This year we have modified the structure of the conference a little. The conference is spread over 3 days, not 2 as in the past. The dates for the conference are 15-17 Sept. 2016.
For a tentative schedule, click here.
On the first day (15th Sept), we will have masterclasses, especially structured for those who wish to acquaint themselves with the basics of publishing. We have planned for 4 masterclasses, two in the morning session, before lunch, and two post-lunch. Since these will be held in parallel, a person registering for masterclasses will be able to attend only 1 in each session.
The masterclasses that have been planned are:
Morning Session:
- Publishing 101 (a basic overview of publishing)
- After Writing, What Next?
Post-lunch:
- The Mechanics of Editing
- Understanding Copyright and the Rights Trade
These sessions will not only introduce the uninitiated to the mechanics of publishing but is also designed to help authors who have written their manuscript navigate their path towards getting their books published. Experienced practitioners within the publishing industry will conduct these masterclasses, each scheduled for 3 hours.
From the 16th onwards, the usual format of the conference will be followed. We will start the 16th with registration and the keynote address and continue with panel discussions, workshops and presentations. In the afternoon, we will have special networking sessions, designed to ensure that participants meet each other even if for a brief period of time. In the evening we will have the Publishing Next Industry Awards presentation followed by the networking dinner.
The 17th will see an almost identical pattern of events, covering panel discussions, workshops, presentations and networking sessions.
The following panel discussions have been planned (please note that this is a tentative list and is subject to change):
- Imagining Book Retail and Distribution: This panel will discuss the current state of book retail as seen from the perspective of publishers, book distributors and online and offline retailers. It will also attempt to predict how book retail might evolve.
- Are we translating enough? And well?: This panel discussion will focus on the translation market and examine whether the quantity and quality of our translations do justice to the enormous literary output of the country.
- Where Must We Invest Next?: In a scenario where financial resources are limited, panelists will discuss where publishers should focus so that they continue to remain relevant in the future.
- A Discussion of Higher Education Publishing: Higher education (HE), globally, is going through testing times. It is apparent that HE publishers need to review their current publishing, marketing and distribution strategies, and plan a strategic shift to grow in the changing market scenario. At the same time, they need to recognize their role and responsibility as providers of quality resource materials for the teaching community and towards raising HE standards in the country through the creation and distribution of quality content. This panel discussion will discuss the current situation HE publishers in India find themselves in and the way forward.
Workshops:
- Digital Publishing: The digital transformation of the media business is no longer a vision. Therefore publishers and media companies need to increase their digital business if they want to stay in the competition. This workshop is aimed at professionals wishing to extend their knowledge of how to manage digital products and e-projects.
- Understanding and Using Consumer Data: This workshop is geared towards helping publishers gather data about their buyers and readers so that they can build an effective marketing program.
- Accounting For Publishers: This workshop, has the name suggests, will acquaint publishers with relevant accounting methods.