BAIPA brought together five industry leaders for an inside look at today’s most viable publishing paths. Peter Goodman (traditional), Brooke Warner (hybrid with distribution), Rob Price (full-service), Ruth Schwartz (assisted self-publishing), and Arlene Miller (DIY) each shared a fast-paced 10-minute overview of their model—what works, what to watch for, and who each path best serves. After the presentations, we hosted candid Q&A so you can get clear about the right direction for your book. Here is the chat. Connect With Our Speakers: Peter Goodman, Stone Bridge Press, a traditional publisher Brooke Warner, She Writes Press, hybrid publishing with distribution Rob Price, Gatekeeper Press, full-service publishing service provider Ruth Schwartz, Wonderlady Books, assisted self-publishing services Arlene Miller, DIY self-publishing Links: IBPA publishing criteria Brooke Warner’s Substack She Writes Press Handbook Brooke Warner’s article on not querying agents Beginner’s Guide to Self Publishing provided by Rob Price at Gatekeeper Press IBPA publishing map Jane Friedman’s updated book publishing pathways spreadsheet

  AI has exploded into the publishing world—fast. This session cuts through the hype and shows authors what’s actually working right now. We looked at the newest, practical ways author-publishers are using AI to streamline their workflow, strengthen their manuscripts, and expand their marketing reach—without losing their voice or control. Expect an honest look at the tools, the limits, and the smart strategies that keep you ahead of the curve. Here’s the chat: GMT20260207-190039_RecordingnewChat Here are the slides: Thad McIlroySlides-BAIPA-v2 Key Takeaways include: Learn how today’s most useful AI tools fit into an author’s writing, editing, and publishing workflow Learn what AI can and cannot do (and how to avoid common author pitfalls) Learn ways to use AI for research, revision, metadata, marketing, and reader engagement Create guardrails to protect your voice, your rights, and your professionalism while using AI. About Our Speaker Thad McIlroy is a publishing technology analyst and author, and principal [...]

People judge books by their covers every day. Your cover has a very important job to do, so are you sure it’s up to the job? For this year’s annual cover design event, we  invited Steve Rustad, long time graphic designer and illustrator. We had our usual cover design contest, and there was a panel of Steve Rustad, John Byrne Barry, and David Kudler who provided live feedback of over six BAIPA authors’ book covers. The panel was moderated by Ruth Schwartz. Here are Steve’s presentation slides. Here is the chat. About Our Speaker: Steve Rustad Steve Rustad is a Creative Director, Graphic Designer, Filmmaker, Copywriter, Cartoonist, Veteran, and former Sky Marshal. He had the good fortune to be mentored in graphic design by some legitimate “Mad Men & Women” and he enjoys passing on that knowledge. He is passionate about graphic design, branding, and applying these skills to author’s [...]

There’s been an explosion of interest in self-publishing, and with it, a tremendous amount of confusion about the various options available to authors who want to self-publish. Some advocate hiring a full service self-publishing company. Others say “hybrid publishers” are the way to go. Still others suggest that it’s best to find your own team of freelancers. Who’s right? It depends. There’s no right way to self-publish and each author will make a different decision based on their skills, goals, and individual circumstances. In this presentation, we’ll explore the various self-publishing pathways using the self-publishing decision tree created and presented by Joel Pitney. We’ll explore the pros and cons of each to give authors the information they need to choose the path best suited for them. BAIPA chat, 11-01-25 Key Takeaways include: Access to a downloadable “self-publishing decision tree” Gaining a detailed understanding of the various self-publishing pathways: hiring a [...]

Ruth will cover the latest news from Amazon/KDP etc, as well as with IngramSpark, including best practices for self-publishing your book. BAIPA chat 7.15.25_Ruth Schwartz Ruth’s Slides Key Takeaways include: Changes with KDP royalties and color print pricing KDP is making it a bit more challenging to talk or chat with a real person. Increase in IngramSpark print pricing IngramSpark only allowing three categories (like KDP) About Our Speaker: Ruth Schwartz Ruth Schwartz Ruth Schwartz is the founder and CEO of Wonderlady Books, helping self-publishing authors turn finished manuscripts into well-published books, complete with professional cover design, interior layout, and ebook editions—all up online and available for sale around the world. Ruth brings over 50 years of book publishing, design and printing industry experience to every author’s project and has worked on over 250 independently-published books since 2012 when print on demand technology enabled the current indie publishing revolution. She has [...]