AGENDA: PubWest Boot Camp 2023

all times shown are Pacific

8:30 - 9:45am

The Most Important Job of a Publisher

A publisher’s job is to make authors’ work more valuable. Joe Biel will draw from 28 years of experience, selling millions of books, researching A People’s Guide to Publishing book and podcast, and becoming the fastest growing publisher to explain how you can replicate your own successes. Through mastering concepts including the value chain, leverage, and systems thinking, this talk will teach you how to structure your own publishing so that you make decisions that build you to where you want to go.

9:45 - 10:00am

Break: Grab a drink of water, freshen up your coffee, and maybe even check your email!  See you back for more programming at 10:00.

10:00 - 10:30am

Hear About My Journey and Ask Me Anything

We'll start this session off with two different publishing professionals talking about their journey to and within the industry. We will then open it up to questions about our journeys, your journeys, and/or the industry as a whole.

10:30 - 10:45am

Break: See you back for more programming at 10:45.

10:45 - 12:00pm

Types and Scales of Houses in the Marketplace (an Interactive Session)

Representatives of different types of publishers – University, Hybrid, Religious, Children’s, and Niche will present briefly on their area of focus, talking about what makes their field of publishing unique, and how the size of a publisher impacts everything from author support to distribution. Then we will engage in an interactive discussion that encourages attendees to ask questions as we connect deeper with these accomplished professionals.

12:00 - 1:00pm

LUNCH: See you back for more programming at 1:00.

1:00 - 2:15pm

How to Read a P&L

The title profit and loss model is an essential tool for publishing houses of any size. It helps guide the decision whether to pursue a project and it creates a moment where considerations from across the house must come together, from development and editorial to production and package choices to sales and marketing expectations. The overall finances of a house are largely the sum total of all the individual title P&Ls across the list, so a good understanding of title budgeting can build a good understanding of organizational finances. This session is aimed at helping early career staff read a title P&L.

2:15 - 2:30pm

Break: See you back for more programming at 2:30.

2:30 - 3:45pm

Career Paths

Careers in publishing can often be siloed within departments, with early career choices setting the path for progression along well-established ladders. Recent graduates of PSU's Book Publishing Masters program will discuss how their experience at the student-run Ooligan Press has informed these decisions and reflect on how the holistic experience of the teaching press has translated into their work at trade publishers.

3:45 - 4:00pm

Break: See you back for more programming at 4:00.