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Issue 137

Commissioning Editors Rosy Locke Lottie Chase

Editors Victoria Pepe Cat MacNeil Emma Goode

Designer Bim Hjortronsteen

With thanks to all our contributors.

CONTENTS
Editors Column Literary Anniversaries Publishing by the Calendar Independent Booksellers at Christmas Rebranding Interview: John Julius Norwich Spread Your Love of Reading Demand Publishing Book Club Food From Fiction We Wish You a Super Thursday... Reworking Classics for Modern Trends The New Years Pledge p. 1 p. 2-3 p. 4-5 p. 6-8 p. 9 p. 10-11 p. 12-13 p. 14-16 p. 17 p. 18-19 p. 20-21 p. 22-23 p. 24-25 The 2012 Society of Young Publishers Conference The 2012 Society of Young Publishers London Committee Religious Publishing Chairs Column p. 26-27 p. 28-29 p. 30-32 p. 33

EDiTOrS COLUmN
Rosy Locke

Publishing is an industry in flux; from moveable type to e-books, new innovations, attitudes and readerships have dictated change. However, amongst the tumult there are also constants that can be observed. This Publishing Patterns edition is dedicated to these constants, welcome in this increasingly volatile industry.

Some patterns are hard to spot, taking a long time to come full circle and establish themselves as a bona fide pattern. Others are more regular, more predictable. On pages 4 - 5 we look at Book Publishing by the Calendar, diary events through the year you can almost depend on. Arguably the most established and dependable date of them all is Christmas day, with the entire industry gearing up for a bumper season. For publishers, booksellers and authors, Christmas is big and busy business, and requires a long run up. Weve spoken to four independent booksellers from across the UK to ask how they make the most of the Christmas season, which you can read on pages 6 8, along with their

predictions for Christmas bestsellers. To make your own predictions, turn to page 21 - 22 to read about the early bird entries from this years Super Thursday. Literary anniversaries are a staunch date in the diary, predictable years in advance, allowing the opportunity to prepare in advance. Authors whose work has endured enough to be remembered 50, 100, even 200 years after first publication are certainly cause for celebration. Following the recent high profile anniversaries of Charles Dickens and the Brothers Grimm, we look at the importance of literary anniversaries on pages 2 - 3, and at the upcoming anniversaries to look forward to. I hope you all enjoy this edition of InPrint, particularly so as this will be my last as Commissioning Editor. As 2012 comes to an end, the committee takes its cue from publishing patterns and undergoes an annual reshuffle, with some members changing roles, and others saying goodbye. Please turn to pages 28 30 to see the committee members who made 2012 such a great year for the SYP, and find out their plans for next year.

LiTErary aNNivErSariES
Emma Goode

In todays fast paced publishing environment, many mass-market books come and go, selling thousands but leaving little impression afterwards. On the other hand, some books never grow old. Literary anniversaries - birthdays of authors or anniversaries of the publication of well-known books - demonstrate this. As well as reminding us of our wonderful literary heritage, they present publishers with an opportunity to republish backlist or public domain titles in new formats. Since anniversaries essentially generate their own publicity, and republishing old titles is more cost-efficient and less risky than launching new ones, publishers are increasingly looking for new ways to tie their books into such events. There are different ways to do this. A publisher might follow the current trend for beautiful luxury hardbacks, such as those

published by the Folio Society, allowing fans of a particular author or series to own collectable versions of their favourite books. On the other hand, literary anniversaries are an opportunity to revive classic works for a new generation, publishing affordable paperback versions such as those in the Penguin English Library collection; alternatively, if a TV adaptation or movie has been made to mark the anniversary, paperback versions are often tied in with these. This kind of publishing often helps to revive a neglected work or genre, preventing them from becoming obscure and thus keeping literary traditions alive. In 2012, the major literary anniversary was of course Charles Dickens bicentenary in February, which was celebrated by events and talks across the world. London hosted several

