious challenge for independent presses. This list seeks to intervene in that drought. That said, we don’t operate in a vacuum: what does it mean to add to the saturation of content in the marketplace? How can we be sure this list is used to uplift independent presses across the country. We’ll talk with booksellers about how they use bestseller lists, what they pay attention to and why, and how we can be better partners in the promotion of independent literature. Moderated by Sanj Kharbanda (Beacon Press). Speakers to be announced in January.
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Town Hall Open Forum
5:00 pm
Indie Press Mixer at The Warren Bar & Burrow
-Schedule subject to change-