Publishing Meets the Creator Economy: Rights, Reach and the Future of Flexible Publishing

Independent authors are no longer on the fringes of our industry — they are at the forefront of innovation, audience-building, and rights management. As the market evolves, a new paradigm has emerged in which successful creators can retain more control and license their rights across formats — audio, print, digital — to different publishers based on what they need help with. This growing trend of bifurcating (or tri-furcating) rights is reshaping the traditional one-size-fits-all notion of book deals, and opening the door to more dynamic, collaborative, and mutually beneficial publishing models.

In this forward-looking panel, publishing professionals and leading literary agents will discuss how the market is meeting the moment by exploring models that serve the unique needs of modern authors — rather than asking authors to conform to legacy systems. Drawing on each executive’s specific experience working directly with hundreds of independent creators, the panel will address key shifts in the marketplace: how the stigma around self-publishing has eroded, the increasing specialization of format-first publishing, and the growing demand for indie-originated IP in traditional circles.

The conversation will also examine how flexible rights partnerships, international sub-licensing, and author-driven business models are not only viable — but essential — in today’s creator economy, providing valuable insights into how we all can adapt to support the next generation of publishing talent.

Moderated by Podium Entertainment CEO, Scott Dickey