special exhibitions in museums and galleries, while there were countless screen and stage adaptations of Dickens work, including the BBCs adaptations of Great Expectations and his unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. This Christmas there will undoubtedly be a multitude of Dickensian Christmas experiences, demonstrating how the Dickens brand has extended into popular culture. As his bicentenary has coincided with both the Jubilee and the Olympics, Dickens has been adopted as a symbol of quintessential Britishness. With any literary anniversary, however, it is important not to let the celebrations obscure the literature itself. Sales of Dickens work have surged this year, as have sales of Dickens biographies. Claire Tomalins Dickens: A Life and Simon Callows Charles Dickens and the Theatre of the World accounted for 40% of sales in the literary biography genre in 2012. Moreover, reflecting publishers growing interest in serialised fiction, Amazon will be publishing free serial e-book versions of Oliver Twist and The Pickwick Papers. The cosy Victorian sentimentalism associated with Dickens may be seen as a threat to his literary integrity, but the sales figures show that the books are still very much at the centre of Dickens-mania. Alongside Dickens bicentenary, several other lower-profile literary anniversaries took place in this year, such as Edith Whartons 150th birthday on 24th January, Lawrence Durrells centenary on 27th February, and Robert Brownings bicentenary on 12th May. Other literary events have received slightly more attention from publishers. The 70th anniversary of Enid Blytons Famous Five series in February was marked by Hodder Childrens Books, who commissioned well-known childrens illustrators (such as Quentin Blake) to design new front covers for a limited edition reprint, with a percentage of the royalties going to charity. The books still sell half a million copies a year, but these modern covers will no doubt give them fresh appeal for young readers. Another important bicentenary was that of the Brothers Grimm fairytale collection in August this year, which publishers have seen as a prime opportunity for the Christmas gift market.

Both Puffin and Usbourne have released new illustrated editions for children, while publisher W. W. Norton has tailored the stories towards adults in their Annotated Brothers Grimm, which contains academic introductions to each tale. Penguin Press have spanned both the childrens and adult markets with Grimm Tales for Young and Old, a collection of fifty tales rewritten by Philip Pullman. All of these books suggest the increasing popularity of the fairytale genre amongst readers of all ages, demonstrating that as well as being great stories for children, fairytales can also be treated as serious literature. 2012 has been an exciting year for books, but there are more literary anniversaries to look forward to in 2013. The very first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in April 1953; to mark Bonds 60th anniversary, novelist and screenwriter William Boyd has been invited by Ian Flemings estate to write a brand new Bond novel set in the sixties. It will be published in the Autumn by Jonathan Cape. Another upcoming anniversary shows how publishers do not have to limit themselves to celebrating book or author milestones: to celebrate 150 years of London Underground, Penguin are working with Transport for London to publish a collection of short paperbacks, each dedicated to a different underground line, containing historical information, poetry and philosophy. The books will give commuters a new imaginative understanding of a system they use every day. This project is a good example of how publishers can work with outside partners for more thoughtful, informative and creative publishing. Publishing to respond to an anniversary is not mere profiteering; it is a way of resurrecting or reinterpreting old traditions, reminding us of the past events and figures while at the same time making them relevant to new audiences. Publishers can present old content in exciting new ways, producing beautiful books to be treasured, or they can provide extra information through biographies and other nonfiction books. In this way, they have an important cultural role to play. Photography: Shutterstock.com

PUBLiSHiNG By THE CaLENDar

Victoria Pepe

Spring
Gym memberships are by now forgotten, for some a guilty direct debit only, self-help books find themselves pushed under the bed to be forgotten, and so a new season of publishing can begin. Newspapers clear their review pages in anticipation of the big literary hardback launches that do so well at this time of year from both debut writers and returning authors. Hilary Mantels second Booker winner, Bring Up the Bodies, was published on 10th May this year.

It isnt surprising to note that the publishing calendar is very much influenced by the seasonal one. It divides itself cleanly into the seasons and therein publishes according to what holidays or days of celebration there are, or depending on other dates of cultural interest. Each year sees a similar breakdown and below is a selection of the type of books you can expect to see published at any given time. This doesnt cover all significant dates in the calendar, but does give an idea of the breadth of publishing a house can aim for.

Fathers Day
This is a significant time of year for both literary and commercial lists. As is often noted, men dont usually buy as many books as women, so this can be a clever area to publish into, if you can get it right and appeal to the children (and mothers!) who will be buying the books. Penguin have done well with Jeremy Clarkson at this time of year, publishing him in mid-Spring to great success. Books that also do well at this time are historical novels and historical biography, as well as books on war and sport.

