Brian O'Leary
Book Industry Study Group (BISG)
Brian O'Leary is the executive director of the Book Industry Study Group, which oversees standards and best practices for the book industry supply chain in the United States.
Brian O’Leary is executive director of the Book Industry Study Group, the U.S. trade association that works to create a more informed, effective, and efficient book industry supply chain. His time at BISG caps a four-decade career that started with roles in which he managed printing and distribution for several of Time Inc.’s weekly magazines.
There, he managed planning and communication for Time International and its eight printing locations around the world. O’Leary spent three years overseeing Time’s Singapore-based printing operation, which distributed magazines each week to 11 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia through to India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. He then led operations at People before serving as production director on the launch of Entertainment Weekly and for Time worldwide.
After leaving Time Inc., O’Leary worked as an operations consultant, helping printers and publishers optimize their use of technology. One of his early assignments helped update a film-based prepress department to use one of the first computer-to-plate imaging systems. He then joined atlas publisher Hammond Inc. as senior VP and associate publisher, where he led manufacturing and distribution and restructured editorial operations to benefit from the firm’s prior technology investments.
For nearly two decades, O'Leary was principal of Magellan Media Consulting, which worked with book, magazine, and association publishers to improve how they create, manage and distribute content. His practice included multiple assignments in which he helped publishers organize their print workflows. At Magellan, O’Leary also wrote extensively about issues affecting the publishing industry. With Hugh McGuire, he edited Book: A Futurist's Manifesto, a collection of forward-looking essays on publishing (O'Reilly Media, 2012).
For the past decade, O’Leary has overseen the work BISG does to disseminate information, create and implement standards and best practices, conduct research, and grow membership from companies working throughout the supply chain. During his tenure, membership in the organization has grown by 25%, representing the interests of the book supply chain from concept through to consumers.
O’Leary earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He also holds an A.B. in chemistry from Harvard College.
BookCAMP Presentor
Metadata: What Is It, and Why Authors Cannot Live Without It
4/25, 9:30AM
In this presentation, Brian O’Leary, Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), demystifies the digital "DNA" that powers the modern book market.
O’Leary emphasizes that metadata (the data describing a book, from ISBNs and BISAC codes to cover art and blurbs) is the primary driver of discoverability. He argues that in a crowded marketplace, an author's success depends on the accuracy and depth of this information; without robust metadata, a book essentially becomes invisible to search engines and retailers. By adhering to BISG best practices, authors can ensure their work moves efficiently through the book supply chain and into the hands of readers.