PLAN YOUR PROGRAM
Tuesday, June 2nd
Tuesday
June 2nd
1:30–2:00 PM
Early Registration
Lobby, First Floor
2:00–4:00 PM
Navigating Publishing Careers Today: From Entry-Level to Advancement
Room 20, Second Floor
The traditional career path in publishing is no longer linear, and early-career professionals are feeling it. From managing workload and burnout to navigating hybrid work environments and advocating for growth, the challenges are real—and evolving.
This interactive workshop is designed to address those challenges head-on, grounded in survey insights from early-career professionals across the industry. Through a mix of candid panel discussion, peer conversation, and practical exercises, attendees will engage directly with the issues that matter most right now.
Together, we’ll explore:
- How early-career professionals are navigating workload, balance, and burnout—and practical tools to manage all three
- What it means to build a career in hybrid and remote environments
- How to advocate for yourself, negotiate, and find your voice in the workplace
- Designed as a working session, this workshop encourages participation.
Attendees will leave with practical tools, new perspectives, and a clearer path forward.
The session will close with reflections and advice from Publishers Weekly Star Watch honorees, offering firsthand perspectives on the decisions and mindsets that shaped their careers.
Moderated by
Panelists
Talia Behrend-Wilcox
Director of Subsidiary Rights, Abrams
Star Watch 2025 Honoree Guest Speakers
Caolinn Douglas
Senior Editor, Zando
Carrie Napolitano
Editor, Dey Street Books
4:30–5:30 PM
Concurrent Programming
Purpose and Balance: Redefining Success From Entry Level to Executive
Presented by Women’s Media Group
Room 20, Second Floor
Moderated by
Panelists
#BookTok: Inside the Creator Economy
Reading Room, Third Floor
This session brings together #BookTok creators for a discussion on what’s shaping discovery, engagement, and book buzz on TikTok. Designed for industry professionals seeking to better understand and collaborate with creators, the conversation will offer a candid perspective on the evolving creator landscape and how authentic audience connection drives impact on the platform.
Following the discussion, attendees are invited to a reception with the opportunity to connect directly with creators.
Moderated by
Karen Kang
Culture and Education Partnerships Lead, TikTok
Panelists
Felicity Vallence
Director of Digital Marketing, Penguin Young Readers
5:30–6:30 PM
Opening Reception
Presented by Sourcebooks
Reading Room, Third Floor
7:00 PM
The Unofficial Afterparty
60 East 41st Street, South Grand Central
The day doesn’t have to end when the program does. Join fellow attendees at Stout Grand Central for spirits and cheer from 7:00 PM onward.
7:30–9:00 PM
ElevenLabs SoHo Pop-Up
54 Crosby Street
Join the ElevenLabs team for an exclusive pop-up event. Experience immersive audio demos, conversational shopping experiences, light bites, and conversation with fellow U.S. Book Show attendees on the future of audio and all things publishing.
Wednesday, June 3rd
Wednesday, June 3rd
8:30–9:30 AM
Registration
President’s Gallery, First Floor
9:30–9:45 AM
Opening Remarks
Hosack Hall, First Floor
Krista Rafanello
Senior Marketing Director, Publishers Weekly
Jonathan Segura
Editorial Director, Publishers Weekly
8:30 AM–4:30 PM
The U.S. Book Show Café
Presented by the future of agency
President’s Gallery, First Floor; Periodicals, Third Floor
Coffee, tea, and refreshments are available throughout the day at the U.S. Book Show Café, located in the Presidents Gallery and the Periodicals Room.
9:45–10:30 AM
CEOs in Conversation
Hosack Hall, First Floor
Madeline McIntosh, Dominique Raccah, and David Shelley will weigh in on everything from AI to crafting strategy in an unpredictable market to the opportunities and pitfalls inherent in publishing books during an unprecedented time in American and world history. Expect an intimate, engaging, and unscripted conversation, moderated by PW editorial director Jonathan Segura.