Summer Holidays The New year

The New Year strikes, bellies hang over too-tight trousers, heads throb from the champagne and everyone rushes to join the gym. No surprise then, that you cannot turn in the bookshops for New Year/New You books: go on a diet, start exercising, fix your feng shui, get organised and do all those things youve been putting off ... This is perfectly timed publishing that really appeals to the sense of new beginnings that the New Year brings. Summers here, the suns out, and suitcases are being packed. What are you going to do on those long days on the beach? Well, read something fun, charming and not too challenging, of course. This is when so-called chick-lit can be published well with bright, summery covers that ensure the supermarkets want to stock them, and shoppers can grab a copy for their trolleys. More upmarket fiction also does well around now, and these book-club type novels can dominate the review pages, as well as appearing in both supermarkets and bookshops. Richard & Judy have cornered this area of the market to great effect.

The advent of autumn ...

Leaves fall, nights draw in, and summer reading is no longer quite as appealing. Super Thursday arrives and the years celebrity biographies hit the shops, along with the latest offerings from some of the big, blockbuster brand authors. Its one of the biggest times of the year for publishers and is vital to get right as often these are the books with the biggest advances too. For more on this interesting day in the publishing calendar, see pages 20 21.

and Christmas
This is the time for cosy Christmas novels, such as Jenny Colgans most recent novel, Christmas as the Cupcake Caf.

Publishers of course also adapt to other things happening the calendar. The last couple of years have shown this in particular. The Royal wedding in April 2011 saw a few very successful books being published, including the charming and slightly mad William and Kate Dolly Dress-up Book, in which figures of the couple could don various outfits according to the readers preferences. Meanwhile Andrew Mortons swiftly published biography on the couple did well, as did various books on the Queen the following Jubilee year. Sports autobiographies can also work well outside of the Super Thursday bracket. In 2011, Sphere published Rafa: My Story after Wimbledon. Publishing Director Adam Strange gives a fascinating insight into how this can work: Publishing the hardback of Rafa: My Story, in August presented us with a great opportunity to capitalise on two key dates/seasons. Our publication date coincided with the start of the US Open and our hope was that Rafa would make headlines throughout the tournament he duly obliged by making his way to the final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. Although wed have loved our man to win, the fact that he made it that far nonetheless meant that by the time the news coverage began to drop off, we were into the Christmas non-fiction HB buying season and the book had justified its place on the retailers shelves, so it remained highly visible and continued to sell through until the end of the year. Publishing is as trend-conscious as other industries, and at a time when each sale counts more than ever, these selling opportunities in the calendar are not to be missed.

iNDEPENDENT BOOkSELLErS aT CHriSTmaS

Cat MacNeil

With bookshops in the midst of the crucial Christmas sales period, we look at what independent booksellers are doing right and how they keep up at Christmas.
Last year, the top 100 hardbacks were sold at a discount averaging 49%, and publishers will sell books to independent booksellers at around a 45% discount. When the average book is being bought for less than it is being offered to independents, how can they possibly compete? With 10% of independent booksellers closing between 2009-2011, the future of bookshops is often depicted as miserable. We spoke to

four independents nationwide who defy such pessimism, and are all extremely positive about the Christmas period.

wEST END LaNE BOOkS, LONDON

West End Lane Books is 17 years old, owned by a family with a long tradition of running bookshops in Libya, until Gadaffi came to power. Before working there our interviewee, Danny, brought his children to the shop to buy books every Saturday. Its booksellers know their customers extremely well and are at the heart of the community. At Christmas, West End Lane Books place extra staff on the shop floor. They order

titles in greater breadth and quantity, and Danny tells us that good stock control is vital, as is their relationship with publishers and distributors. It is a tradition in early December to hold a sale offering 20% off all stock, plus mulled wine and mince pies. Yum! They also offer gift list services, wrapping and a personal shopping service. Last year, one customer provided a list of all her grandchildren with their ages and interests, and the staff chose and wrapped all of their presents! Danny predicts a robust season for independents. He thinks that consumers want to talk through their purchases with knowledgeable staff; all of West End Lane Books staff read new stock items so they can advise from the heart. He also thinks that locals are increasingly concerned with preserving independent booksellers on their high streets.

