IPG Continues to Serve Booksellers, Publishers, and Readers Amid COVID-19 Crisis

March 24, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 23, 2020

Contact: Alisse Goldsmith-Wissman | Publicity Manager

312.337.0747 | [email protected] 

CHICAGO, IL— Independent Publishers Group (IPG), which serves hundreds of small publishers around the world, is keeping their Chicago-based warehouse open as it falls within the guidelines for essential business during the “shelter-in-place” order issued by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker in response to COVID-19. The physical office remains closed, with all office staff now shifted to working remotely.

A strategic crew will be in place at IPG’s warehouse, running in split shifts to eliminate any overlap between team members. IPG remains vigilant in taking recommended steps to comply with OSHA and CDC standards of social distancing, cleaning and sanitizing.

“IPG will remain open through these hard times as our obligation is to protect the businesses of the publishers we distribute and to support the national supply chain,” said Joe Matthews, CEO of IPG. “The health and wellness of our partners and employees remains of utmost importance, and steps are being taken to guard all areas of IPG’s book business. Books are an essential part of American life.”

Additionally, to support the readers, booksellers and publishers they serve globally, IPG is happy to announce the following promotional initiatives:

• Effective immediately, IPG will be offering a 30% discount site-wide for most of their products
• IPG is extending a 30% e-book discount to public and school libraries through OverDrive, 3M Bibliotheca, Baker & Taylor, Mackin, Follett, Vitalsource and Redshelf
• IPG’s publishing partners are supporting consumers, parents and students with virtual author events and digital resources
• All of IPG’s catalogs, including front-list and special categories, will be available as digital editions and can be found at ipgbook.com or on Edelweiss  
• To accommodate publishers whose print runs may have been disrupted, IPG is optimizing their digital print program and manufacturing books to order

“As an indie distributor, our job is to support our publisher partners at every turn of the business,” said Annette Hobbs Magier, VP, Marketing and Publicity. “We’re agile enough to pivot our marketing and publicity efforts so that our publisher’s titles continue to be visible to consumers in a changed consumer landscape.”

For questions about IPG’s distribution and publishing services, as well as the relevant promotions during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit www.ipgbook.com or follow IPG on Twitter (@ipgbooknews) and on Instagram and Facebook (@ipgbook). 

About Independent Publishers Group

Independent Publishers Group was established in 1971 and was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. Today, IPG’s wide reach into the book market includes distribution of publishers with academic and professional, Spanish-language and general trade nonfiction and fiction titles.