Mon 30 March 2009 at 4.00 pm

How can independent publishers survive the crunch?

Pinching their Pennies: How can independent publishers survive the credit crunch?

Bridget Shine (Independent Publishers Guild) and Giles Lewis (How To Books)

Taking Place: Room BG10 Buckley Building Gipsy Lane Campus, Oxford Brookes University

It goes without saying that there is not an industry that has not been affected by the current economic crisis, and publishing is one such industry that has had to tighten its belt and pull up its socks in response to many high street shops shuttering their windows. But what new opportunities can be found amongst the chaos? What type of landscape will emerge after the dust has settled?

Join Bridget Shine, Executive Director of the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG), as she outlines the current state of the book trade and its impact on independent publishers. Bridget will provide insight from the front lines of the industry and will look at how independent publishers are weathering the recession. She will also show how the IPG is supporting its members. Giles Lewis, Director of How To Books, will join her and provide the case study of an independent publisher trading in the current climate.

The Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) actively represents the interests of independent publishers in the United Kingdom and is represented on many committees and forums, which form the strategy for the UK book trade. With more than 480 members and steadily growing, and with combined revenues of more than £500 million, the IPG provides a vibrant networking base.

Bridget joined the IPG as Executive Director in October 2004. She has worked across the industry, covering editorial, marketing, rights and production positions in independent publishing companies, a literary agent and a multinational.