DMG Roundtable 2022: 'Bookselling in 2022: New Routes to Market' - 31 Oct
Monday, 31 October 2022
Digital Media
Bookselling in 2022: New Routes to Market
Industry Committee Event
In association with Byte the Book
Monday 31 October 2022
Cost - £27.50
In recent years the publishing industry has been in rude health, with the Publishers Association reporting UK consumer book sales in 2021 up 4% to £2.2 billion. While digital formats such as ebooks and audiobooks have attracted consumers and column inches, the print book format has been remarkably resilient compared to other forms of physical media. But the way that readers find and purchase those books is changing, with the advent of new independent online retailers, subscription boxes, and direct to consumer sales by media outlets and publishers.
Online book sales are far more than just Amazon!
In the Stationers’ Company’s second collaboration with publishing networking group Byte the Book, a panel of founders and senior executives will explore how the retail landscape for books is evolving, give insights into consumer behaviour, and discuss the opportunities for authors, publishers and retailers online.
Nicole Vanderbilt is UK Managing Director for Bookshop.org, and has been with the site since its launch in the UK in November 2020. Bookshop.org has generated over £2.2 million for the over 520 indie bookshops on the platform. Nicole has over 25 years of experience in the consumer internet industry, most recently as VP, International at Etsy where she helped almost one million small, creative businesses sell over $1.5 billion online annually via Etsy's platform.
James Albrecht is a director at Fane Productions, which recently acquired book subscription company LoveMyRead. His roles in a young and rapidly evolving company include producing one-off events and tours, building new partnerships and working to identify and pursue new opportunities for Fane. For 16 years, he was an actor on stage and screen, a director, and from 2013, Creative Director of St James Theatre, before joining Alex Fane on his journey in 2016.
Sara Montgomery is the founder and director of Monwell Ltd, an ecommerce company established in 2016 that provides online bookshops for some of the UK's biggest news brands, including the Guardian, the Mail and the Express. Having worked at the Guardian for 10 years, latterly as Head of Books and Masterclasses, Sara has a keen interest in supporting non-book sectors to make money from selling books online. Monwell was recognised as one of the fastest growing founder-led UK companies in the FEBE Growth 100 List 2022.
Darin Brockman is CEO and founder of Firsty Group. His experience across publishing, software development and ecommerce have made him instrumental in driving the turn towards D2C sales in publishing, with an emphasis on the fast growing digital market. The product of this expertise is Glassboxx, a platform launched in 2020, which enables publishers to sell eBooks and audiobooks directly to readers and institutions. Glassboxx has over 100 clients, and in April 2022 won the IPG Award for Services to Independent Publishers.
Justine Solomons (chair). Justine is the Director and Founder of Byte The Book. Byte the Book connects authors with the publishing industry and is focused on helping its members make contacts and navigate the contemporary publishing world. Set up in 2012, it has around 400 members and approximately 5000 subscribers, and runs events across the world live and online.
Schedule
6.30pm Drinks and Networking
7.00pm Welcome by Liveryman George Walkley
7.05pm - 8.15pm Presentations and Discussions
8.15pm Closing Remarks from Master Stationer, Moira Sleight
8.20pm Buffet, Drinks and Networking
9.30pm Event Ends