The IPG Podcast IPG: helping independent publishers do better business

With costs rising and pressure growing to reduce the carbon footprint of books, this episode of the IPG Podcast looks at what publishers can do to become more sustainable, both financially and environmentally. Our guest is Vicky Ellis-Duveen of Clays, who has some excellent advice for making many areas of print, production and supply more cost-effective and greener.

Publishers' Licensing Services is at the heart of publishing in the UK, distributing millions of pounds a year via collective licensing and supporting publishers with rights management and permissions. This episode of the IPG Podcast welcomes chief executive Tom West to talk about its history, purpose and future, as well as some of the big issues facing his organisation and publishing at the moment, including around AI. 

Suzanne Collier, founder of the Bookcareers service, joins the podcast to talk about people-related issues in publishing in 2024. She discusses subjects including recruitment, retention, wellbeing, redundancies and more, and shares some good advice for both employers and employees.

Stephanie Kitchen, co-director of the African Books Collective, joins the podcast to chat about the story and work of the organisation in improving the profile and availability of books from across Africa. She also talks about the visibility of African books in general in the UK now, and about what more can be done to get African voices heard on a global stage.

Chris Hamilton-Emery, co-founder of poetry and literary fiction publisher Salt, tells us the highs and lows of his journey in publishing. He also chats about the value of independence and community in publishing and shares some of the lessons he's learned over nearly 25 years in the industry.

Brexit has led to major issues for UK publishers selling books in Europe. In this episode of the IPG Podcast, James Dunphy of Durnell Marketing discusses the big problems and shares some advice to help publishers make their sales and distribution easier and more effective.