Our big Publishers Launch Frankfurt conference is just a week away, on Tuesday, October 8 — presented in cooperation with The Frankfurt Academy — and will stand as the fair’s premier publishing and digital strategy event with a series of timely, newsmaking and accomplished speakers.
Scribd’s new ebook subscription service is in the news today, and Scribd ceo Trip Adler is on our stage next week talking about it. Among other maturing new players, Wattpad made news for their publishing line with Sourcebooks and Goodreads has drawn headlines for trying to limit members and authors attacking each other on the site, and their respective ceos Alan Lau and Otis Chandler are also on our program.
Charlie Redmayne will give his first trade speech since taking over as ceo of Harper UK, bridging the digital and traditional worlds. Nielsen Book president Jonathan Nowell will take the stage for the first time since their newsmaking acquisition of Bowker’s business intelligence and commerce solutions lines. The world’s biggest book and ebook retailer will provide an update on markets in transition and the continuing growth of online book sales from Amazon executive Russ Grandinetti. And our program has a close-up look at one of the first big translation markets to finally gain some digital transition velocity, Germany — where Random House reported just a month ago that ebooks have lept to 10 percent of sales.
We’ll also have stimulating looks at new ideas on DRM; what to learn from digital developments in emerging markets; five more c-level executive; and our two-thirds of day concludes with a freewheeling discussion with PLC partners Mike Shatzkin and Michael Cader. (This year we finish up by about 2:00 so you can move on to other meetings or the rights directors gathering, in the same building).
Lunch readers can still claim a 20 percent discount on registration with the code, PL13PartnerMC20. (Our ticket comes with a full five-day pass to the Fair itself if you need it.)