Independent Publishers Caucus Turns 10

The Independent Publishers Caucus (IPC) was founded ten years ago at the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institute in Denver. It now counts 107 member publishers, according to a report in Publishers Weekly.

Dan Simon of Seven Stories Press and Tom Halleck, formerly of Beacon Press, first conceived of the organization. Its current executive director is Daniel O'Brien, who also works with the Association of American Literary Agents.

Membership and Philosophy

To join the IPC, a publisher must have at least 10 books in print by a minimum of three authors and employ no more than 60 people. This excludes larger independents like W.W. Norton or Bloomsbury. University presses are exempt from the size limit.

A shared ethos binds the group. Christie Henry, director of Princeton University Press, describes it as "publishers who put purpose before profit." Her press, the IPC's largest member, joined three years ago.

For many, the IPC provides vital community. Emily Saer Cook of Cursor Literary serves on the education committee. She says the IPC gives publishers "language for how strong independent publishing is." Without it, she describes facing "the darkness" of isolation in an endless, demanding business.

Advocacy and Bestseller Lists

The IPC's current focus is twofold. It aims to get independent presses' books in front of sellers and buyers, and to foster dialogue between those groups.

A major step is the launch of the IPC Top 40 bestseller lists. The American Booksellers Association compiles separate lists for adult fiction and adult nonfiction using sales data from independent bookstores. A children's list is planned.

Dan Simon contrasts these lists with mainstream charts. "Go look at the New York Times bestseller list, mostly it's things that are selling but aren't really changing hearts and minds," he says. "Now, go look at the IPC Top 40 fiction or nonfiction list, and there's all this dynamism."

The lists address a key industry challenge. Sanj Kharbanda of Beacon Press notes that booksellers often cannot distinguish indie press titles, as many are distributed through the same channels as major conglomerates.

Reaching New Markets

The IPC is building programs to connect with new independent bookstores. Roughly 600 have opened since the pandemic, based on ABA data. Daniel O'Brien says the goal is to reach these stores before they default to ordering only from large conglomerates, putting indie publishers' frontlists and backlists on their radars.

A similar strategy targets libraries. The IPC hosts a biennial IndieLib Forum at the Public Library Association's conference. O'Brien says the forum may go virtual to reach more librarians amid budget constraints.

Building Community

Technology facilitates connection through biweekly virtual town halls, a members' newsletter, and shared educational programs. One successful initiative allowed interns from various member presses to train together virtually.

Christie Henry calls this one of the "clearest cases of the caucus creating value that smaller members couldn't produce alone."

The organization is also exploring direct-to-consumer sales and better integration with bookstore point-of-sale systems.

Focus on Engagement, Not Size

According to steering committee member Sanj Kharbanda, the IPC is not seeking exponential growth. "There is no goal to grow to 150 or 200 members," he states. "We're happy where we are."

The priority is active membership. Kharbanda notes the caucus wants members willing to contribute "sweat equity" and help the community with problem-solving.