Alive and well on the northern Great Plains

Now a pedestrian bridge, the Plains Publishers stretched our legs after lunch with an enjoyable stroll over the Meridian Bridge in Yankton, SD.

Yesterday, South Dakota Magazine hosted the first annual Plains Publishers’ Conference. So, a couple of us from the SDSHS Press headed down to Yankton to take part.

We’re glad we did. Not only was the gathering productive, informative, and energetic, but it was also vastly enjoyable – not something one can often say about about conferences! Approximately twenty-five publishers and industry insiders from around South Dakota (and even a few from Nebraska and Colorado) came together with the intention of sharing the how, why, and what of publishing in South Dakota and the region. A diverse group included publishers of b2b and b2c magazines, popular culture, niche markets, newspapers, books, scholarly, and much more.

The breadth of knowledge, the insights gathered, and the pertinent and provoking questions asked all meant that I think everyone left with a good deal more wisdom, and probably a few probing questions or thoughts to take back to their own offices as they continue to work towards publishing good quality content in the best possible packages that appeal to as many people as possible.

Before leaving, we all threw our suggestions for a second meeting into the hat, and from five minutes of brainstorming it would seem that this group (and hopefully others who might come in the future) has plenty more to offer and think about in the publishing world. I enjoyed our day together, and I certainly look forward to future gatherings!

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