Sponsored by Literary Agents of Change, the Association of American Literary Agents’ (AALA) DEI Committee is pleased to present the second in our series of "In Conversation" events, a discussion between Jeannine Cook, owner of Harriet’s Bookshop in Philadelphia and Ida’s Bookshop in Collingswood, NJ; Malik Muhammad, founder and co-owner of Malik Books with locations […]
The Copyright Committee will present a panel featuring agents and attorneys who've filed and/or fought claims of copyright infringement. The panel will be an "ask-anything" style with pre-prepared questions about the process and laws, including how publisher's insurance works, using real-life case examples where possible. Panelists: Wendy Strothman, Agent, Aevitas Creative Management Celia Muller, Senior […]
The Small Business Committee presents Succession: Planning for the Future, a panel for agencies considering major changes in ownership structure. Thinking long-term about your agency’s—and, importantly, your authors’—legacies means tackling important questions as you plan not only for next year but for ten, twenty, thirty years from now. Because while agents might retire, the books […]
Welcome to MDI's Data Series! As Part One of the Data-in-Publishing series, MDI presents "Behind the Acquisitions Curtain." We will hear from former editors at Big 5 publishers who answer our burning questions about the behind-the-scenes conversations during the acquisitions process and the data that influences these critical decisions: What really goes on in those […]
The Copyright Committee is throwing open our doors to any interested member who wants to come observe our next/November meeting. This is an open invitation to sit in, for anyone curious about how the AALA committees operate, and/or have any questions for us. We'll be discussing highlights from this year in copyright news, including AI […]
Come for an active discussion with fellow AALA members and Board members on recent developments and initiatives in AI & educational programming/courses for agents. All members are encouraged to attend.
As Part Two of the Data-in-Publishing series, MDI presents "Data-Driven Decision-Making in Book Campaigns." Join book marketing veteran Andrea Jo DeWerd of the future of agency for an overview of what data is available to whom in publishing and how agents might be able to leverage that data and ask the best questions in the […]
The Contracts Committee Presents: When a Publisher Goes Bankrupt, featuring panelists Jaime Wolf and Erich Buck, and hosted by Gina Maccoby. Part of an agent's responsibilities is to advocate for clients through the stressful process of a publisher's bankruptcy. Our panelists will define bankruptcy, various ways publishers can enter that process, the effect on author's […]
Join the Young Publishers Association and the AALA for a lunch and learn panel on building a successful remote work environment while newer to the industry. You’ll hear from junior agents and other entry- and associate-level members of the industry about managing mentorship connections, opportunity for advancement, healthy remote work environments, and building remote company […]
Presented by the SBC and Pelosi Wolf Spates During this session, Jaime Wolf, our outside general counsel, and his colleague, Matthew Tynan, will walk small business owners through filing their Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), a new Federal requirement that must be completed by December 31st, 2024.
Presented by the MDI Committee In this double header panel from industry staples Publisher’s Marketplace and Ingram, we discuss the future of rights reporting and give both platforms opportunity to showcase their new tools. In the first 30 minutes, join Publisher’s Marketplace as they present a tutorial on the new tools they’ve rolled out to […]
This moderated panel will feature four art directors/book designers from children's publishers. AALA members will hear about the role that art directors and book designers play in the publishing process (and how this aligns and/or varies within different imprints and at different houses), how art departments find illustrators for different kinds of projects, the best […]