The third annual Self-Publishing Book Expo was held at the Sheraton in New York City on October 22, bringing together authors and publishers with an eye toward self-publishing titles. Illustrating the still-changing world of self-publishing, co-founder of the Self-Publishing Book Expo Karen Mender said “The interesting thing this year is we have a few more e-book publishers,” naming BookBaby, BookBrewer and PubIt! as companies with tables in the exhibition hall.
Over the course of the show, there were 17 sessions, 14 panels and lectures and two special one-on-one sessions, the first allowing attendees to pitch their story to agents and editors and the second giving manuscript feedback.
Among the sessions was “There’s an App for that: Why Next-Gen Publishers are Catching Hold of the Long-Tail” with Dan Wideman, director of products for Lulu.com, who highlighted the limitless potential of apps because they fulfill task-based wishes, whereas the web fulfills info-based wishes. Wideman also stressed the potential of monetizing user-generated content, something that he said could be done if publishers find a way to unlock an app’s content and take it outside of the app. For instance, giving users the ability to order a magazine’s entire 2011 archive in a hardcover bound book.
In “Ask a Lawyer: The Legal Issues for the Self-Published Author,” attorney Renee L. Duff, ran through the legal issues self-publishers should be aware of, including fair use, derivative work and libel, slander, and showing someone in a false light, but she also said, “Self-publishing is the greatest opportunity for authors. If you self-publish, you are not just an author, you’re an entrepreneur.” Among tips, she recommended Copyscape, an online plagiarism checker.
The expo had more authors and more publishers this year for its exhibition hall, and, according to Mender, attendance was between 500 and 600, up from 400 last year.
