The 2021 U.S. Book Show featured a variety of keynote speakers, editor and author panels, and special timely and topical library and industry programming.
Attendees enjoyed a packed schedule and have a front row seat to seasoned, debut and emerging voices.
Editors’ Picks panels featured Fall 2021 (August–December) books, chosen and highlighted by Publishers Weekly‘s editors in selected categories. These panels will give attendees an up-close opportunity to hear the “story behind the story” from each book’s editor.
Author panels brought together some of the brightest and talented writers to discuss their upcoming books in depth with industry expert moderators.
Oprah Winfrey, author, What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing (Flatiron)Sponsored by
Libraries Are Essential will offer U.S. Book Show attendees a broader look at the challenges and opportunities libraries are embracing in 2021.
With Libraries Are Essential, the U.S. Book Show embraces a simple truth: public libraries are essential. More than just a key marketplace for publishers and authors, public libraries are anchors in their communities, key to democracy, and crucial supporters of the basic elements necessary for a strong literary culture: literacy, education, equal access to information, access to broadband, diversity and inclusion, and information literacy.
The program consists of two 90-minute seminars, featuring 20 influential library leaders from around the nation.
The morning session will explore the state of the profession, library education, and the future of library spaces following the pandemic and the nation’s social and racial justice awakening. Library leaders will discuss an array of key topics, including new programs and services, budget and economic concerns; worker safety issues; equity, diversity, and inclusion; and, crucially, how library buildings may need to change following this historic public health crisis. This session will include a discussion with IMLS director R. Crosby Kemper III.
The afternoon session will focus on digital developments. While the digital content market for libraries has been historically fraught, the pandemic led to an unprecedented jump in digital circulation. This session will explore what we have learned from this past year of forced experimentation in the digital space—and what comes next for libraries and publishers in a post pandemic world. This session will including a closing keynote from sociologist and critically acclaimed author Eric Klinenberg (Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life).
The complete Libraries Are Essential program and lineup is available here.
Andrew Richard Albanese, Senior Writer, Publishers Weekly
Sari Feldman, Columnist, Publishers Weekly and former Executive Director, Cuyahoga
R. Crosby Kemper III is the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the independent federal agency that serves as the primary source of federal support for the nation's museums and libraries. Prior to his role at IMLS, he served as director of the Kansas City Public Library, where he established the library as one of the city's leading cultural destinations and a hub of community engagement.
Eric Klinenberg, Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University and author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic LifeINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
Scores of publishing employees have been working remotely since the pandemic hit in early 2020. Now, mass vaccinations and declines in positivity rates have made returning to the office seem possible. But what does the return to office life look like? What should employers expect? How should employees—especially junior staffers—evaluate new flex schedules? Does face time matter anymore? Can you now live in a different state than your company? What does networking look like in this new landscape? Is the publishing lunch dead? We will talk with professionals handling their companies’ transitions to post-Covid life, as well as with experts studying the new post-pandemic office paradigm.
Thad McIllroy, Principal, The Future of Publishing
Tsedal Neeley, Author, Remote Work Revolution
Lorraine Shanley, President, Market Partners International
Adrienne Vaughan, Executive Director & COO, Bloomsbury
John Maher, News and Digital Editor, Publishers WeeklyINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
The publishing industry’s long-term inability to diversify its workforce is no secret. While publishers seem to be responding to renewed calls for more diversity and inclusion efforts, the industry’s struggle to hire and retain young people of color remains a frustrating constant. Why? Here we talk with a variety of industry executives about how new programs and initiatives can institutionalize workplace diversity and inclusion while tackling unconscious biases at the source. We will also hear from a diversity expert, working outside of publishing, who will point to what other industries are doing to bring about change.
Carrie Bloxson, head of diversity and inclusion, Hachette Book Group
Stacey A. Gordon, author, Unbias: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work
Jason Low, publisher and co-owner, Lee and Low Books
Ayesha Pande, proprietor, Ayesha Pande Literary
Shelly Romero, assistant editor, ScholasticBOOKSELLING TRACK: THE CURRENT STATE OF BOOKSELLING
This panel will look at the challenges facing bricks-and-mortar bookstores as customers return to in-store shopping, and how current events—from the fight for social justice and fair wages to efforts to fight Amazon—are changing the way booksellers work and their prospects for the future.
Nina Barrett, owner, Bookends & Beginnings (Ill.)
Danny Caine, owner, Raven Book Store (Kan.)
Bryanne Hoeg, manager, Powell's City of Books (Ore.)
Kwame Spearman, co-owner, Tattered Cover Book Store (Colo.)
Ed Nawotka, Bookselling and International Editor, Publishers WeeklyINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
Former president Trump, hate him or love him, held the attention of the popular conscience like no politician in recent memory. He was also great for book sales, allowing publishers to pump the bestseller lists with titles either celebrating or demonizing him. So what does this category now hold, as we enter the post-Trump presidency? How has the market for political books changed? Will it inevitably soften? Will the explosion of interest in social justice titles reshape the category? Will the types of books the houses want—and feel they can publish—change? We will talk with agents and editors who specialize in the category to get a sense of what they think is coming next.
Eamon Dolan, v-p and executive editor, Simon & Schuster
Tanya McKinnon, principal, McKinnon Literary
Eric Nelson, v-p and editorial director, Broadside Books
Keith Urbahn, president and cofounder, Javelin
Jimmy So, editor, Columbia Global Reports, Columbia UniversityINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
Presented by
In 2020 and 2021 it became increasingly clear that online discoverability is key to the marketing process for publishers. Search-engine optimized content brings consumers to books and acts as a catalyst to discovery at retail and in browsers. Learning how to reach more readers, understanding retail algorithms that improve discoverability, and developing a network affect, become almost limitless discovery engines for titles.
As consumers continue to shift to digital for discovery, consideration, and purchase the industry will need to adapt to the changing behavior. The publishing industry has largely been a curator or gatekeeper of content with the largest publishing houses controlling the pipeline to retail and hence consumers. As the market conditions move toward independent search and discovery, the industry becomes more democratized and scalable discovery and conversion methodologies become increasingly critical.
Open Road Integrated Media talks with publishers about how to reach consumers on books that don’t have a “built in” audience. How do publishers drive discoverability for debut authors, new frontlist, and midlist titles?
Brad Farmer, CEO, Gibbs Smith
Alexandra Nicolajsen, Director of Social Media & Digital Sales, Kensington Publishing
Nick Stewart, Digital Marketing Manager, Grove Atlantic
Kathy Wiess, Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development, Europa Editions
Paul Slavin, former COO of Everyday Health, CEO, Open Road MediaINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
Books will never be out of style in Hollywood, but, well, what does the term "Hollywood" even mean these days? With the movie theater business on its knees after the pandemic, and Hollywood reeling from nearly a year without theatrical releases, the already fast-changing landscape of the West Coast industry is even more in flux. So, as questions multiply about the distribution models for movies and TV, the uncertainty surrounding options comes into play. What is the new landscape for literary IP in Hollywood? And how has the pandemic changed the kind of literary content that gets optioned?
Angela Cheng Caplan, president and CEO, Cheng Caplan Company
Mac Hawkins, film/TV literary consultant and founder, Pragmatic
Erin Hennicke, director, film/TV, Franklin & Siegal Associates
Mary Pender, media rights agent, United Talent Agency
Zander Bauman, senior v-p , literary affairs, 20th Century FoxBOOKS & AUTHORS TRACK: COMIC & GRAPHIC NOVELS
Editors’ Picks panel featuring PW editors in conversation with editors representing children’s and adult comics and graphic novels.
Meg Lemke, Reviews Editor, Publishers WeeklyINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
Presented by
According to NPD BookScan, backlist sales saw a huge boom in 2020, representing 67% of all book sales. Meanwhile, the New York Times recently reported that 98% of new titles published in 2020 sold fewer than 5,000 copies, thanks to difficulties posed by the pandemic—yet book sales continue to grow, with the Association of American Publishers reporting a 10% growth in publisher revenues year over year. How can marketers and sales reps at publishers both small and large leverage their backlist in a scalable way, in light of these trends? Join Annie Stone, head of business development at BookBub, for a panel discussion of these topics and more, featuring four book marketing and sales experts.
Suzanne Donahue, VP, Director of Backlist, Atria Books (S&S)
Matthew Shatz, VP Marketing, Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Mary Urban, Associate Director of Digital Sales, Hachette Book Group
Kavita Wright, Director of Online Marketing, Sourcebooks
Annie Stone, Head of Business Development, BookBubKeanu Reeves (creator, co-writer) and Matt Kindt (co-writer), with Ron Garney (illustrator), of BRZRKR, vol. 1 (Boom! Studios) interviewed by Calvin Reid, senior news editor, Publishers Weekly
Keanu Reeves, creator and co-writer, BRZRKR Vol. 1 (Boom! Studios)
Matt Kindt, co-writer, BRZRKR Vol. 1 (Boom! Studios)
Ron Garney, illustrator, BRZRKR Vol. 1 (Boom! Studios)Calvin Reid, senior news editor, Publishers Weekly
BOOKSELLING TRACK: THE CURRENT STATE OF BOOKSELLING
This panel will discuss the successful pivot of many bookstores to online bookselling during the pandemic and whether this shift might continue to benefit booksellers in the future. It will discuss best practices for booksellers and cover both the risks and rewards for bricks-and-mortar stores.