Atkinson Pryce

Linghams

Mr Bs Emporium of Reading Delights

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LiNGHamS, HESwELL
Linghams, situated in Heswall in Merseyside, has existed for over 20 years. Founded by a local businessman, Linghams was sold in 2005 to the Independent Retail Group, but was restored to the ownership of a local family last year. So far we are still alive! says Eleanor, the owner. They are, like everyone else, battling with Amazon and supermarkets, as well as the WH Smith branch that opened opposite them this year. So far, however, their customers have remained loyal. Linghams offers a coffee bar, author events, a book club, poetry group, childrens story time and live piano on Saturdays. Phew. Over Christmas, their non-book items sell well: cards, wrapping paper, calendars, DVDs and toys. They increase their spending on books, particularly hardback biographies, history, cookery, humour and fiction, and have a large table of quirky mid-range hardbacks. Christmas is also the only time of year when they advertise in local newspapers. They have two Saturdays just before Christmas when Santa visits the store, they host carol singing in their car park on Christmas Eve, and invite a primary school to sing Christmas songs in their caf. Eleanor predicts they may be hard hit by the Kindle this year as more people get into e-reading, but thinks they will do well

West End Lane Books

in childrens books, which seem to be least affected by e-books. She hopes the Christmas season doesnt bring snow that was what finally finished off our predecessors.

mr BS EmPOriUm OF rEaDiNG DELiGHTS, BaTH

Six years ago, Nic and his wife left their careers as lawyers to open up Mr Bs Emporium. Hidden down a small alley in Bath and built over three stories, the store is decorated in a homefrom-home manner, featuring quirks such as a bathtub with claws! Mr Bs makes its own Christmas catalogue, listing 75 titles handpicked by Nic and his team, who debate over new books and books they have loved throughout the year. The catalogue has its own illustrator and the team create a special display of the selected titles. They have events year round, such as

The Bookshop Band who play songs inspired by books. They also offer a Reading Spa, and a Reading Year gift package in which a Mr Bs bibliotherapist will pick eleven books, sent throughout the year based on the recipients interests. Nic says the way they treat Christmas has not really changed in recent years. This is only their 7th Christmas, but they are already much better at dealing with it, knowing how much stock and how many catalogues to order. They are also better at spotting whats going to sell well, like Mark Forsyths Etymologion last year. However, they learn something new every year. Nic predicts this year will be busy, judging by the autumn, with many customers seeking gifts already.

They pride themselves on their warm and inviting atmosphere, with the staff recently described as bibliotherapists, a compliment both Chris and Sue treasure. Like swans serenely offering bibliotherapy, they are also paddling hard against the tide of digital competition, but Atkinson-Pryce is still profitable and won Best Bookseller/Stationer at the Scottish Independent Retailers Awards 2011.

aTkiNSON-PryCE, SCOTTiSH BOrDErS

Atkinson-Pryce was opened over 18 years ago by Neal and Fiona Price, in the small town of Biggar, on the edge of the Scottish Border Hills. In 2001 the Prices headed to London to work in publishing, leaving Atkinson-Pryce in the hands of Owner Chris McCosh and Manager Sue Kekewich. With the help of publishers and wholesalers there are now regular promotions, including the Book of the Moment, a title hand picked by a member of staff. The team take care in choosing titles from small, interesting publishers as well as from the mainstream. Atkinson-Pryce organise many events each year, bringing authors such as Ian Rankin to Biggar. Last year the shop organised for childrens authors to visit local schools, and they run a monthly storytelling session for pre-school children. Eleven years ago, Atkinson-Pryce and a couple of neighbours pioneered a late night Christmas shopping evening for the town. For the last couple of years the shop have offered a 10% discount off everything in the Booksellers Association Christmas catalogue, and selected Scottish titles in the run up to Christmas. They distribute the catalogue as widely as possible in Biggar and its surrounding area.

PrEDiCTiONS FOr THE SEaSON

mr BS EmPOriUm OF rEaDiNG DELiGHTS:
The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen: it is wintery and perfect with an astonishingly sellable cover! Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (of sorts) by Russell Norman. A Curious Invitation by Suzette Field a gifty book featuring forty of the greatest fictional festivities.

LiNGHamS:
Yellow Birds by Kevin Power is selling really well and Im sure Counting Ones Blessings (the Queen Mothers letters) ed. William Shawcross will be a huge seller. I think the little humorous book Superlatives might do well as an impulse buy.

wEST END LaNE BOOkS:

Alys, Always by Harriet Lane is a great debut with a du Maurier-esque atmosphere. The new Mark Forsyth, The Horologicon, will be immense. In the kids area were loving The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable, This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers and The Land of Neverbelieve by Norman Messenger.

