Larry Norton, Publishing Pioneer, to Retire from IPG

October 7, 2019

CHICAGO, IL—After nearly 40 years in book publishing, Larry Norton, EVP and General Manager at Independent Publishers Group, announced his retirement effective December 31, 2019. 

Norton joined IPG in July of 2016, when they acquired INscribe Digital in its bid to grow technology solutions for its publishing partners. It provided IPG’s client base with a state-of-the-art digital distribution platform. 

“Larry Norton has made an enormous contribution to IPG by ensuring that the acquisition of INscribe Digital has been a success,” said Joe Matthews, CEO. “He has been a true champion of the value and benefits of ebook and print-on-demand publishing for our publishing partners. He will leave a legacy of profitable business initiatives that will position IPG for growth for years to come. His nearly 40 years of industry experience will be greatly missed.” 

During INscribe Digital’s transition to IPG, Norton assumed the role of EVP, General Manager, and since then has overseen a doubling of IPG’s ebooks and print-on-demand revenues. Over the last three years, Norton was responsible for driving key business initiatives, bringing in new clients, partnering with consumer outlets for ebooks and leveraging resources within IPG on behalf of INscribe Digital’s clients. 

Norton’s client acquisitions since then have ranged from those using software as a service model, ebook services for publishers, and print-on-demand and audiobook distribution services. 

Prior to Norton’s tenure at IPG, he held several high-level positions in the industry, most notably SVP of Merchandising at Borders Group Inc. and President of Sales and Distribution at Simon & Schuster, Inc. He began his career as a marketing assistant at Basic Books in 1981. 

About Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
Independent Publishers Group was founded 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 both print and ebooks from a wide array of publishers, digital printing and traditional publishing. With consistent growth year over year, IPG’s success has come from supporting and encouraging the growth of its publishing partners in the United States and worldwide. IPG was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1987, and this acquisition formed the parent company Chicago Review Press, Inc., which now owns Chicago-based indie publishers Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books.