2024 Program & Speakers
CEO Roundtable
Top leaders from some of the industry’s largest and most respected companies discuss how they are guiding their companies through a period of rapid technological innovation and how they develop talent in their workforce.
Jonathan Karp, CEO, Simon and Schuster
Aman Kochar, CEO, Baker & Taylor
Mary McAveney, CEO, Abrams
Peter Warwick, CEO, Scholastic
Moderator: Lucia Rahilly, Global Editorial Director, McKinsey & Co.
Publishing Financial Literacy
Understand thebuilding blocks of the publishing profit and loss statement and how they impact book acquisition.
Clare O’Rourke, Chief Financial Officer, Macmillan
Harnessing Most Trusted Influencers to Boost Book Sales
Public libraries, schools, universities, and community institutions promote and influence the reading and book buying habits for tens of millions of readers. Learn how to leverage this powerful network to drive discovery and sales for every title.
Steve Potash, Chief Executive Office, Overdrive
Current Issues in Contracts and Copyright
The landscape of contracts and copyright is undergoing noticeable shifts in response to emerging technologies like AI and the evolving dynamics of content creation and consumption. Learn how the issues related to contract provisions address AI, morality, and social media promotion.
Janet Saines Cardozo, VP, Head of Contracts, Hachette
Jaime Wolf, General Counsel, AALA and attorney, Pelosi Wolf Spates LLP
Spotlight on Spotify
With the audio book market booming and more than a quarter of Spotify’s eligible premium listeners engaging with audiobooks and new titles being added to the platform every day, learn about plans to innovate for authors, publishers, listeners, and book fans worldwide.
Owen Smith, VP, Product & Technology for Audiobooks, Spotify
Getting Started with AI
For anyone who wants to learn the basics of AI and the many ways AI tools can (and can’t) improve the publishing process.
Keith Reigert, Ulysses Press & NYU Professor
Young Publishing Forum
An open forum for those relatively new to publishing at agencies and publishing houses to share experience and insights and anyone who wants to understand the perspectives of the next generation of publishing professionals on mentorship, orientation, remote work and career goals.
Yadon Israel, Founder, Literaryswag Book Club, Senior Editor, Simon & Schuster
Fernanda Martinez, Planeta US
Noah Perkins, Young Publishers Association
Maya St. Clair, Young Publishers Association/Locus Magazine
Moderator: Monika Woods, Founder, Triangle House
The X Factor
Respected industry figures reveal the soft/super skills, and personal and leadership qualities, that contributed to their effectiveness in navigating the publishing industry.
Dawn Davis, Publisher, 37 Ink
Sally Kim, Publisher, Little, Brown
Dominique Raccah, CEO, Sourcebooks
Todd Shuster, Co-CEO, Aevitas Creative
Moderator: Sonali Goel, Senior Director, Talent and Development, Macmillan
Kicking Down the Gates
Industry leaders discuss systems and tools that act as barriers and obstacles to publication and innovative strategies along with actionable insights to make book publishing more accessible.
Porscha Burke, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy, Random House & Crown Publishing Groups
Talia Krohn, VP, Editorial Director, Little, Brown Spark
Ayesha Pande, Agent & Owner, Pande Literary
Joy Peskin, Executive Editorial Director, FSG Books for Young Readers
Moderator: Kelly Sonnack, Executive Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Great Expectations
Agents and editors discuss how to work better together to boost productivity, profitability, and well-being.
Kerry D’Agostino, Agent, Curtis Brown
Caroline Eisenmann, VP & Senior Agent, Frances Goldin Literary Agency
Luana Horry, Editorial Director, HarperColllins Children’s
Aliya S. King, Executive Editor, Disney Publishing
Jessica Sinsheimer, Agent, Context Literary & Co-founder of Manuscript Wish List
Maya Ziv, Editorial Director, Dutton
Moderator: Tanya McKinnon, Founder, McKinnon Literary
Sales Says
Sales directors open up about the role they play in launching new titles, how they collaborate with marketers to drive discoverability, how they work with retailers, and what essential insights into the sales process can help agents and editors serve their books.
Christine Edwards, SVP, Sales, Abrams Books
Jennifer Edwards, VP, Children’s Sales, Macmillan
Kelly Roberts, VP, Divisional Sales, HarperCollins
Gary Urda, SVP, Sales, Simon & Schuster
Moderator: Kristin Fassler, SVP, Integrated Marketing, Knopf Doubleday Group
All About Auctions
Agents and editors compare notes and discuss best practices for structuring and executing successful auctions.
Stacey Barney, Associate Publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books
Stephanie Hitchcock, Editorial Director, Simon Acumen
Megan Lynch, Editorial Director, Flatiron Books
Anthony Mattero, Agent, CAA
Wendy Sherman, President, Sherman & Associates
Joanna Volpe, President, New Leaf Literary
Moderator: Ivan Held, President, Putnam, Berkeley & Dutton
Greenlighting 2.0
In the wake of recent industry upheavals, including writer and actor strikes and the rise of streaming, our panelists discuss how these challenges have spurred innovation and creativity, leading to fresh perspectives and approaches to book-to-film adaptations and how v agents and editors can thrive in this dynamic environment.
Mac Hawkins, Founder, Literary Scout, Pragmatic
Nicole McCormick, Director of Development, The Js
Jenny Halper, Executive Vice President and Head of Creative, Maven Pictures
Lucy Stille, Founder, Lucy Stille Literary
Joe Veltre, Senior Partner & Co-Head of New York Office; Head of Books and Media Rights at The Gersh Agency
Moderator: Alexandra Franklin, Curtis Brown
Securing Your Financial Future on Any Budget
Investing in your professional development includes personal finance management, get real talk and advice from Vivian Tu on how to maximize your publishing salary, at any level, for a richer financial future.
Vivian Tu, Author of Rich AF & creator of YourRich BFF on TikTok and Instagram in conversation with Niki Papadopoulos, VP, Editor-in-Chief, Portfolio Books.