This two-part workshop takes a deep dive into how books get discovered, selected, and sold today, from the independent bookstores and libraries that build a book’s local readership to the online retailers and chains competing for shelf space and attention.

With thousands of books entering the market every week, the rules of discovery have fundamentally changed. Today’s most successful publishers aren’t just marketing books, they’re building audiences, activating communities, and using data to keep pace with the reader.

Success isn’t driven by a single strategy. It’s shaped by how well you understand the distinct dynamics of each account, from independent bookstores and libraries to online retailers and the retail chains competing for shelf space. Each session pairs expert perspectives with real-world case studies and the practitioners actually doing the work in their day to day.

Along the way, you’ll see how differently these two worlds operate: one driven by metadata, keywords, and retail curation, the other built on community trust and personal recommendation. Each session gives you tools you can apply immediately, whether you’re optimizing a product page or building a relationship with your local bookseller or librarian.

Built for lean teams and large houses alike, this Workshop delivers the strategies you need to connect the right book to the right reader, in the right place.