MASTER CLASSES 2025

Learn from these experts by adding these sessions to your schedule.
The recordings will be available to you on the Whova conference platform.

Friday, October 31 | 11:15 am central

An Overview of U.S. BookScan: The gold standard for POS tracking in the publishing market

Join Brooke Borneman, Senior Director of Client Sales & Insights at Circana Books, for an overview of U.S. BookScan—the gold standard in POS tracking for the publishing market. Go beyond your own data and discover how you can take your publishing insights to the next level by identifying trends and opportunities to grow your business. Brooke will be available throughout the session responding to questions about Circana BookScan data and tools.

BONUS: Circana Books Report: Snapshot on the Christian Market

ECPA PubU attendees will have access to this special report in the BookScan session listing on the Whova platform (available to all registrants in October). Learn how this data is collected and how your company can receive actionable sales data directly from Circana in the Master Class about Circana BookScan, scheduled on October 31 after the opening session.

BLACK + EVANGELICAL FILM

from Christianity Today and Wheaton College

Black + Evangelical is a 90 minute feature-length documentary that profiles the history, struggles, and contributions of African American evangelicals. Taking us to the crossroads of faith and racial identity, Black + Evangelical is filled with candid interviews and eye-opening portraits of the resilient men and women who find themselves straddling the often clashing worlds of Black and white evangelicalism in America. Black + Evangelical challenges us to hear anew the voices of these men and women whose unique theological and social journeys have much to say about challenges faced by today's church.

Narrator and co-creator Vincent Bacote, Ph.D., is Professor of Theology and Director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL.

THIS SPECIAL FEATURE HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO ECPA PUBU 2025 ATTENDEES.

Wednesday, November 5 | 1 pm central

Ethical AI, Theology, and Copyright in the Digital Era: Protecting and Monetizing Content with Integrity

What happens when your life’s work is scraped, remixed, and monetized by AI—with no credit or compensation? That’s the new reality facing publishers. In this master class, we’ll explore how theology, ethics, and copyright collide in the digital era—and why Christian publishers are uniquely positioned to lead. You’ll discover practical benchmarks for ethical AI, and actionable steps to ingest and enrich your catalog, protect it from misuse, and license it for distribution and monetization. Don’t just react to disruption—shape the future.

Thursday, November 6 | 1 pm central

Key factors affecting Christian book discoverability: Supadu Trends Report

Discoverability is essential for helping Christian books reach their intended readers in a crowded marketplace. Supadu’s report examines the key factors that influence the discoverability of Christian books in online and physical marketplaces. The insights reveal that strategic categorization and metadata optimization are essential for connecting books with their target audience. Supadu is the global, leading provider of website and direct-to-consumer eCommerce solutions for trade and academic publishers, and university presses; and part of the Firebrand Group suite of companies.

Friday, November 7 | 11 am central

How licensing book content for AI models and companies can work

AI companies have used copyrighted content to develop their applications without permission, but an increasing number is seeking to avoid illegal data sets and is interested in fair, legally compliant licensing agreements. This is not only a chance for publishers to tap into new sales potential, but also to protect their titles in the most effective way. In this session, we show you how Bookwire is supporting publishers with licensing their content, what to look out for and how the market is developing.

Friday, November 7 | 1 pm central

Expanding Our Definition of Christian Readers

42% of millennials identify as non-religious, but 70% of this demographic consider themselves spiritual. This means there is a large segment of readers available to Christian book publishers that are harder to identify by advertising segments, in particular the inability to target readers on Meta and Google by religious affiliations. The key to targeting a wider readership is understanding all the adjacent book genres they engage with. In this master class, Justin Alvarez will explain how Ingram’s consumer marketing services allows marketers to reach millions of verified readers on Meta, Google, and Ingram’s owned properties across 90+ audience segments based on the title BISACs these readers actually engage with.

Tuesday, November 11 | 1 pm central

AI for book publishers: Challenges and opportunities

AI is a game changer. Some pundits say it levels the playing field. Others think it’s a passing trend. This master class explores areas where AI can potentially make a difference for publishers of all sizes, as well as challenges that AI poses for publishers and the industry as a whole.

Wednesday, November 12 | 1 pm central

Balancing Rewards and Risks When Developing and Nurturing a Long-term Global Book and Bible Manufacturing Strategy

A well designed global diversification strategy is vital for reducing risk and ensuring sustainable growth in today’s rapidly evolving supply chain landscape. A diversified manufacturing platform not only optimizes capacity and balances production loads but also offers the agility to respond swiftly to shifting market demands and global turmoil. In this master class we will discuss the 30-year evolution of book and bible manufacturing capabilities in China and Southeast Asia and how a globally integrated approach streamlines the ease of doing business while ensuring consistent quality, service and reliability, regardless of where production is executed. We will then take a deeper dive into the risks and rewards of manufacturing internationally, covering topics such as: cost efficiencies, FX rates, capacity, the availability of paper, materials and skilled labor, innovation and the importance of a redundant manufacturing platform.

Thursday, November 13 | 1 pm central

Colour Management

Friesens Corporation’s PrePress and Colour Expert, Brad Schmidt, walks you through colour management and how to prepare your files for print on either a digital or offset press.

Friday, November 14 | 11 am central

GEO, SEO, and Metadata: Best practices and practical advice

As AI chatbots and AI search summaries become more common, the need for high-quality book metadata has never been greater. In this master class, Joshua Tallent will explain how GEO is different from SEO, what kinds of metadata matter for each, and how to ensure your books are not lost in the new era of search. You will also learn practical best practices for your metadata that will stand the test of time.

Friday, November 14 | 1 pm central

Global Readers, Local Relevance: Unlocking Book Sales Through Market-Centric Innovation

As book markets evolve, capturing global sales requires more than just manufacturing agility—it demands a deep understanding of regional consumer behavior, cultural preferences, and localized content strategies. This session explores how publishers and distributors can drive growth by aligning product development, marketing, and distribution with the unique dynamics of key global regions. From leveraging data analytics to identify emerging reader trends, to adapting formats, pricing, and language strategies for diverse markets, we’ll examine how a market-first mindset can unlock untapped potential. Attendees will gain insights into successful case studies, digital and print synergies, and how to build scalable frameworks that resonate with readers across borders—without compromising brand identity or operational efficiency.