ReadHowYouWant to partner with IPG Digital
—Shelf Awareness, February 17, 2010

ReadHowYouWant is partnering with Independent Publishers Group and IPG Digital to create accessible formats of the group's bestselling titles. ReadHowYouWant's conversion technology will repurpose the books into alternative formats, including large print, braille, e-books, synthesized audio MP3 and DAISY—a talking book format that produces audio along with the written text.
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Hispanic Heritage Month: Diana Calice
—GalleyCat, October 8, 2009

Diana Calice is today's feature on Hispanic Heroes within the publishing industry. Calice, a bilingual Mexican from Michigan, is the Spanish Book Specialist for Independent Publishers Group. Calice actually began her career as a computer operator for Borders Group, eventually becoming the Spanish book buyer for Borders. . . . Calice's devotion to her vocation stems from her inherent love of the Spanish language and heritage, "I think I have always been interested in making the public aware of the availability of books in Spanish. I am trying to keep our language alive and trying to promote education to Latino communities through reading. I think it is very important."
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The Future of BEA
Tweaks but no overhaul for the annual trade event
—Publishers Weekly, August 10, 2009

As the annual trade show for the book publishing industry, BookExpo America serves many constituencies: large and small publishers; large and small booksellers; wholesalers and distributors; authors; and the media. With so many different parties in the mix, it's no surprise that there is little consensus on how the trade show can be improved. . . . The New York houses firmly support the idea of keeping the show permanently in their hometown, while outlanders are considerably less excited about the prospect. For Mark Suchomel, president of Independent Publishers Group, the best way to improve BEA is to attract more exhibitors by keeping costs low, and the best way to do that is to "get out of New York City."
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Sony to release two lower-priced e-readers
—Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2009

Sony Corp. plans to offer two new e-reader devices priced at $199 and $299, a move that intensifies competition in a burgeoning market dominated by rival Amazon.com Inc. Sony also plans to cut prices on best-selling e-book titles in its online store to $9.99 from $11.99, matching the discount price offered by Amazon for users of its Kindle device and Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Fictionwise. . . . Some doubt the $9.99 price will be permanent."This is a market very much in flux," said Mark Suchomel, president of the Independent Publishers Group, a unit of Chicago Review Press Inc.
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CPSIA Enforcement Waived for Post-1985 Books
—Publishers Weekly, February 7, 2009

Click here for a list of IPG titles that are CPSIA-compliant.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has outlined its enforcement policy for the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which takes effect on Tuesday, February 10. While consumer products for children 12 and under cannot contain more than 600 parts per million of lead in any accessible part, the Commission said it would "not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing or selling" a list of specified products, including "an ordinary children’s book printed after 1985."
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It Takes Two
Booksellers must cooperate with publishers and distributors
—Publishers Weekly, December 1, 2008

The publishing business is on the brink of making a catastrophic mistake. No, this isn't about e-books or returns or high advances. It's about data. I'll explain: until recently, publishers and distributors imagined that their sales were the books they shipped to their customers. This was never accurate, but it was the best we could do. We had little idea what was selling through at the stores until reorders—or returns—showed up. The advent of BookScan was a major step forward, but what has really changed is that the major booksellers and wholesalers now share extremely detailed sales information with publishers and distributors.
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Amazon.com Books Recognizes IPG as one of three Amazon Books Distributors of the Year
Distributors Earn Top Rating for Providing Exceptional Customer Experiences Through Operational Excellence
—Business Wire, November 20, 2008

"'Independent Publishers Group, Macmillan and Random House Publisher Services are excellent examples of what collaboration and innovation can do to help us offer customers a great experience,' said Russell Grandinetti, vice president of books for Amazon.com. 'By working together, we're able to improve the rate at which their books are in stock on Amazon, lower prices through lowering operational costs and help customers find, discover and buy great books through programs such as Search Inside the Book, Kindle and print-on-demand. We're proud to work with such great distributors on behalf of their client publishers.'"
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IPG named one of the "Best Book Publishing Companies to Work For
—Book Business magazine, November 1, 2008

