Celebrating Independent Book Publishing with Lee Wind of the IBPA

In this episode, Christopher Robbins speaks with Lee Wind, Chief Content Officer for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), about the vital role independent publishing plays in bringing diverse voices and stories to readers. They discuss IBPA's history and mission, the advantages of mission-driven publishing over purely profit-driven models, and how independent publishers create communities around their content. The conversation also addresses the concerning trend of book banning and censorship, and IBPA's innovative "We Are Stronger Than Censorship" program that buys and donates two books for everyone book challenged. Lee provides valuable advice for aspiring authors and publishers, emphasizing the importance of professional development and community collaboration in the independent publishing world. Episode Highlights 00:00:10: Christopher Robbins introduces the Helping Families Be Happy podcast and himself as co-founder of Familius, husband, father of nine, author, and various outdoor enthusiast based in California's Central Valley. 00:00:59: Introduction of guest Lee Wind as Chief Content Officer for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the largest trade association for publishers in the United States. 00:01:13: Lee's personal mission described as writing books that would have changed his life as a gay Jewish kid and teen, including his award-winning non-fiction books "No Way They Were Gay" and "The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie." 00:01:35: Discussion of the "We Are Stronger Than Censorship" program that buys and donates two books to offset every one book challenged, run by IBPA with the American Library Institute and over 75 industry partners. 00:01:59: Lee expresses enthusiasm about joining the podcast to discuss book publishing. 00:02:12: Christopher shares his history with IBPA, having served on the board and participated in strategy that helped the organization grow. 00:02:34: Lee explains IBPA's origins in 1983 when about a dozen Southern California publishers pooled resources to send one representative to a major New York trade show. 00:03:27: Discussion of how IBPA has evolved while maintaining its core mission of advocacy, education, and tools for success to level the playing field for independent publishers. 00:04:15: Lee emphasizes the importance of independent publishing to prevent four or five corporations from deciding what everyone reads, highlighting the diverse and mission-driven approaches of independent publishers. 00:05:21: Christopher encourages the audience to explore independent books, music, and film as sources of exceptional content. 00:05:35: Christopher shares a personal memory of Jan Nathan, IBPA's founder, inviting him to dinner in 1990 and being welcoming and encouraging to him as a young industry newcomer. 00:06:20: Lee discusses how mission-driven independent publishers differ from corporate publishers focused solely on financial bottom lines, using examples like Patagonia and Just Us Books. 00:06:53: Christopher compares this to Familius's philosophy that revenue is simply fuel for the mission. 00:07:26: Lee explains how independent publishers understand the power of community and niche markets better than corporate publishers, with four out of five books in bookstores from corporate publishers but that fifth book representing hundreds of different independent voices. 00:08:38: Discussion of the advantages of direct-to-consumer sales for publishers vs. sales through major retailers like Amazon, where publishers don't own the customer relationship. 00:09:31: Lee cites Brandon Sanderson's successful Kickstarter campaign as an example of authors leveraging their platform and community. 00:09:45: Christopher mentions that Brandon Sanderson teaches at his alma mater BYU and that his niece has been one of Sanderson's test readers. 00:09:56: Lee shares that some of Brandon Sanderson's BYU lectures on topics like world building are available on YouTube. 00:10:15: Christopher discusses how Famis provides value to nearly 50,000 engaged subscribers through biweekly free content about helping families be happy. 00:10:45: Christopher acknowledges the highly competitive nature of the book industry, particularly regarding physical shelf space where getting one book on a shelf means removing another. 00:11:14: Lee shares IBPA's motto "helping each other achieve and succeed" and explains that bookstore sales are actually a small portion of most publishers' revenue. 00:12:09: Discussion of how quality books naturally generate word-of-mouth marketing and how AI- generated content makes quality even more important. 00:12:48: Christopher introduces the topic of book banning and censorship through Famis's book "Down with Lime Books," expressing his discouragement with how some have weaponized religion to deny people their own voice. 00:13:59: Lee agrees that while parents should have input into what their own children read, they shouldn't control what other ...