Leadership in Publishing Women | Diversity | Management | Careers
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GLOBAL PUBLISHING MAGAZINE | JULY 2015 CAROLYN REIDY CEO, Simon & Schuster Interview on page 26 INSIDE: Preview Guide: Frankfurt Book Fair 14-18 Oct. 2015 Pages 11-22 Leadership in Publishing Women | Diversity | Management | Careers PLUS: Global publishing trends & international market snapshots FROM THE EDITOR Why Leadership is Like Literature Edward Nawotka BY EDWARD NAWOTKA, sis from books to stories. Here, he In its centenary year, Knopf is EDITOR-IN-CHIEF talks about his role as a “curator,” led by Sonny Mehta, the publish- bringing the best the world has er’s third Editor-in-Chief, follow- THIS ISSUE OF Publishing Per- to offer to Germany each year. To ing the tenure of its founder, Al- spectives focuses on the topic of better foster the relationships be- fred A. Knopf, and Robert Gottlieb. leadership in publishing. Leader- tween the exhibitors, the Fair has Mehta, who was born in India, has ship is one of those words that is closed Hall 8 for 2015 and brought been the quiet, powerful force that difficult to define, but you know it the English-language publishing continues to balance the firm’s when you see it. community into closer proximity world-class literary list with more We look at a range of topics, with the rest of the Fair. It’s a bold commercial fare, such as Grey from the challenges faced by wom- move that will not only be more from E.L. James and the forthcom- en in leadership roles (just 14% of convenient (less walking!) but will ing continuation of the Millennium all senior executive jobs in the US facilitate stronger relationships. series, The Girl in the Spider’s Web. working for a crime syndicate run are held by women, according to In this respect, leadership is like Meanwhile, at tiny Coach by André Breton’s Surrealists, to research firm Catalyst), to diver- the best literature: it has a light House, founder Stan Bevington bolster the bottom line. sity in publishing, how to manage touch that doesn’t call attention to still maintains an office at the pub- Two very different publishers, creative teams, whether we are all itself and is often recognized and lisher (which houses its own twin two very different lists, two differ- future freelancers, and how men- respected only well after its work Heidelberg printing presses), while ent definitions of success. tors can affect our careers. is done. Editorial Director Alana Wilcox But both require leadership Leadership was a particularly Look at two different publish- oversees daily operations. Wilcox with vision. And each will be re- appropriate subject for 2015. At the ers that are both celebrating key is putting her faith this fall in The spected and remembered for the Frankfurt Book Fair, Director Juer- anniversaries this year: New York’s Xenotext: Book 1, the long-awaited fine books they produced. gen Boos has led the fair to rethink esteemed Knopf turned 100, while book by conceptual poet Christian Yes, leadership, like literature: its mission over the past decade, Toronto’s boutique Coach House Bök, and Pillow, a debut novel by it may be hard to define, but you which has seen a shift in empha- Books turned 50. Andrew Battershill about a boxer know it when you see it. • Inside This Issue: On Leadership in Publishing: Publishing Perspectives, “the BBC of the book world,” is an online 2 From the Editor: Why Leadership is Like Literature trade journal for the international publishing industry. With a 23 Diversity in Publishing network of correspondents and publishing experts who live and 24 Leaning In—In Publishing work around the world, we offer coverage of global markets 26 On Being a Woman in Publishing and companies, along with deeper insight into the business of 30 On Managing Creative People in Publishing publishing and writing. 31 In the Future, Will We All Be Freelancers? Read and subscribe at publishingperspectives.com Global Publishing Trends: Like us on Facebook.com/pubperspectives 6 Snapshots from Around the Book World Follow us on Twitter @pubperspectives 8 7 International Markets to Watch Email us at [email protected] 10 Sponsored: Translation Grants in Sharjah People in Publishing: SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE: publishingperspectives.com/subscribe 3 Ken Follett: Pixels of the Earth 4 Juergen Boos: Connecting Frankfurt to the World 28 Rachel Mills: Literary Agent as Ambassador Publisher: Hannah Johnson Editor-in-Chief: Edward Nawotka 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair Preview Guide: Business Development: Erin L. Cox 12 News & Updates from the Fair 14 Quiz: What’s Your Business Personality? Contributors to this issue: 15 Interview: Diane Spivey on Selling Rights Lucy Abrahams Leonardo Neto 16 