SPOTLIGHT

Ilan Stavans on “Why We Need to Reimagine the American Publishing Industry”

In this Spotlight, Ilan Stavans discussed the blindsides of the American publishing landscape, and exploring beyond these confines through international literature.

Ilan Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities and Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College, the co-founder and publisher of Restless Books, and a consultant to the Oxford English Dictionary. The recipient of numerous international prizes and honors, his work, translated into twenty languages, has been adapted into film, radio, TV, and theater.

Former Inkluded Matriculants on “Inkluded Academy”

In this Spotlight, previous matriculants of Inkluded Academy (Nazli Islam, Sofia Bolido, Marrissa Lawson, TreVaughn Roach-Carter, Jiayun Yang, and Lynn Wu) spoke about their experiences in Inkluded Academy: why they applied, what they learned, and how it helped them become a part of the publishing industry.

Carolina Meurkens on “Multicultural Marketing in Publishing”

In this Spotlight, Carolina discussed her experience in the unique role as a Multicultural Marketing Manager at a major publishing company. Multicultural marketing is a way to bring attention to the marginalized communities in publishing.

Carolina Meurkens (she/her) is a writer, curator, and marketing specialist, with a passion for centering underrepresented voices and utilizing storytelling techniques to assist organizations looking to develop their online presence and expand their reach. Carolina is the Editor-in-Chief of Mixed Mag, an online multimedia magazine that centers stories by multiethnic/ multicultural creatives. Carolina currently serves as the Multicultural Marketing Manager at Penguin Publishing Group, where she provides on the ground support to marketing teams looking to reach new audiences and develops innovative marketing tools to meet today’s challenges.

Stephanie Beard on “Books to Film/TV”

In this Spotlight, Stephanie Beard talked about the path from publishing to Hollywood and the steps it takes in between. 

Stephanie Beard has spent the past decade working in acquisitions, rights and the adaptation market and currently serves as a Director of Acquisition at Podium Audio. Prior to joining Podium, she helmed the rights department at Sourcebooks, where she helped grow the core business as well as launched an in-house film and TV licensing program which included a first look deal with Sony Pictures TV. Additionally, she served as the Executive Editor and Rights Director at Turner Publishing, where she founded Keylight Books which focused on finding stories for print and screen.

Janet Saines-Cardozo on “Book Negotiations”

In this Spotlight, Janet used her experience as a Contracts Director at HBG to talk about what makes a "successful negotiation." How do you make better deals while maintaining positive relationships and maximizing profits?

Alyssa Keyne on “Audiobook Publishing”

Audiobooks are a fast-growing frontier in publishing and have captured audiences in a new way. During this Spotlight, Alyssa Keyne discussed her experience working in audiobooks and all the ins and outs of the process.

Alyssa Keyne has been part of the Macmillan Audio team since she started as an Editorial Assistant in April 2019, and she currently holds the position of Assistant Manager of Editorial and Operations. Originally from Southern California, she graduated from California State University, Long Beach with Honors and worked as a substitute teacher, editor at an advertising agency, and a marketing contractor before moving to NYC and changing careers in 2018.

Emi Ikkanda on “Mentoring in Publishing”

In this Spotlight, Emi Ikkanda discussed her personal experience in mentoring in publishing—both as a mentor and a mentee—and how mentorship can help develop a publishing career.

Emi Ikkanda is an Executive Editor acquiring nonfiction and select fiction projects at Tiny Reparations Books, Dutton, and Plume at Penguin Random House. She publishes a diverse list of award-winning, bestselling, and culturally relevant books. Over the years she has edited #1 New York Times and international bestselling authors, and edited winners or finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Carnegie Medal, Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award, and the TIME 100.

Stacey Yu on “BookTok”

"BookTok" has become a big part of publishing since TikTok was created in 2016. We brought TikTok influencer, Stacey Yu, to talk to us about the behind the scenes of being a successful BookToker and how the platform has become a large contributor to book marketing today.

Stacey Yu is a writer and content creator based in London. She started her career in publishing interning for Writers House before working in publicity at Random House and reading for Alanna Feldman Scouting. Her channel @literaryfling explores literary, contemporary, and translated fiction, and was shortlisted for Creator of the Year 2024 by the TikTok Book Awards.

Mal Frazier on “Launching an Imprint”

Mal Frazier discussed their personal experience in helping to develop a new imprint at one of the biggest publishers, including the struggles and the successes. 

Mal Frazier has been at Tor Publishing Group for almost two years, split between the nascent romance imprint, Bramble, and Tor prime. They live in the Pacific Northwest and spend their free time running down mountains

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SPOTLIGHT IS ILLUMINATING NICHE AREAS OF PUBLISHING THROUGH A LIVE LECTURE SERIES

Spotlight is our event series that brings often-overlooked parts of the publishing industry into focus. Offered each month, we invite emerging and established industry leaders to host in-depth discussions on lesser-known topics in publishing. Spotlight creates a space for us to grow our understanding of the book business, explore specialty areas, gain insights from experts, and discover pathways they may not have considered before.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

  • Explore the industry’s hidden gems: Discover unique career paths and industry sectors.

  • Expert-led insights: Learn directly from industry professionals.

  • Network-building opportunities: Connect with speakers, peers, and other industry members.

PAST EVENTS

From the practical to the creative, our Spotlight topics covered areas vital to publishing’s evolving landscape, featuring industry speakers who are redefining these fields.

Here are just a few of our past events: