Frankfurt's International Self Publishing Program: Updates, Guidance

Focused on the business and best practices in self-publishing today, Frankfurter Buchmesse’s program on Friday (October 13) gives writers a chance to hear from leading international platforms and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Frankfurt’s 2016 Self-Publishing Stage in Hall 3.0. Image: Frankfurter Buchmesse, Marc Jacquemin

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

‘A Different Skill Set’

Attendees at Frankfurt Book Fair are invited to take part in an International Independent Author Program on Friday, October 13, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on the stage in Hall 3.0 (K9).

The program is hosted by Publishing Perspectives and is designed to offer both commercial instruction and industry awareness to writers or would-be writers engaged in self-publishing or looking for the information they need to get started.

Admission is free to anyone with a Frankfurter Buchmesse ticket. The program will be given in English.

IngramSpark’s Andrew Bromley

Andrew Bromley

Leading the program at 2:30 p.m. will be IngramSpark, the self-publishing platform and suite of services from worldwide distribution giant Ingram Content. Andrew Bromley, IngramSpark London-based marketing manager, will speak to the rigors of modern self-publishing.

“An indie author who decides to publish his or her own work,” IngramSpark director Robin Cutler tells Publishing Perspectives, “needs to evolve from a writer to a full-fledged publisher and business owner. And becoming a publisher requires a different skill set from that of being an author.”

IngramSpark’s emphasis on quality and professional production has guided its development as one of the major world independent publishing platforms, not least because Ingram’s international distribution system is the most extensive in the industry. In May, as Publishing Perspectives reported, IngramSpark was given the US Authors Guild’s Distinguished Service Award for its development of self-publishing in a context of professionalism and quality control.

In his session in the Frankfurt program, Bromley will discuss the points independent authors need to know to take their books to the international market, emphasizing the kinds of issues that the IngramSpark blog covers for writers and taking questions from attendees who need specific assistance.

ALLi’s Orna Ross, Indie Author Fringe

Orna Ross

At 3:30 p.m., the program will hear from Orna Ross, founding director of the international Alliance of Independent Authors, the world’s leading service organization for self-publishing writers.

“ALLi,” as it’s called, is based in London and reaches as many as 20,000 writers in its various programs and communications, with almost half its membership–45.5 percent–in North America. The majority of the remaining members–46.7 percent–are in Europe, with additional members in Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America.

In addition to producing guides both for authors (How Authors Sell Publishing Rights, How To Choose a Self-Publishing Service) and for the industry (Opening Up to Indie Authors), the alliance provides watchdog services to alert authors to illicit author-service offers and creates campaigns that address various needs and positions in the independent sector of the author community (Ethical Author, Blockchain for Books, Code of Standards).

Ross and the alliance have arranged another of its online Indie Author Fringe events for October 14, the day after the independent author program in Hall 3.0, which will offer a series of informational segments for independent writers online, timed to coincide with Frankfurt Book Fair. Information and registration for the 24-hour Indie Author Fringe program from ALLi is here. Writers may also want to note that a book-cover competition is part of the program this year with entries due by 6 p.m. CEST (Frankfurt time) on October 13, an hour after the Buchmesse program concludes. Speakers for the Indie Author Fringe event are here.

Kinga Jentetics

PublishDrive’s Kinga Jentetics

At 4 p.m. in the Frankfurt program on October 13, Kinga Jentetics, the co-founding CEO of PublishDrive, a fast-growing ebook publishing platform established in Budapest and now aggressively expanding its international reach with more than 1,200 publishers and self-publishers in 50 countries using the program’s services.

Jentetics is now based in New York City and her original appearance in Frankfurt’s independent authors program was in 2015. This year, she’s been designated one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” leaders for this year. PublishDrive has been chosen for the 2017 edition of Google’s Developers Launchpad accelerator, having produced some 30,000 ebooks to date in more than 30 languages.

One of PublishDrive’s most interesting features is its inclusion of more than 240,000 international libraries in its distribution channels. And in its advisory blog for writers, PublishDrive recently provided guidance on ebook pricing in the Southeast Asian markets.

Full Program Discussion

At 4:30 p.m., the program will have all its speakers join Publishing Perspectives in a discussion of issues and guidance, with emphasis on questions from the audience.

Here’s a quick look at the schedule again. Registration for the October 13 program is not required. Information about tickets to Frankfurter Buchmesse is here.

2:30p Andrew Bromley of IngramSpark, UK
3:30p Orna Ross of the Alliance of Independent Authors, UK
4:00p Kinga Jentetics of PublishDrive, Hungary
4:30p Discussion with everyone in the program and audience
Presentation and moderation by Publishing Perspectives

About the Author

Porter Anderson

Porter Anderson is a non-resident fellow of Trends Research & Advisory, and he has been named International Trade Press Journalist of the Year in London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards. He is Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives. He formerly was Associate Editor for The FutureBook at London's The Bookseller. Anderson was for more than a decade a senior producer and anchor with CNN.com, CNN International, and CNN USA. As an arts critic (Fellow, National Critics Institute), he was with The Village Voice, the Dallas Times Herald, and the Tampa Tribune, now the Tampa Bay Times. He co-founded The Hot Sheet, a newsletter for authors, which now is owned and operated by Jane Friedman.