2024 Conference Wrap Up, Part 1
With over 950 booksellers in attendance, American Bookseller Association’s Winter Institute conference was filled with vibrant energy, fostering numerous opportunities for networking and collaboration both within and outside the conference sessions. Two members of the NetGalley team, Tarah Theoret (Senior Director, Community Experience) and Darcy Piedmonte (Senior Sales Manager), were in attendance to connect with our partners at ABA, as well as with booksellers, publishers, and industry professionals.
Booksellers were excited for the reminder that publishers can see that they are validated ABA members on NetGalley, ensuring quick approvals (and even auto-approvals) for their book requests. Popular formats were discussed, with comic store owners expressing gratitude for the collection of comics, graphic novels, and manga that publishers make available on NetGalley. They particularly appreciated the digital access to preview this content, as these books often lack full-color ARCs. Audiobooks garnered similar attention, and many attendees were excited to dig into NetGalley’s audiobook offerings.
We were thrilled to see more publishers using QR codes to make books available to Winter Institute attendees, especially in the Galley Room. Publishers are recognizing the benefits of offering digital copies, both in terms of the number of books they can give away and in terms of sustainability. Using QR codes, or following up with attendees to say, ‘Thank you,’ with a NetGalley pre-approval link to a popular book saves on printing, shipping, and overall carbon emissions. NetGalley is proud to be part of the solution.
Overall, Winter Institute 2024 was characterized by dynamic discussions and fruitful collaborations!
Read more of our 2024 conference wrap ups:
- Part 2: Audio Publishers Association Conference
- Part 3: London Book Fair
And find us at the following events this spring!
- February 28, Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC)
- March 12 – 14, London Book Fair
- March 21 – 24, Leipzig Book Fair
- April 12, Book Industry Study Group (BISG) Annual Meeting
- April 12 – 14, Paris Book Festival
- April 25 – 27, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Publishing University
