READER ENGAGEMENT

Sessions will appeal to people in a variety of publishing disciplines including editors, marketers, designers and those responsible for creating production workflows that optimize reader engagement with the products publishers produce.

A post from the American Association of Publishers (AAP) titled "Engaging Readers in a Digital Age" recently touted the idea that "Digital technology is expanding the relationship between readers and books far beyond static words on a page." And so it is. Social media is allowing authors, publishers and readers to connect in unprecedented ways. But reader engagement is far more than social. Interactive media, e-learning platforms for instructional content, video learning, design-by-culling-reader-feedback, page counts, and many other facets of our work—when done strategically—are allowing us to engage readers and invite them to share their thoughts with other prospective readers.

This community will consider aspects of reader engagement from the production workflow through ways in which a reader hears about a project all the way to the experience he has as he holds a physical book or she reads a digital edition on an e-reader.

Jane Chao

Director of Digital Services for the Evangelical Covenant Church

Session 1

Likes, Shares, and Retweets: Social Media Strategies for Reader Engagement

People are already talking about your authors, books, and brands on social media. Are you there to listen and talk to them? In this session, digital design and marketing professional Jane Chao will show you how to use social media and other forms of digital communication to create meaningful interactions with your audience. By understanding the roles different channels play (e.g., Facebook vs. Twitter) and combining it with the effective use of analytics, publishers can learn about their audiences while providing them with engaging digital experiences.

Alisse Goldsmith-Wissman

Publicity Manager, InterVarsity Press

Jim Chaffee

President and Founder,
Chaffee Management Group of Franklin, TN

Session 2

The Road Back to You: A Case Study on Using Podcasts for Reader Engagement

A series of pre-release podcasts to engage readers and build book and author platform months in advance of the publication of "The Road Back to You" was a key component of book's launch in the fall of 2016. Two people who worked on the strategy and its execution will share their work, results and applications for other contexts.

Larry Bennett

Executive Director North America,
Nord Compo

Session 3

New Technology to Cost Effectively Engage Directly with Your Readers

New technology from the Readium Foundation enables low cost B2C transactions for publishers of all sizes and genres through a white label ereader app with in-app publisher catalog and wish list creation + B2C purchasing of print books and ebooks on your online bookstore.

Al Hsu

Senior Editor for IVP Books,
InterVarsity Press

Session 4

What Makes for a Life-Changing Book?

Why do some books change people's lives while others don't? What makes for a truly transformative reading experience? IVP senior editor Al Hsu conducted his PhD research on how emerging adults read, and his findings shed light on the dynamics that contribute to actual transformation. Those attending this session will learn insights from educational theory and hear from readers on how books were life-changing for them, with implications for publishing industry professionals.

Edward Gilbreath

Executive Director of Communications for the Evangelical Covenant Church and Editor of the Covenant Companion, Chicago, IL

Mickey Maudlin

Senior VP, Executive Editor, HarperCollins

Session 5

What Book Publishers Can Learn from Magazines About Reader Engagement

The need to effectively engage readers for impact and survival hit magazines earlier than book publishers. In this session, two seasoned journalists and magazine editors share their perspectives on how their organizations adapted their strategies in order to broaden their readership base and effectiveness.

Sharon Garlough Brown

Author of the Sensible Shoes series of novels, a Spiritual Director and formerly a pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church

Session 6

An Author's Perspective on Engaging Readers

An author who took a self-published book and parlayed it into a successful four-book series shares her discoveries from engaging readers both in the United States and throughout the world via a variety of methods.

Sessions developed by:

Edward Gilbreath

Executive Director of Communications,
Evangelical Covenant Church

Jeff Crosby

Publisher,
InterVarsity Press

We thank the following companies for their support of the industry and this event:

For more information on sponsoring this event, contact [email protected]