"The 'Best Book Publishing Companies to Work For' list is Book Business' annual ranking of companies that seem to embody the philosophy that a company's employees are the key to its success. But being a great company isn't just about offering a great benefits package (though that certainly helps). The companies that made the list this year create environments where employees are valued and respected professionally, but they also work to help enhance employees' personal lives."
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50 Under 40 – Brooke O'Donnell
Builds trans-Atlantic bridges as Trafalgar publishing director
—Publishers Weekly, May 18, 2008

"Growing up a self-described 'Air Force brat,' whose family moved between American military bases in Europe throughout her youth, Brooke O'Donnell is used to meeting large numbers of people on a regular basis and quickly sizing them up. 'That translates into making decisions on books,' insists O'Donnell, Trafalgar Square's publishing director. Her responsibilities include culling each season through 2,000 adult and children's titles in all genres from 50 of Britain's largest and most respected publishing houses, selecting from those approximately 500 titles that she believes will interest readers on—as she repeatedly refers to the U.S.—'this side of the pond.'"
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Finding its niche
Chicago Press Review continues to publish unique stories, eyes future of publishing with e-books
—Chicago Sun-Times, October 28, 2007

"Back in 1973, Linda and Curt Matthews were English teachers frustrated by the uncertainty of finding a teaching position at the college level. So they moved on, and one might say the couple found an even more challenging and frustrating alternate career—book publishing."
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One Man's Niche Is Another Man's Treasure
The improbable success of Chicago Review Press, Inc.
—Chicago Reader, June 1, 2007

"Book distribution is a difficult business. Distributors compete fiercely to sign the best and most lucrative of the independent presses, which typically take only one-year contracts. Warehouses are complex to manage, and profit margins are so thin—generally under 10 percent—that 'one mistake can be fatal,' says Jim Milliot, the business and news director at Publishers Weekly. Yet since 1987 IPG has doubled its sales every three years or so..."
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A Killer Bestseller
Don't blow it when good fortune comes your way
—Publishers Weekly, February 19, 2007

Curt Matthews, CEO of Chicago Review Press Inc. and Independent Publishers Group (IPG) discusses the benefits and pitfalls of handling a bestselling title, such as The Covenant with Black America.

"The top buyers at the big chains are notoriously tough gatekeepers. They hold the key to making a book a bestseller. When they grant you a favor, the tendency is to go wild with glee. Sure, it's something to celebrate—but don't go too crazy. Because without judicious planning, an unexpected bestseller can be devastating."
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Conferences

Independent Publishers Group will be in attendance or represented at these upcoming conferences.

Conference	Dates	Location	Booth
Modern Language Association (MLA)	Dec 27-30	Philadelphia	TBA

Job Openings

To apply for positions at our distribution center, please print out and complete our application form and return to Human Resources, 814 N. Franklin, Chicago, IL 60610.

Publicist

Independent Publishers Group (IPG) is seeking an experienced full-time Publicist to join a dynamic and successful publicity department representing a variety of publishers of high quality trade titles. The primary purpose of this position is to coordinate and execute major, drop in and mid-size campaigns for a selection of IPG titles with guidance from the Publicity Manager, as well as handle larger departmental tasks and significant amounts of client, media and author interaction. Publicist works closely with Publicity Associates to mentor and train on organizational elements and written materials for all levels of campaigns and departmental projects. Learn more

Please forward resumes to 814 N Franklin, Chicago, IL 60610 attention Human Resources or to dmadon@ipgbook.com. All referrals must be sure to indicate the name of the referring employee in their cover letter.

Internship Program

IPG is always looking for qualified applicants for full-time internships. The deadline for applications to be considered for our next scheduled internship program is May 1, 2010. IPG has six openings for rotating internships each year. Two new interns are hired for a four month assignment three times a year. The hours of work are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please send résumés and cover letters via email to Dawn Madon. No phone calls, please.