Moderated by
Jonathan Segura
Editorial Director, Publishers Weekly
Panelists
10:45–11:30 AM
Concurrent Panels
Panel A | Raising Readers
Hosack Hall, First Floor
Publishing is facing a ticking demographic time bomb: young people aren’t reading like they used to. As time spent reading for pleasure plummets and time spent in front of a screen skyrockets, what can be done to instill a love of books and reading in kids? This session will explore why recreational reading matters, not only for academic success through strengthened comprehension and analytical skills but also for emotional development, empathy, communication skills, economic opportunity, and long-term happiness.
Moderated by
Aidan Flax-Clark
Director, LIVE from NYPL
Panelists
Lori Benton
Senior Vice President of Children’s Publishing, Abrams
Megan Tingley
President and Publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Panel B | The Data-Driven Publisher: Turning Insights into Hits
Room 20, Second Floor
In today’s publishing landscape, success is driven by data, editorial vision, and a deep understanding of readers. From identifying breakout trends and building imprints to shaping acquisition strategies and scaling publishing programs, the most effective publishers are using data not just to analyze the market but to actively shape it.
This session will explore how consumer insights inform strategy across genres and categories. Panelists will also examine how strong partnerships with agents, authors, and internal teams—combined with thoughtful positioning and market awareness—translate into business success.
Moderated by
Panelists
11:45 AM–12:15 PM
Concurrent Panels
Panel A | OverDrive Amplify: Unlocking Global Demand for U.S. Publishers
Room 20, Second Floor
Presented by
Panel B | From SEO to GEO: Optimizing Books for AI Discovery
Hosack Hall, First Floor
Presented by
12:30–2:00 PM
Lunch Presentations
Workshop | AI Lunch Summit: Superabundance and Superdiscoverability
Reading Room, First Floor
With more than 100 million English-language books in existence, publishing isn’t facing a marketing inefficiency—it is facing a structural impossibility. For decades, the industry relied on a supply-driven model, acting as the gatekeeper of distribution. As we enter a demand-driven era where AI serves as the new front door, retail models are compressing, and the risk of traditional disintermediation is real.
Hosted by Brooke Dobson of Shimmr AI and Keith Reigert of The Stable Book Group and Perfect Bound, this session moves past the basics to tackle existential shifts and massive financial opportunities across the publishing cycle. In this powerhouse industry summit, we’ll explore how discovery is being rebuilt from the ground up, and showcase how secure, industry-built AI tools are maximizing a book’s commercial viability and financially unlocking the backlist. From intelligent, catalog-wide insights to the rise of direct-to-reader retail ecosystems, join us to discover how AI is turning the industry’s biggest problem—superabundance—into its most lucrative competitive advantage.
Moderated by
Panelists
Markus Dohle
Founding Past CEO, Penguin Random House
Samir Patil
Cofounder, stck.me
Interview | Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction
Room 20, Second Floor
Ed Nawotka
Senior News and International Editor, Publishers Weekly
Mixer | Young Publishers Association
Room 440, Fourth Floor
Join the Young Publishers Association (YPA) at its lunch mixer to connect with fellow early-career publishing professionals in a relaxed setting. Learn about how to join the organization and apply to its upcoming mentorship program.
The YPA aims to foster connection, provide mentorship, and uplift the next generation of publishing professionals at all stages of their careers. By creating common spaces across the industry, we hope to inspire collaboration, spark conversation, and facilitate networking opportunities that will ultimately forge an accessible and long-lasting community.
2:00–2:45 PM
Concurrent Panels
Panel A | Reading is Social Again: Building Community in the Platform Age
Hosack Hall, First Floor
The tried-and-true playbook for building an audience no longer works. Today, creating passionate and repeat book buyers requires publicity and marketing campaigns as unique as the authors and books they’re promoting.
In this session, we’ll hear from leaders at tech platforms and publishing houses about best practices for reaching today’s consumers—along with strategies for not only driving preorders but building, engaging, and retaining audiences over time. This conversation will offer actionable insights on how to grow readership that lasts well beyond launch, from cultivating loyal communities and sustaining reader relationships across the lifecycle of a book to turning casual discovery into long-term connection.
