NEW YORK – November 16, 2009 – Marketing costs are rising. Sales channels are shrinking. Google is looming. And now, politicians are entering the debate about book pricing.

Are publishers ready for the future?

Digital Book World will address the radically evolving consumer publishing environment, offering strategies to meet the challenges of developing a viable digital strategy while fundamentally transforming the business model. Attendees will represent multiple disciplines across the industry including senior management, editors, agents, marketers, production, eMedia and digital strategists.

Digital Book World will be held January 26-27, 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, New York City.  To learn more, go to: DigitalBookWorld.com or follow updates on Twitter @DigiBookWorld.

Mike Shatzkin, Conference Chair and digital strategist, with an Advisory Board featuring industry's leaders from publishers of all sizes, have created a compelling program that addresses the unique needs of consumer publishers. The Conference opens with a keynote presented by Shiv Singh, Ad Age Media Maven and VP and Global Social Media Lead at Razorfish. Following his keynote, Dominique Raccah (Sourcebooks) will present a progress report on the innovative vertical community, PoetrySpeaks.com; Amanda Edmonds (Google) will discuss books in "the cloud," and Brian Napack (Macmillan) will tackle the controversial issue of piracy and eBooks.

Day two of Digital Book World opens with Today’s eBook Consumer, offering an exclusive first look at 1st-Round Data from BISG’s Ongoing Survey of Consumer Attitudes Toward eBook Reading, with Angela Bole of the Book Industry Study Group and Kelly Gallagher of RR Bowker. Raelene Gorlinsky (Ellora’s Cave) will offer insights gleaned from 10 years of being at the forefront of digital publishing, while Liza Daly (Threepress Consulting) will offer best practices for eBook creation. The morning will conclude with a provocative panel discussion on The eBook Tipping Point, moderated by Mike Shatzkin and featuring Ken Brooks (Cengage Learning), Michael Cader (Publisher’s Lunch), Larry Kirshbaum (LJKLiterary Agency), and Evan Schnittman (Oxford University Press).

Breakout sessions will focus on three critical areas of interest: Evolving the Business Model; eBooks: Opportunity or Threat?; and Marketing in the Digital Age.

Evolving the Business Model

New Business Models: Changing the Commercial Rules of Publishing
Richard Nash, Richard Nash Group; Eoin Purcell, Green Lamp Media; Chris Morrow, Northshire Bookstore; Diane Naughton, HarperCollins

Back-Loaded Book Deals: No (and Low) Advance Contracts, Profit-Sharing and Other Innovative Business Models
Roger Cooper, Perseus Vanguard; Robert Miller, HarperStudio; Susan Ginsburg, Writer's House

Getting Comfortable in the Niches: Reports from Publishers Working Their Verticals
Brent Lewis, Harlequin; Reid Tracy, Hay House; Margo Baldwin, Chelsea Green

Selling Direct to the Consumer: Risks and Rewards and the Best Practices for Publishers
Rick Hunt, Sharedbook; Cory McCloud, Giant Chair; Sara Domville, F+W Media, Inc.

Tomorrow’s Book Contract: New Language and Provisions to Reflect New Conditions
Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Agency; Simon Lipskar, Writer's House; John Schine, Penguin Group USA

The Changing the Agent-Author Relationship: How It Will Affect the Business Model
Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary; Scott Waxman, Waxman Literary Agency; Brian DiFiore, DeFiore and Company; Wendy Keller, Wendy Keller Media, Inc.

Synergizing the Book and Web: Books Plus In the 21st Century
Will Schwalbe, Cookstr; Lisa Holton, Fourth Story Media; Alison Norington, Author; Hillel Cooperman, Jackson Fish Market

Digital Tools: How the Sales and Marketing Process Is Changing
Noah Genner, Booknet Canada; John Rubin; Susan Ruszala, NetGalley; Peter Balis, John Wiley and Sons; Kim Reynolds, Ingram Content Group

eBooks: Opportunity or Threat?

Optimizing Ebooks: Cost Effective Enhancements, Updates and Multimedia Options
Josh Koppel, ScrollMotion; Brad Inman, Vook; Andrew Malkin, Zinio

eBook Challenges: Competing with Free and Getting the Timing Right

eBook Pricing: What They Should Cost, and Why
Tim McCall, Penguin Group USA; Michael Tamblyn, Shortcovers; Kassia Kroszer, BookSquare

Getting on the Virtual Shelves: Untangling the Ebook Supply Chain
Neil DeYoung, Hachette Book Group; Peter Balis, John Wiley and Sons, Andrew Weinstein

Marketing in the Digital Age

How Publishers Can Build Their Own Communities: Using Social Media Tools
Pablo Defendini, Tor.com; Jesse McDougall, Catalyst Webworks; Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, F+W Media, Inc.

Teach Them to Fish: Empowering Authors to Market Themselves
Peter Clifton, FiledBy; Debbie Stier, HarperStudio; Matt Schwartz, Random House; Cecilia Tan, Circlet Press

Fundamentals of an Email List Management Strategy: Capturing and Utilizing Today’s Most Cost-Effective Asset
Eleanor Elliot, Harlequin; Rachel Chou, HarperCollins; Mitch Rubin, Applied Info Group

The New Farm System: Scouting Blogs and Self-Publishers for Commercial Books
Byrd Leavell, Waxman Literary Agency; Kate Lee, ICM; Sulay Hernandez, Simon & Schuster, Kate Hamill, Haper Perennial

Get Noticed! How to Earn Attention for Every Book
Christina Katz, Author; Yen Cheong, Penguin Group USA

Find a schedule-at-a glance and learn more about Digital Book World programs and events and register by November 20 for a discounted early rate to the Conference at www.digitalbookworld.com or follow @digibookworld on Twitter or join the Digital Book World group on LinkedIn.