Press releases

The Once and Future Book: O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference Opens Call for Participation

Press release: July 21, 2009

Sebastopol, CA, July 21, 2009—The O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference (TOC) will explore the critical trends emerging around the business of digital publishing February 22-24, 2010, at the Marriot Marquis in New York City. From authoring, editing, and layout to distribution and consumption, new technologies are changing all aspects of publishing. As digitalization and globalization continue to accelerate the rate of change, publishers face the urgent necessity of building a solid business on the shifting foundation of paid vs. free content, format and device innovations, conflicting standards and royalties. TOC offers publishers the blueprints for success.

Program Chair Andrew Savikas invites proposals for conference sessions and tutorials for this fourth annual TOC Conference, where the program will decipher the tools of change in this industry, show how to put theory into practice, and cut through the hype for a more profitable future in publishing.

"As we near 2010, delivering content digitally and on mobile devices has moved from a curiosity to a necessity, and publishers are struggling to balance the organizations and audiences they created for printed products with the very different dynamics of digital delivery. More and more readers now carry bookstores in their pockets, and that means the publisher's role of connecting readers with the content that meets their needs and desires is more important than ever. TOC 2010 will bring together those experimenting with how to adapt an existing business (or build a completely new one) to thrive in a digital age," says Savikas.

TOC 2010 will explore, and welcomes proposals on, emerging topics including:

  • Reaching mobile readers
  • Pricing and packaging ebooks
  • Case studies of successful (or unsuccessful) new publishing and digital initiatives
  • Case studies from implementing lessons learned at previous TOC Conferences
  • Strategies and tactics for incorporating print-on-demand into a supply chain
  • Moving beyond books: selling merchandise, community, experience, and other scarce goods in a world of "free"
  • Tools (including open source) and challenges for an efficient all-digital workflow
  • Revising your P&Ls for the economics of digital publishing
  • Understanding and responding to the changing retail landscape
  • Using the Web to find and promote the original people behind "user-generated content," i.e. authors
  • Best practices for working with Amazon, Google, and other big internet players
  • How to capture and analyze web metrics of interest to publishers
  • Best new practices and tools for working with and supporting authors during editorial, production and/or marketing phases
  • Systems and devices for displaying digital copy—demos welcome
  • Business models for delivering and/or receiving material via new devices
  • New copyright clearing, assertion, and determination mechanisms

TOC 2010 will bring together more than 1,000 editors, authors, publishers, agents, marketing executives, production managers, librarians, researchers, academics, and technologists who are passionate about publishing and the opportunities presented by the digital age. Early registration opens in November.

The fourth edition of TOC will continue to search for answers to the challenges and highlight the new opportunities reshaping the publishing industry through:

  • Plenary and keynote presentations that frame the visions of publishing's future into a meaningful picture
  • Focused, expert-led breakout sessions covering both analysis and practical advice
  • Half-day tutorials that dive deep into necessary skills and tools
  • A relevant Exhibit Hall connecting attendees with the projects, products, and services shaping industry change
  • Networking events and hallway conversations designed to help all participants connect with like minds

TOC 2009 sponsors and exhibitors included Impelsys, Ingram, oXygen XML Editor, Adobe, codeMantra, Connotate, DPCI, Innodata Isogen, LibreDigital, Lulu, Malloy, Mark Logic, Media Services Group, Quark, ReadHowYouWant, RSuite, Safari Books Online, Smashwords, Sterling Commerce, and Verso Digital.

Proposals will be accepted through September 1, 2009, and early registration for attendees and media will open in November 2009. Proposals may be submitted to:
http://www.toccon.com/toc2010/public/cfp/75

For more information on the TOC Conference, visit:
http://toccon.com

For the latest from TOC on publishing innovation, visit the blog at:
http://toc.oreilly.com

If you have ideas about areas you'd like to see included at the conference, send a note to: toc-idea@oreilly.com

If you'd like to stay up to date on information relating to TOC, sign up for the conference newsletter (login required) at:
http://elists.oreilly.com#conferences

For articles, blogs, photos, videos, and slides of last year's event, go to the news and coverage page at:
http://www.toccon.com/toc2010/public/content/news-coverage

To read Tim O'Reilly's take on the future, go to the O'Reilly Radar at:
http://radar.oreilly.com

For information about sponsorship and exhibit opportunities at TOC 2010, contact Sharon Cordesse at 707.827.7065 or scordesse@oreilly.com

For media inquiries, contact Maureen Jennings at maureen@oreilly.com

If you would like to discuss forming a media or promotional partnership with O'Reilly for an upcoming event, contact mediapartners@oreilly.com

For a conference overview, visit: http://conferences.oreilly.com

More O'Reilly Conferences:

  • OSCON in San Jose, CA, July 20-24, 2009
  • Gov 2.0 Expo Showcase in Washington, DC, Sept 8, co-produced with TechWeb
  • Gov 2.0 Summit in Washington, DC, Sept. 9-10, co-produced with TechWeb
  • Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, CA, October 20-22, 2009, co-produced with TechWeb
  • Web 2.0 Expo New York in New York City, Nov. 16-19, 2009, co-produced with TechWeb
  • MySQL Conference & Expo in Santa Clara, CA, April 12-15, 2010, co-presented with Sun Microsystems
  • Web 2.0 Expo SF in San Francisco, CA, May 3-6, 2010, co-produced with TechWeb.

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