Our big seventh-annual Digital Book World is just three weeks away, with the main conference on March 8 and 9 — after our biggest-yet “Day Zero” roster on March 7 featuring the all-day Launch Kids, the brand-new four Mostly Marketing Masterclasses (with Pete McCarthy, Kelly Gallagher, Annie Cushing, and Tom Thompson), the also-new Nielsen half-day conference, and the return of some DBW Workshop favorites.
Data is in the spotlight even more than usual this year, as we feature the first-known stage appearance of “Data Guy,” the controversial analyst behind the ongoing Author Earnings reports. To be clear, Data Guy’s DBW presentation will provide a new lens on his data analysis tailored for publishers. As he posted recently in a Publishing Perspectives comment, “DBW represents an opportunity to look at our AE data from a completely different perspective — namely that of publishers, instead of authors. The questions we’ll be asking and answering with that data will be different there; we’ll be focusing upon what insights publishers can glean from our data, and then use to improve their own sales and earnings. It’ll be a peek under the hood of a dynamic, wide open, and fast-growing new marketplace.” Following his keynote presentation, DG will also participate in a 50-minute Q&A, giving publishers a unique opportunity for an open dialogue.
Data analysis also figures heavily in the keynote from SEO expert Rand Fishkin (who will also offer a Q&A breakout session); as well as expert sessions on email marketing (as discount newsletters thrive), elastic ebook pricing, understanding the consumer’s path to purchase, and sales reporting and operational analytics. On Day Zero, Nielsen’s three sessions look specifically at going beyond data basics, and at Launch Kids, David Kleeman will present new data on emerging trends in childrens digital media and the integration of child development and research across media and technology, toys and games, while Kristen McLean will dig into Nielsen’s brand new study on the demographic profiles of the parents, kids, and families buying children’s books today.
There is still a lot to learn, and Digital Book World aims to cover the current and future landscape. Early pricing has expired, but Publishers Lunch readers still get a discount using this link to register (and it’s still better to register ahead than on site).