IPG Adds Spanish Publishers; BookCon Tickets Go on Sale

As the Independent Publishers Group announces three new Spanish-language contracts, New York City’s BookCon opens ticket sales—for June 1 and 2.

At BookCon 2017. Image: ReedPop

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

IPG Distribution Clients in Barcelona, Mexico City

Three publishing houses concentrated in Spanish-language content have signed with the Independent Publishers Group, which is among the largest of the United States’ independent distributors of books.

In each case, the agreement is for distribution in the States and Canada, and starts on January 1.

Édiciones Larousse is the Spanish-language arm of the French publishing house Éditions Larousse. The company is a leading publisher of Spanish dictionaries, reference guides, cookbooks, and children’s books based in Mexico City.
Cinco Tintas is a health-and-lifestyle publisher based in Barcelona and specializing in popular nutrition trends such as detoxing, juicing, and superfoods, as well as vegan and paleo diets.
Akiara Books publishes children’s picture books and is based in Barcelona.

In a prepared statement, IPG Spanish distribution manager Kelsey Wayne is quoted noting, “This trio dramatically increases our offerings of high-quality Spanish titles in the United States.”

IPG was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1987, and Chicago Review Press, Inc., the parent company of both IPG and Chicago Review Press, is the umbrella corporation.

IPG acquired Midpoint Trade Books in August 2018.

BookCon 2019: Tickets on SaldAlready

Something like holiday decorations that seem to appear incredibly early, BookCon tickets already are going on sale for the June 1 and 2 event, ReedPop’s public-facing weekend con-style followup to BookExpo at the Javits Center in New York City.

Adult admission runs from US$30 to $55 when purchased online.

The initial appearance list for BookCon 2019 includes:

Poet and National Book Award winner Elizabeth Acevedo (The Poet X, With the Fire on High)
Director of fashion partnerships at Instagram and children’s book author Eva Chen (Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes)
Bestselling author Rainbow Rowell with illustrator Faith Erin Hicks, who will preview their upcoming graphic novel Pumpkinheads

Also on the list are YA authors:

Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments)
Marie Lu (Legend trilogy)
Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles)
Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen, War Storm)
Sandhya Menon (When Dimple Met Rishi, There’s Something about Sweetie)

Many more authors are to be announced over the next few months, according to organizers.

Previous BookCon appearances have been made by John Green, Jenny Han, Mindy Kaling, Abbi Jacobsen, Bill Clinton, Margaret Atwood, and Brie Larson, in addition to hundreds of exhibitors.

When it reported figures last June, the company said that BookCon 2018 drew some 20,000 attendees through the Javits Center.

The event first reached its goal of 20,000 tickets last year.

At BookCon, Reed is reporting, there were 5,600 books sold in autograph events, a parade of more than 50 “all-star authors,” and 324 exhibitors.

More from Publishing Perspectives on distribution is here, and on BookCon is here.

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.