Moderated by
Panelists
Karen Kang
Culture and Education Partnerships Lead, TikTok
Panel B | Beyond Borders: Scaling Audio Stories for a Global Audience
Room 20, Second Floor
To successfully expand your audiobook reach into international markets, you need to master the delicate balance of global strategy and local nuance. This panel explores the massive potential of emerging marketplaces, highlighting the recent boom in Spanish-language storytelling across Mexico and beyond to demonstrate the vital importance of building a culturally relevant content catalog. We will also examine how the strategic use of AI and text-to-speech is breaking down traditional barriers, allowing creators to efficiently translate and produce audio in every language to reach a truly global audience.
Moderated by
Ed Nawotka
Senior News and International Editor, Publishers Weekly
Panelists
Amanda D’Acierno
President, Penguin Random House Audio Global
3:00–3:30 PM
Concurrent Panels
Panel A | Beyond Launch: Mastering Perpetual Discovery for Backlist
Hosack Hall, First Floor
In an industry focused on “week one” sales, the midlist and backlist remain the backbone of long-term publishing success—yet they’re often the hardest to keep visible. How do you sustain momentum once the launch budget is gone?
Join experts for a tactical session on perpetual discovery. Moving beyond launch hype, this conversation will explore how marketers can stay agile by tapping into reader sentiment and community engagement to continuously reposition older titles.
Panelists will dig into how existing reviews and reader feedback can be mined to uncover fresh hooks for backlist titles, how to turn that sentiment into renewed social proof that fuels both organic and algorithmic discovery, and how to build a sustainable reengagement playbook that extends the life—and ROI—of your catalog long after the initial spend.
Moderated by
Darcy Piedmonte
Director of Customer Acquisition and Success, NetGalley and Booktrovert
Panelists
Kristina Radke
SVP of Business Growth and Engagement, NetGalley and Booktrovert
Panel B | Own Your Audience: Reimagining the Direct-to-Reader Relationship
Room 20, Second Floor
The balance of power in book retail is shifting. A growing number of publishers are embracing direct-to-consumer channels as a path to true autonomy, owning their audience, their data, and their revenue. We’ll explore the tools, strategies, and real-world examples behind this movement. We’ll also show how publishers of all sizes can find empowerment beyond traditional retail platforms while building lasting, direct relationships with their readers.
Moderated by
Panelists
3:45–4:30 PM
The Big Apple Break
Presented by Lakeside Book Company
President’s Gallery, First Floor
Take a breather—and make it count. This sponsored break brings the full room together for mid-afternoon bites, refreshments, and the kind of unscheduled conversation that often turns out to be the most valuable part of the day.
3:45–4:30 PM
The New Book Tour: How Podcasts Are Revitalizing Your Entire List
Hosack Hall, First Floor
Moderated by
Panelists
Meghan Athey
Podcast Publicist, Leverage with Media PR
Pip Davidson
Publicist and Influencer Strategist, Hay House, Inc.
4:45–5:30 PM
Concurrent Panels
Panel A | Optioned: A Publisher's Guide to the Adaptation Boom
Hosack Hall, First Floor
So far this year, there has been a flood of adaptations of novels for film and television, and the rest of the year promises buzzy adaptations of literary classics, sexy psychological thrillers, and blockbuster franchises. What does the landscape look like moving forward as more types of IP are available? What are people looking for, where do they see things going, and, for the creative, what does this look like on the business end?
Moderated by
Panelists
Jake Bauman
SVP of Literary Development, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Mimi Diamond
Book Scout, RR Scouting
Julia May Jonas
Novelist, Playwright, and Creator of the Netflix Series Vladimir
Panel B | Little Listeners: How Audio Is Creating the Next Generation of Readers
Room 20, Second Floor
Children are increasingly discovering stories through sound—via audiobooks, read-along formats, and screen-free audio devices—often before or alongside traditional print reading. This panel will explore how audio-first storytelling is reshaping children’s engagement with books and what that shift means for publishers, libraries, and content creators.
The session will bring together leaders from audio platforms, publishing, and the library and education communities to discuss how audio-first formats support literacy development, accessibility, and independent engagement, particularly for emerging and neurodiverse readers. Panelists will also examine the growing role of multisensory storytelling and hybrid print-audio formats and share practical insights on how publishers can think more strategically about developing and positioning children’s audio content.
Moderated by
Panelists
5:30–7:00 PM
Closing Reception
Presented by The London Book Fair
Reading Room, Third Floor