The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is a not-for-profit membership organization serving the independent publishing community through advocacy and education. With over 3,500 members, IBPA is the largest publishing trade association in the United States.[1] IBPA programs and publications include the IBPA Book Award/Benjamin Franklin Award,[2] IBPA Publishing University, [3] and the monthly Independent Magazine. IBPA was founded in 1983[2] as the Publishers Association of Southern California (PASCAL).[4] It later became the Publishers Marketing Association (PMA).[4] It adopted its present name in 2008.[2]
Established in 1985, the IBPA Book Award (formerly the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award) honors independent publishers and self-published authors for excellence in book editorial and design. It is the most established and recognized book award dedicated to the craft of independent publishing. Prizes are given in a number of categories including Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book.[5][6] Over 190 judges including IBPA members, as well as librarians, reviewers, editors and bookstore owners choose the winners and provide feedback to the authors about their books.[7][8]
IBPA's Publishing University is a two-day networking and educational event. Hosted annually, the program includes learning labs and a book-award ceremony.[9][10]
Since 2017, IBPA has published an Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book. The purpose of the checklist is to give independent publishers an at-a-glance gauge of the professional presentation of any book in order to help level the playing field between indie publishers and large-scale conglomerates.[11]
In 2018, IBPA published the first iteration of IBPA's Hybrid Publisher Criteria, a list of nine criteria defining what it means to be a professional hybrid publisher.
In this free guide Publishing Models and Author Pathways, IBPA provides an overview on the 8 types of publishing business models i.e. types of publishers, and a guide for authors looking at different pathways to getting their creative works published.
