IBPA Publishing University 2026

Selling more books isn’t about doing more marketing — it’s about doing the right marketing in the right order. In this fast-paced, strategy-driven workshop, industry experts break down the three-level framework that turns visibility into credibility and credibility into revenue. From metadata and market positioning to branding, retailer expectations, paid promotion, and global expansion, you’ll learn how to build a marketing engine that scales. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your U.S. reach or expand internationally, you’ll leave with a clear, actionable framework you can implement immediately.

Attention earns awareness. Trust earns loyalty. Strategy earns sales. 

Marketing Launch Plan Workshop: Build, Customize, and Scale Your Book Campaigns

In this hands-on workshop, attendees will create a customized launch plan for a specific book title—while simultaneously learning how to scale and adapt that plan across multiple titles for long-term publishing success.
Launching a book is only part of the journey—positioning it effectively in the market determines its success. This workshop is designed to help publishers, authors, and marketing teams connect the dots between publishing and promotion by identifying clear paths to reach readers, generate sales, and build brand equity for future titles.
 Participants will create and leave with a title-specific personalized marketing toolkit that includes:

• Target reader and buyer identification
• Title-specific business model strategies (retail, non-traditional retail, specialty markets, and supplemental revenue streams)
• Universal marketing strategies and actionable steps
• Customized promotional activities and marketing tools
• Event, traditional media, and digital engagement pitch letter models
• One genre/topic-specific media list
• Specialty market outreach overview and strategies
• Social media marketing plan template and engagement strategies
• Book trailer template
• Media video pitching tutorial

This workshop is ideal for authors, publishers, and marketing professionals looking to develop powerful, repeatable book launch systems that build visibility, drive sales, and create long-term success.