Is “Project Manager” in your job title? Even if it’s not, your success in publishing likely hinges on expert execution, which means you’re managing projects.

In today’s fast-paced publishing environment, project management principles are no longer confined to a single role. Whether your official title is Editor, Managing Editor, Production Manager, Content Strategist, Digital Coordinator, Marketing Specialist, or Publicist, the ability to shepherd complex projects from concept to completion is essential for success.

MBPR spoke with three seasoned publishing professionals as they shared their most effective, real-world tools and strategies for navigating the complexities of modern publishing.

This session provided immediately applicable best practices for:

• Managing Deliverables: Efficiently handling author submissions, peer review cycles, freelancer services, and tracking all components (e.g., artwork, permissions, digital assets) to prevent bottlenecks.
• Controlling the Production Timeline: Techniques for setting and holding to realistic schedules, coordinating across editorial, design, and production teams, and mitigating delays in the handoff stages.
• Coordinating Launch & Publicity Campaigns: Strategies for synchronizing internal marketing, publicity, and sales efforts with author appearances, media hits, and publication dates to maximize impact and avoid critical missteps.

Every publishing project—whether it’s a complex series launch, a new interactive e-book, a major author, or a multi-channel marketing campaign—comes with its own unique set of challenges. This webinar was a chance to connect with peers and discover fresh perspectives. We shared ideas, validated methods, and learned valuable shortcuts and insights that other experienced publishing project leaders use every day, along with practical takeaways that could be implemented immediately to reduce stress and improve your project outcomes.

The final 10 minutes of the session were dedicated to a live Q&A.

Thank you to our panelists for a lively discussion of project management strategies! The session recording is available below.

Panelists

Kristina Hall: Kristina Hall is the Manager of Marketing Services at Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, managing CBSD’s marketing efforts and publisher marketing opportunities. Prior to that, she served as a Marketing and Communications Manager at the University of Minnesota, spent several years in various marketing roles at Lerner Books, and worked in title metadata management. Kristina lives in Minneapolis and enjoys art and drawing, traveling, and reading (of course).

Jessica Lockrem: Jessica Lockrem is Director of Contracts, Rights, and Book Production at Augsburg Fortress Publishers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Previously, she worked in various production and editorial roles at several academic journals, including Cultural Anthropology, Feminist Economics, and the Journal of Vietnamese Studies. She has a PhD in anthropology from Rice University, where she conducted research on public transportation planning processes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Linda Secondari: Linda Secondari is the Principal and Creative Director of Studiolo Secondari, a design firm in NYC focusing on Book development and Digital Communications. Linda is an award-winning Creative Director and Design Strategist who integrates Design Thinking with critical business experience to develop creative solutions to business problems from workflow to product development. Linda has 25 years of experience in Design and communications. Before establishing Studiolo, she was the Creative Director at Oxford University Press, managing an international design team producing 3,000 titles and websites a year.