We've got some more Tech Forum sessions to send your way today. See below for all the knowledge that will be shared at Tech Forum 2019, and then register to get your ticket immediately. Registration closes on March 8, so don't delay!
Tech Forum & ebookcraft Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Elder Whabagoon, Lac Seul First Nation
Whabagoon is an Ojibway Elder of the Lac Seul First Nation, a Keeper of Sacred Pipes, active community member, speaker, and a land defender and water protector. Whabagoon’s strong commitment toward educating the community has earned her the Community Service Award given by the Bank of Montreal and the Alzheimer’s Society to persons who combine business and community service. When she is not busy speaking, or teaching in the community, and working with diverse groups, ages, and backgrounds; Whabagoon enjoys painting, singing, and participating in community hand drum circles and events.
Readers are Listening: Best Practices in the Production and Distribution of Audiobooks
Brendan Ouellette, Digital Project Manager, Annick Press, and Jessica Albert, Art Director & Digital Production Manager, ECW Press
Jessica Albert and Brendan Ouellette will discuss the many options available to large and small publishers when creating an audiobook program from the ground up. Learn how to develop an audiobook strategy, including the considerations that come with creating audiobooks in-house, how to sell audio rights, and how to work with third-parties and freelancers. Using their experiences at ECW Press and Annick Press, as well as sharing updates from other houses, Jessica and Brendan will share lessons learned and the hurdles still to overcome in the Canadian audiobook landscape.
Building Bridges, Not Walls: Successful Publishing & Retailing Collaborations
Athmika Punja, Director, Operations, PRHC, Chris Hall, Co-Owner, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Megan Byers, Owner/Manager, Babar Books, Morgen Young, Vice President, Ampersand Inc, Laura Ash, Co-Owner, Another Story Bookshop, and Ruth Linka, Associate Publisher, Orca Books
We all have one goal: Get more books into the hands of readers. Hear from publishers and booksellers across the industry who are working together to support book sales in ways that are creative, collaborative, and constructive for all.
Keywords and Discoverability on Amazon: A Canadian Context
Amanda Lee, Consultant, and Shannon Culver, Manager of Technology, eBOUND Canada
eBOUND Canada conducted a pilot study using a sample of ebooks published by Canadian publishers, to gauge the efficacy of adding audience-driven keywords to the metadata for a sample of fiction and non-fiction titles. Using a combination of AI and manually-generated keywords, we tracked the impact of keywords on discoverability and sales on Amazon over a two-month period. eBOUND’s Manager of Technology Shannon Culver and key consultant on the study Amanda Lee will present the results of the study, and make recommendations as to how publishers can utilize their metadata to work with vendors’ algorithms and improve the discoverability of their titles.
The Accessibility Supply Chain: Reporting from the Front Lines of Inclusive Ebook Production
Sabina Iseli Otto, Public Services Librarian, National Network for Equitable Library Service, and Laura Brady, Manager, Cross-Media, House of Anansi Press
Join Laura Brady and Sabina Iseli-Otto for an overview of lessons learned at this year’s Accessible Publishing Summit. Representatives from across the North American digital book supply chain convened over two days in January 2019 for facilitated dialogue and conversation on accessible publishing. By sharing diverse perspectives, and identifying the assets and challenges of born-accessible publishing, attendees gained a deeper understanding of accessible publishing and collaborated to develop a draft set of guidelines for digital accessibility. Laura and Sabina will present the guidelines and share next steps toward industry-wide implementation.
