Call for Participation Now Open for TOC 2009

The Call for Participation is now open for the 2009 TOC Conference, Feb. 9-11 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

As usual, we’ll be accepting proposals for 45-minute breakout sessions (or panel discussions), 5-minute "lightning demos", and for longer 3-hour workshop tutorial sessions. For the latter, we’re looking for people who really know their stuff, and are prepared to engage the audience with hands-on, practical material.

Some of the topics we’ll be exploring at TOC 2009 (and accepting proposals about) include:

  • Ebooks
  • Alternative business models for paid content – both online and in print
  • Content for mobile/smart phones (that includes the iPhone)
  • Web-based marketing and promotion
  • New digital publishing and authoring tools
  • Managing the human side of change and innovation
  • Case studies of successful (or unsuccessful!) new publishing initiatives
  • Riding the wave instead of fighting the tide, such as using file-sharing sites to increase sales
  • Strategies and tactics for effectively using print-on-demand
  • Moving beyond books: selling merchandise, community, experience, and other scarce goods in a world of "free"
  • Strategies and tactics for incorporating ebooks into your publishing program
  • Tools 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

We received far more great proposals last year than we could possibly find space for, and in some cases while the material was interesting, it wasn’t the right fit for the audience or the rest of the schedule. To increase the chances of your proposal being accepted, here’s some tips:

  • Include as much detail about the planned presentation as possible. The more we know about what you plan to present and why it matters, the better.
  • Be thorough! If you are proposing a panel tell us who else would be on it. If you are going to have a product announcement or software release, let us know. If you feel this is something that hasn’t been covered at TOC before, let us know.
  • Keep it free of marketing. Nothing annoys an audience more than an unexpected sales pitch.
  • Keep the audience in mind: they’re forward-minded, professional, and already pretty smart
  • Clearly identify the level of the talk: is it for beginners to the topic, or for gurus? What knowledge should people have when they come to the presentation?
  • Give it a simple and straightforward title or name – fancy and clever titles or descriptions make it harder for people (committee and attendees) to figure out what you’re really talking about

We’re keeping the CFP open until August 25, but I encourage you to submit your proposal before then. There’s always at least a few "must haves" that roll in along the way, and as they do the number of slots available to other sessions shrinks — so your best bet is to be a "must have" session (see the tips above).

Submit your proposal!

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