Sarah High, partnerships manager, Bookshop.org
Mark Pearson, CEO and cofounder, Libro.fmEd Nawotka, Bookselling and International Editor, Publishers WeeklyEditors’ Picks panel featuring PW editors in conversation with editors representing children’s and adult comics and graphic novels.
Andrew Aydin, Run (Abrams)
Ed Brubaker, Friend of the Devil (Image Comics)
Roye Okupe, Malika: Warrior Queen, Iyanu: Child of Wonder and E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale Williams (Dark Horse/YouNeek Studios)
Brandon Sanderson, The Dark One (Vault Comics)
Calvin Reid, senior news editor, Publishers WeeklyINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
Jim Milliot, v-p and editorial director, Publishers Weekly, sits down with John Ingram, chairman of Ingram Content Group, and Keel Hunt, author of The Family Business: How Ingram Transformed the World of Books (West Margin Press), for a discussion about how the company has managed to remain one of publishing's most important players and what is ahead for the industry.
John Ingram, chairman , Ingram Content Group
Keel Hunt, author, The Family Business: How Ingram Transformed the World of Books (West Margin Press)
Jim Milliot, v-p and editorial director, Publishers WeeklyINDUSTRY TRACK: THE FUTURE
Ijeoma Oluo will discuss her groundbreaking work, including So You Want to Talk About Race and Mediocre, as well as give viewers a sneak peek into her next book, Be a Revolution (HarperOne), a work detailing how people and communities are creating real systemic change—in areas like education, media, science, health, housing, and agriculture—with the goal of achieving intersectional racial equity.
Ijeoma Oluo, Author, So You Want to Talk About Race and Mediocre
Rakesh Satyal, executive editor, HarperCollins Publishers
Peter Cannon, Senior Reviews Editor, Publishers Weekly
Carliann Rittman, reviews editor, Publishers WeeklyPulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author Anthony Doerr will discuss Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel (Scribner) with David Varno, reviews editor, Publishers Weekly
Anthony Doerr, author, Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel
David Varno, reviews editor, Publishers WeeklyStevie Van Zandt, author of Unrequited Infatuations (Hachette), will be in conversation with Ben Greenman, the book's editor; hosted by Stephanie Buschardt, reviews editor, Publishers Weekly. This session will be live, with audience Q&A.
Stevie Van Zandt, author, Unrequited Infatuations
David Varno, reviews editor, Publishers Weekly
Angeline Boulley, Firekeeper's Daughter (Macmillan)
Christine Day, The Sea in Winter and I Can Make This Promise (Heartdrum)
David A. Robertson, On the Trapline (Tundra)
Jesse Thistle, From the Ashes: My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Way (Simon & Schuster)
Cynthia Leitich Smith, Indigenous children's and YA author
Dave Adams, reviews editor, Publishers Weekly
Senator Elizabeth Warren, author, Pinkie Promises (Holt)
Laura Godwin, vice president and publisher, Godwin Books
Andrea and Brian Pinkney, Bright Brown Baby (Scholastic)
Ryan Higgins, Norman Didn’t Do It and Thanks for Nothing (Disney)
Pat Zietlow Miller, Be Strong (Macmillan)
Nabela Noor, Beautifully Me (Simon & Schuster)
Natasha Gilmore, Publishers Weekly
Padma Lakshmi, author, Tomatoes for Neela (Viking Children's)
Sharon Draper, Out of My Heart (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books)
Kim Dwinell, Surfside Girls (IDW/Top Shelf)
Gayle Forman, Frankie and Bug (Aladdin)
BonHyung Jeong, Kyle’s Little Sister (Yen)Natasha Gilmore, Publishers Weekly
Gnesis Villar, reviewer, Publishers Weekly
Brian Selznick, author, Kaleidescope (Scholastic)
Sanina Clark, reviewer, Publishers Weekly
Dhonielle Clayton, Shattered Midnight (Disney)
Crystal Fleming, Rise Up! (Macmillan)
Makiia Lucier, Year of the Reaper (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Shanna Miles, For All Time (Simon & Schuster)
Idris Grey, Publishers Weekly