rEBraNDiNG
Lottie Chase

There are different ways to view rebranding in the publishing industry. Theres the marketing angle, rebranding a series in order to re-launch a backlist, or keep a current series up to date. Theres also the view of the mega fan, someone who will be an avid consumer of all things related to their beloved author or subject. Rebranding can be contentious, particularly rebranding to bring a title in line with current trends, often borrowing heavily from the original. In 1968 science fiction book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by American author Philip K. Dick was published. Set in the post-apocalyptic near future, the novel went on to attract a wide audience and was nominated for the Nebula Award. The story follows a bounty hunter as he tracks down renegade androids who have assumed human identities in a world where animals are a rarity and the human population has largely emigrated off to other planets. To some of you this may sound familiar... In 1982 a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott received mixed reviews but has since gone on to become a cult film. The name of this film is Blade Runner and it owes its storyline and inspiration to the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. The film did far better in the long run than the book did, to the point where now if you go to a bookshop you would be hard pushed to find the original version of the novel. In its place you will now find Blade

Runner and the former title now appears as a sub-heading, dwarfed by the success of the film. Is this wrong? Should previously published titles be sidelined and rebranded to pull in a new movie-going audience? Of course they should. After all, the intellectual property of the novel has not changed. Speaking at the SYP conference closing debate, Crossing Boundaries, Erica Wolfe-Murray, Founder and Managing Director of Lola Media Ltd, made an excellent point that intellectual property can be adjusted to appeal to new markets by applying specialised know-how. This is exactly where rebranding comes into its own, as we can see from the success of Blade Runner - if you brush an old product with new paints, you can rejuvenate titles that have been either neglected or forgotten. I really dont see rebranding as a negative. Where once I may have been distraught to see a classic tale glittering on bookshop shelves with a new film tie-in cover, now I see it as an opportunity for readers across the board to rediscover old titles and broaden their reading appetites.

iNTErviEw: JOHN JULiUS NOrwiCH

Cat MacNeil

of cheap but high quality colour printing has transformed what we used to call coffee-table but now call art books. The recent arrival on the scene of e-books is bound also to have a huge effect, though I think its a bit too early to predict exactly what. A well-established and popular publishing pattern is the Christmas season, with a flurry of festive publications. Why do you think Christmas themed publishing remains so popular? The effect of Christmas on publishing is twofold. First is the institution of Christmas presents. A book makes one of the best presents you can buy - no wonder theres a rush on them. Second is the fact that Christmas provides a subject in itself. Write or devise a prettily-designed book about Christmas and it can hardly fail. (I know, because Ive done it twice.) What prompted you to write your Christmas Crackers? Despite their name, my Christmas Crackers are not really about Christmas at all. I produce them because I had always collected literary snippets of one kind or another, and as with all collections there comes at a certain moment a desire to share it - the come up and see my etchings syndrome. So in 1970 I collected 24 of the best, had 200 copies printed and sent them round to my friends instead of a Christmas card. I had intended this as a one-off exercise, but the reaction was such that I was persuaded to do it again and the thing has become a hardy perennial. This year will see my forty-third. Though the practice is by no means new, recently there seems to be an influx of classic tales revised or rewritten to incorporate modern or current themes. Whats your opinion on this? I havent actually read any of the sort of book your question has in mind. Of course a single big success will breed copycats. I certainly dont disapprove. A good book is a good book whatever form it takes. With the celebrated Charles Dickens

John Julius Norwich has written histories of Venice, Byzantium, the Mediterranean and Norman Sicily, together with two travel books (Mount Athos and Sahara) and others on music, architecture and Shakespeares history plays. He has also written a book of memoirs, Trying to Please, and has made some thirty documentaries for BBC Television.
It can take a long time for a trend to emerge in a noticeable pattern. During your long and prolific career as a writer and editor, have you noticed any emerging trends? In the 50-odd years that I have been writing, there have I think been two major trends, one social, the other technological, both which have had their effect on literature. Socially there has been the relaxing of attitudes, principally on race and on sex. Brilliant writers like Alan Hollinghurst could never have been published in the 50s or even I suspect the 60s. Ordinary biographies and personal memoirs are also far franker and more revealing. Technologically the invention

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bicentenary last year, and the Brothers Grimm greatly anticipated bicentenary fast approaching, it seems that there is a bout of authors reaching these milestones. Do you think it is important to mark these achievements, and celebrate the work? There will always be a considerable number of historic authors with anniversaries upcoming, and Im all for seizing any opportunity to celebrate greatness. A great author needs - and deserves - all the celebration he can get.

