Concurrent Program Session

Beyond Bad Covers, Poor Copyediting and Questionable Content: How to Deal with the Self-Publishing Onslaught

Friday, April 8, 2016, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Colorado Convention Center, Room 601/603/605/607

More than 400,000 self-published titles are released every year, and most libraries grudgingly accept only a few from local patrons who are particularly persistent. Yet some of the most popular books on the market are coming from independent authors. Are important authors being overlooked? Should libraries be paying more attention to these titles? What are the implications of this trend on the future of publishing? We will moderate a lively panel discussion on these topics.

At the end of this session, participants will:

1: Understand that there are amazing self-published titles that are being overlooked in public library collections. 2: Have an enhanced knowledge of the self-publishing world and how it may impact your acquisition decisions now and in the future. 3: Learn the unique challenges of acquiring self-published titles.

The session organizer(s) identified this session as appropriate for:
Level 1: People with no previous knowledge of the topic.

This session will have: Low interaction: single speaker/panel with Q&A at the end of the program

Handouts: Download 1   Download 2   Download 3  

Track: Challenge

Tags: Collections/Tech Services, Acquisitions, Assessment and Evaluation, Trends and Forecasting


Presenters

Patti Thorn, Managing Partner, BlueInk Review
BlueInk Review, Greenwood Village, CO

Patti Thorn was a 28-year veteran writer and editor at the Rocky Mountain News, which had a daily circulation of 300,000 at the time of its closing in February, 2009. She served the last 12 years of her tenure as chief book critic and editor of the book review pages. The section earned acclaim for its incisive and timely reviews, as well as for Thorn's weekly column about books and the publishing industry. Thorn is

Jamie LaRue, Consultant
American LIbrary Association Office for Intellectual Freedom, Chicago, IL

Jamie is the director of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, and the Freedom to Read Foundation. He has also written, spoken, and consulted about library topics for many years.

Keir Graff, Online Editor
Booklist Magazine, Chicago, IL

Keir Graff is the editor of Booklist Online and The Booklist Reader at the American Library Association, and plays a key role in other electronic products of Booklist Publications. He is also an author of novels for adults and middle-graders. His next book, The Matchstick Castle, will be published in January 2017 by G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. Follow him on Twitter at @Booklist_Keir and @KeirGraff.

Mark Stevens, Author
, ,

Nathan Lowell, Author
, ,

Nathan Lowell started writing seriously in 2007 and podcast his novels as free audio downloads. So many fans wanted to read his books, rather than listen to them, that he began publishing in text formats in 2010. Today, he boasts 11 novels across four series and has sold over 250,000 books in various text formats, currently averaging around 100 sales a day.

Michael Saperstein, Multimedia Selection Librarian
Harris County Public Libraries, ,

For questions about…

Cancellation Policy

Written cancellations, requests for refunds, and/or changes will be accepted until February 26, 2016, and are subject to a $30 handling fee. Refunds will be processed after April 25, 2016. According to PLA policy, all meal events require preregistration. The above cancellation/change information also applies to all preconferences, meal events, and tours.

The PLA 2016 Conference is offered on a cost-recovery basis. PLA reserves the right to cancel all or any part of this event if there is insufficient registration or for other reasons. Neither ALA nor PLA is responsible for cancellation charges assessed by the airlines or travel agencies, or other losses incurred due to the cancellation of the workshops. All information listed on this website is subject to change.


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PLA Office

The PLA Office is located in A Mezzanine in the Colorado Convention Center. You can access the A Mezzanine from any of the lobbies using Elevator A, across from registration, and press the MZ button to get to the Mezzanine. You can also access A Mezzanine from Exhibit Hall A using Stairwell 30. The office phone numbers are 303-228-8450 and 303-228-8451. Onsite office hours are Monday, April 4–Friday, April 8, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM; Saturday, April 9, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM.

Registration & Housing

Onsite registration hours are Tuesday, April 5, 7:30 AM–5:00 PM; Wednesday, April 6, 7:30 AM–6:30 PM; Thursday, April 7, 7:30 AM–5:30 PM; Friday, April 8, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM; and Saturday, April 9, 8:00–10:00 AM. Conference registration and housing is managed by Experient. Call or e-mail your questions, 800-424-5249 (U.S. and Canada), 847-996-5829 (all other countries), or pla@experient-inc.com. Experient representatives are available Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Eastern. PLA Conference is a professional event. It is not open to the public.

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Thank you PLA Conference Sponsors!

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