Interview with 2021 Emerging Leaders in Publishing Keynote Speaker, Craig Riggs

1) How does it feel to be back at SFU as a speaker and how has the MPub program helped you with your career today?

It feels great to be back as a speaker! I have always had a strong attachment to the Master of Publishing program, both as an alumnus and also having taught in the program for about four years. It is a pleasure to be back and I’m always happy to contribute in any way I can.

Prior to the Master of Publishing program, I had no experience in the industry. I was looking for a way to transition to a career in publishing and that’s exactly what the MPub program was for me. It was a great way to begin to build a network in the industry and to learn about the different aspects of publishing and the publishing process.

2) Could you tell us what your presentation will be about and what attendees can look forward to?

My presentation will be about direct-to-consumer sales channels and how the landscape is changing in the publishing industry. The focus of the presentation will be on the shift in sales from brick-and-mortar stores to online channels. The session will also look at some of the important changes in book marketing, especially in online spaces. Historically, most book marketing has had a business-to-business orientation, but there is a shift there too and most publishing houses now give a lot more weight to consumer marketing and engaging directly with readers. Attendees can look forward to learning more about the changes in book marketing with respect to the shifts in consumer behaviour and technology.

3) The theme for this year’s conference is about driving change and innovation. As a partner at Turner Riggs and the founder of Readerbound, how do you drive change and innovation in your organizations? 

With Readerbound, we were trying to establish a platform that could efficiently produce purpose-built websites for book publishers. The idea is to give publishing houses a toolbox so that their website is more powerful, but also more affordable and easier to manage.

It’s fair to say that book publishing has not always had an easy relationship with new technologies and tools. New systems and tech projects often cost more, in terms of dollars and staff effort, than first expected. The industry is full of examples where publishing organizations run out of either time or budget before their goals are fully realized. Against that backdrop, we think the key to selecting and successfully adopting new technology is to partner with a vendor that offers both industry expertise and technical know-how. That is what we are offering with Readerbound, and we believe that that combination of technological and industry expertise creates a space where innovation happens.

Readerbound has helped some of the industry’s most respected publishers with their websites. Learn more about Readerbound by visiting their website.

4) Who do you think should attend the Emerging Leaders in Publishing Summit and how can they make the most out of it?

I think anyone in the publishing industry should attend! It’s always exciting coming back as an alumnus and learning new ideas and perspectives. If you are early in your publishing career and looking to build a network and gain insight, an event like this is fantastic. If you have more experience in the industry, you can still learn at events like this. This is a valuable opportunity to learn more about publishing and exchange ideas together. Since we are all working remotely nowadays, it is especially important to get the industry together and share ideas.

Thank you to Craig Riggs for allowing us to conduct an interview with you! Visit his websites to learn more about Readerbound and Turner Riggs.