Independent Book Publishers Association

The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is a not-for-profit membership organization serving the independent publishing community through advocacy and education. With over 3,500 members, IBPA is the largest publishing trade association in the United States. IBPA programs and publications include the IBPA Book Award/Benjamin Franklin Award, IBPA Publishing University, and the monthly Independent Magazine. IBPA was founded in 1983 as the Publishers Association of Southern California (PASCAL). It later became the Publishers Marketing Association (PMA). It adopted its present name in 2008.

IBPA Book Award / Benjamin Franklin Award
Established in 1985, the IBPA Book Award (formerly the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award) honors independent publishers and self-published authors for excellence in book editorial and design. It is the most established and recognized book award dedicated to the craft of independent publishing. Prizes are given in a number of categories including Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book. Over 190 judges including IBPA members, as well as librarians, reviewers, editors and bookstore owners choose the winners and provide feedback to the authors about their books.

Publishing University
IBPA's Publishing University is a two-day networking and educational event. Hosted annually, the program includes learning labs and a book-award ceremony.

IBPA Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book
Since 2017, IBPA has published an Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book. The purpose of the checklist is to give independent publishers an at-a-glance gauge of the professional presentation of any book in order to help level the playing field between indie publishers and large-scale conglomerates.

IBPA Hybrid Publishing Criteria
In 2018, IBPA published the first iteration of IBPA's Hybrid Publisher Criteria, a list of nine criteria defining what it means to be a professional hybrid publisher.

IBPA Publishing MAP (Models and Author Pathways)
In this free guide Publishing Models and Author Pathways, IBPA provides an overview on the 8 types of publishing business models i.e. types of publishers, and a guide for authors looking at different pathways to getting their creative works published.