Map: New Hall Layout 2015 Jaraslow Adamowski Mark Piesing 18 Digital Innovation at the Hot Spots Carlo Carrenho Olivia Snaije 19 Indonesian Authors in Frankfurt Nicolas Gary Laura Summers 20 STM & Education in Hall 4.2 Eugene Gerden Roger Tagholm 21 Where to Eat in Frankfurt Nathan Hull 2 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / GLOBAL OVERVIEW 2015 INTERVIEW: KEN FOLLET THE DRAMA SURROUNDING the building of a cathedral in 12th-cen- tury England doesn’t immediately Pixels of the Earth lend itself to being adapted into a video game. But that is exactly what Hamburg’s Daedalic Enter- “I have been tainment—which has produced through this video games based on everything Ken Follett discusses how his blockbuster from Shakespeare’s plays to cli- process before mate change—is now doing with novel, Pillars of the Earth, is being turned Ken Follett’s blockbuster 1989 nov- with television el, The Pillars of the Earth. into a video game. By Edward Nawotka “It has been exciting and inter- and film people; esting to see these guys take my story and pick elements from it the people at and turn it into a game where the to coincide with the publication been through this process before Daedalic are the player can take on the role of one of Follett’s new novel, a 16th-cen- with television and film people; the of the characters that sprung from tury international spy thriller set people at Daedalic are the experts, experts, and it my imagination” says Follett, who in Kingsbridge, like Pillars and its and it wouldn’t be smart for me to spoke with Publishing Perspectives 2007 sequel, World Without End. tell them what to do.” And though wouldn’t be smart by phone from his office in the UK. Still, Pillars should have enough Follett, who is 66, says he hasn’t It’s not the first time Follett has brand recognition to stand on its played a video game since Pong “in for me to tell seen the book adapted. Pillars has own and attract curious fans and the 1970s,” he is nevertheless ex- served as the basis for a number of gamers: it is one of the bestselling cited by what he’s seen so far. them what to do.” films, TV shows, and board games. novels of all time in Germany and “I hadn’t thought much about “In my stories, it is always clear has sold more than 25 million cop- the artistic depiction of the char- Ken Follett who is fighting whom and who is ies around the world. acters,” he says. “It was surprising on whose side. I don’t try to cre- Follett knows that this won’t when Daedalic sent me the art- ate an atmosphere in expense of necessarily translate into more work for how the characters would the plot,” he explains. “In the game, sales. “There is always a risk, espe- look. They have drawn these char- people were able to see this. When cially when one takes a book and acters at different ages, because they examined the story, they saw transforms it,” he says. “The author the book spans a half a century there are constant conflicts that is never completely comfortable and many of these characters first take place and decisions that have when someone takes hold of the appear as young people and grow to be made. They were able to see story and tells it again. We are al- older. So, they become a little Ken Follett at the how those conflicts form the basis ways anxious about that process heavier and their hair begins to of a game quite quickly.” because I, as the author, have gone go grey and they will be little less Frankfurt Book Fair: The deal to adapt the book was through so much trouble to make upright. It turns out that it feels brokered by Follett’s German pub- sure the story is logical in the plot, a bit like when an actor is cast in Thursday, 15 October 2015 lisher, Bastei Lübbe, after it pur- that there are not any holes in the one of the films or TV series, and I 10:00–11:00 a.m. chased a controlling interest in story.” think, ‘that is not quite how I pic- Room Dimension Daedalic in May 2014. Plans are in That said, he opted not to con- tured them’ but then it turns out Business Club ticket required place to release the game in 2017 tribute to the game script. “I have just great.” • Ken Follett at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2014 © Peter Hirth / Frankfurter Buchmesse PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / GLOBAL OVERVIEW 2015 3 INTERVIEW: JUERGEN BOOS A Curator Connecting Frankfurt to the World “I am constantly traveling the world to interact with the best people and find the best content and exhibitors for our Fair, be Juergen Boos gives they publishers, an interview at the Turin Book Fair service providers, © Fabio Melotti or creators.” Juergen Boos Frankfurt Book Fair director Juergen Boos spends much of the year traveling to ensure that the best the world has to offer is represented in Germany each October.