Darling Monster, a collection of letters to John Julius from his mother (Lady Diana Cooper) is to be published next year.

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SPrEaD yOUr LOvE OF rEaDiNG

Lottie Chase

For the past few years my family have decided to put the tins of Quality Streets and pairs of novelty socks to one side at Christmas and instead give each other World Gifts. This is usually where you go to a charity and donate money and in return they let you choose where in the world your money goes and in what context. Being a self-proclaimed bibliophile, my parents usually

buy books for third world countries and as the gift is being given on my behalf, I get a lovely card telling me where the books are being sent and why the charity has focused on this particular area. The range of gifts you can give is extraordinary, from training midwives to buying goats, water pumps and school supplies. Its a great way of spreading the Christmas love and

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diminishing the pile of wrapping paper that loiters in most households. There are a whole list of charities that are now supporting World Gifts, from CAFOD and Oxfam to Save the Children, and it seems that more and more people are catching on to the idea of giving gifts on anothers behalf to make a positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate than us. We spoke to Sarah Lisowiec, CAFODs World Gifts Manager, to ask her about CAFODs gifting scheme. Why did CAFOD set up World Gifts? Obviously we celebrate Christmas like everyone else, but at a time when were all exchanging presents and enjoying our food and drink, many of our supporters like to remember people who arent as well off, and thats how the World Gifts scheme came into being. They really act as two presents in one. When you buy a World Gift, you receive a beautiful Christmas card to give to your friend or loved one, which explains how their gift is going to help people in the poorest communities overseas, and depending which gift youve picked the money youve spent will go to pay for water, food, education, healthcare, agriculture, livestock or other work to support one of those communities. How does CAFOD decide which projects to support? The gifts in the catalogue are all real examples of CAFODs work, each of them linked to a particular aspect of what we do whether its agriculture or healthcare so people buying the gifts can be sure the money will be spent on projects which directly benefit different communities in the way they need help most. For example, the biggest healthcare need in Rwanda might be a bicycle for Community Care workers, whereas in mountainous parts of the world, it might be hospital equipment for a health clinic. That is why there are a range of gifts which will offer benefits across all the countries where we work. What do people get out of giving a World Gift? What our supporters tell us is that giving a World Gift makes them feel like they are sharing the

celebration of Christmas with people all over the world, a sense of solidarity that you cant get from just putting money in a charity tin on the street. It also says something about the person receiving the gift it tells them that you know they believe in a world beyond their own, and that they will appreciate and value that gift as much as one which they receive directly themselves. The same is true when people give World Gifts for birthdays or anniversaries. How successful has the scheme been? Very successful! World Gifts has been running for many years now, and is a popular and unique way for people to support CAFOD, and each year were able to offer new gifts based on new developments in the support were offering to communities overseas, whether its supporting a saffron-growing business for 20 or buying a crab farm for a family for 56, alongside our traditional gifts, like cows, chickens, and help with schooling and healthcare. Thanks to individuals, families, schools, youth groups and church groups, over 1 million a year is usually raised to help transform the lives of people living in poverty. And it is the transformation of those lives that represents the biggest success of the scheme. What would be the ideal future outcome of World Gifts? To continue to grow as a successful and popular way of supporters to engage with CAFOD, and in turn help transform the lives of people living in poverty.

For more information on CAFODs World Gifts please visit http://worldgifts.cafod.org.uk/

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DEmaND PUBLiSHiNG
Emma Goode

The publishing year has traditionally been divided into just two seasons, spring and autumn, with publishers scheduling the majority of their books in order to coincide with the two most profitable periods, the summer holidays and Christmas. This means books are meticulously planned well in advance. The

average publication process for a book can take up to two years, from commissioning to the book appearing on the shelves. The publisher has a strict schedule in place, and though slippage (falling behind schedule) usually occurs, they try to minimise this in order to keep up with the publishing seasons and with their competitors.

