Minnesota Book Publishers Roundtable started the 2021–2022 season with a keynote speaker addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As many of us well know, the publishing industry has long struggled to accurately reflect the diversity of the world and failed to provide a welcoming place for all. Keynote speaker Jennifer Baker, senior editor at Amistad Books, provided a frank reflection of her personal experiences in the industry as well as the efforts of DEI practices as a whole.

In addition to providing a response to unsuccessful band-aid “solutions,” Jennifer offered several steps forward as well as a list of valuable resources, included below.

A Brief History of Diversity Trainings (Fast Company)

The Major Built-in Bias of the Publishing World (Zora)

Diversity Baseline Survey 2.0 (Lee & Low)

Pamela Newkirk Diversity Inc. Conversation (Politics & Prose)

Man Enough podcast w/ guest Alok Vaid Menon

Discussing Barriers of Querying & Pitching for Neurodivergent Writers

New Yorker Editor Finds “Passive Racism” in Archives

In a world with a growing number of channels for book distribution, metadata is hugely influential, but it can also be confusing. MBPR’s March webinar explored metadata with someone who literally wrote the book on the subject. Margaret Harrison, co-author of Metadata Essentials, spoke on the importance of using metadata to increase discovery and conversion in an online retail environment. Harrison’s practical advice provided further insight on the best ways to optimize titles for online sale. She covered tips for consistent titling and author information, creating book descriptions designed for online retailers, and getting the most out of BISAC codes and keywords.

Check out our member resource area of the website for an audio/video presentation of the event.

January’s webinar featured a conversation about digital content and digital marketing in publishing. While the days of paper-only publishing are long behind most of us, the digital world is not a static space: there are always new challenges and opportunities to explore, especially as technology continues to change. This series of presentations covered how the digital shift has affected publishing strategies and practices, both before and during the pandemic, at every stage of the publishing process. Kristie Thoenen, director of digital products, and Beth Brezenoff, associate publisher, from Capstone Publishing shared their company’s history with digital products, how they have developed and marketed those products, and their response to the pandemic. Then Christine Trant, the founder of Asterism and Co., a company specializing in content marketing for book publishers, explained how publishers can use the digital tools of content marketing to build and retain a community for their product lines.

The webinar recording is available to members in the Resources area. Remember that the process for accessing recordings has changed. If you are a member and have not yet created your individual account for our new website, follow the directions on the Member Resources page to create one and get access to the recordings. If you have questions, please contact us at information@publishersroundable.org.

Our September event looked at ways to improve diversity in the publishing industry. In November, we shifted our scope to the content itself, examining obstacles to publishing more diverse content, strategies for elevating unheard voices, and reaching readers and buyers underserved by mainstream publishing lists. Our panelists were Duchess Harris, author and professor of American studies at Macalester College; Tasha Nins, Ramsey County librarian, and Kathleen T. Horning, director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center. The panel discussed the topics on which more books are needed (and topics that are oversaturated), the ways that those books get into readers’ hands, and trends in diversity of content and authorship over time.

The webinar recording is available to members in the Resources area. Remember that the process for accessing recordings has changed. If you are a member and have not yet created your individual account for our new website, follow the directions on the Member Resources page to create one and get access to the recordings. If you have questions, please contact us at information@publishersroundable.org.

Many publishing companies have been looking for ways to improve diversity within the industry. Our September webinar featured a panel of three publishing professionals discussing how they have created internships, mentorships, or fellowships for people from marginalized communities who are looking to enter the industry. Our panelists were Helen Maimaris, the managing editor of F(r)iction and the COO of its parent nonprofit, Brink Literacy Project; Yasmin A. McClinton, freelance editor at Tessera Editorial; and Sarah Park Dahlen, Associate Professor in the MLIS Program at St. Catherine University and the community liaison for the Mirrors and Windows Fellowship. They spoke about how their organizations started, challenges they’ve met along the way, and the impact they hope to make on the industry as a whole. They also provided ideas for how companies can connect with more diverse applicants for their open positions.

Remember that the process for accessing recordings has changed. If you are a member and have not yet created your individual account for our new website, follow the directions on the Member Resources page to create one and get access to the recordings. If you have questions, please contact us at information@publishersroundable.org

The May webinar (our first-ever!) featured three local publishing professionals discussing how their teams have adapted to working during the 2020 pandemic.

The panel included presentations from Spencer Brinker, director of product development at Bearport Publishing; Don Leeper, founder of Bookmobile; and Rachel Zugschwert, vice president of marketing at Lerner Publishing Group. They spoke about the challenges and adaptations that their teams have made to communication, processes, and project management and what changes we might see as a result of this temporary shift.

Both audio and video recordings of this event are available to members in Member Resources. Are you a member and don’t have the password to access the recordings? Please contact information@publishersroundtable.org.

The March luncheon featured key-note speaker Allie Moen Wagstrom, director of finance and operations at MinnPost.

Allie discussed how the lessons we are learning about the dynamic nature of the biosphere can be implemented in organizational communication around finances and budgets. Managing and communicating financial issues can be a source of challenge and opportunity for stakeholders at all levels of an organization. Comparing diverse, self-regenerating ecosystems to artificially maintained monocultures, Allie showed how an inclusive and adaptive financial culture can help nurture successful leadership.

An audio recording from this event is available to members in Member Resources. Are you a member and don’t have the password to access the recordings? Please contact information@publishersroundtable.org.