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It is no good publishing a celebrity cookbook halfway through November, for example. This wouldnt leave enough time for the marketing campaign to take effect, and by that time many Christmas shoppers may have already bought a rivals cookbook. Digital publishing technology is allowing publishers to become increasingly nimble, however, meaning books can be produced in a much shorter time period. Because of this, we are seeing the rise of demand publishing: books pushed through the publishing process very quickly in order to meet sudden demand. In our digital society full of different kinds of media, where a self-published book, video or website can become viral online in a matter of days, it is becoming increasingly difficult for publishers to capture and hold consumers attention. Vampire fiction may be in fashion now, but by the time a new vampire book has been in production for a year and a half, consumers may have lost interest. To exploit a trend before it becomes old news, therefore, demand publishing is necessary. Following the sudden, unexpected success of (yes, here it is again) Fifty Shades of Grey, publishers are rushing to acquire hastily-written imitations. In other instances, older erotic titles have been republished with lookalike covers, for example Marina Andersons Haven of Obedience, which was originally published in 2000. Over the past few years a practice has arisen known as extreme or crash publishing, although it is uncertain how many publishers deliberately undertake this. Extreme publishing means that books are crashed out much quicker than usual, outside of the normal publishing seasons. This may be to capture a trend, or in the case of publishers owned by large conglomorates, it may even be done to meet revenue targets (this is less of an issue for independent publishers, who set their own targets). These books could be produced in six months or less. In order to minimise the financial risk, they have to be very easy to define and easy to sell; unsurprisingly, most fast-turnaround books are non-fiction, concerning celebrities or current events. Sometimes publishers buy already finished manuscripts - self-published

online hits are a good example of this - but sometimes the books are written very quickly. Books responding to current events have always required a faster turnaround time, but this is becoming more and more extreme. Following the Royal Wedding in April 2011, publisher Michael OMara published a 200-page biography of the couple just 72 hours later; he estimated the book contained roughly 40 pictures and only 2,500 words. OMara applied for a world record for the fastest publication time. The obvious question to ask for books published this quickly is this: how many corners are cut and how much is quality sacrificed? The publishers are likely to focus on minimising bottom-line costs such as paper quality and cover effects, since they may have to overpay in other areas in order to push the book quickly through production. Other projects must be temporarily suspended. There is also the risk of sloppy editing, or even libel if a statement about a public figure is published before it is confirmed to be strictly true. When time is of the essence, however, some may argue that a lesser-quality book is better than nothing at all. Do consumers consider the time and effort put into a book when they pay its price, or do they simply want to get their hands on information as quickly as possible? Publishing is a business like any other, and if these crash books are highly profitable for publishers and allow them to subsidise betterquality but less commercial literature, are they such a bad thing? Against concerns over quality, Rachel Donadio in the New York Times has argued that editing doesnt necessarily take up the bulk of a books production time anyway. This is especially true if, like Michael OMaras Royal Wedding biography, the book mainly comprises of images; all the publisher needs to do is present them, with captions and glosses, in a way that is appealing to consumers. Donadio argued that digital technology has sped up the actual production process, but the reason books still take a long time to hit the shelves is marketing. Publishers do not have the budget to simply bombard consumers with advertisements; instead, they must build up gradual word-ofmouth concerning upcoming books. Conducting

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research, devising a campaign, approaching retailers and the media, and then allowing enough time for a buzz to build around the book before it hits the market, together constitute a very time-consuming process. With an event like the Royal Wedding, however, the buzz has already created itself. The publisher simply has to produce the goods. Where celebrity books are concerned, it is interesting to consider the ethical side of fast-turnaround publishing. Many fastturnaround books seem like shameless, and often insensitive, attempts to cash in on celebrities personal lives. An example of this is books published in response to celebrity deaths. When Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, publishers scrambled to reissue old biographies, but new books were also rushed out; a book written by Jacksons sound engineer appeared a month later. Publishers were similarly accused of cashing in on Jade Goodys death in 2009, with the publishers of her second biography renaming the book to refer to her death, despite the fact it contained no references to her fight against cancer. Other books published following her death, however, donated some of their profits to a cancer care charity, demonstrating that publishers making fast profits are not necessarily evil. Celebrities choose to live in the limelight, and why shouldnt publishers respond quickly to public demand to know more about their lives? Fast-turnaround publishing does not always involve hastily producing brand new books. This article has looked briefly at publishers rebranding backlist titles as a costeffective way of exploiting current trends, but for more on this, turn to Reworking a Classic for Modern Trends on pages 22 - 23, where Cat MacNeil looks at the rebranding of classics to give them the Fifty Shades treatment. This is another controversial area, which raises the question of a publishers integrity. Whatever your stance, fast-turnaround publishing seems to have become necessary for publishers wishing to stay in the game, and digital technology is certainly no bad thing. Perhaps the traditional publishing seasons are set to become much less clearly defined.

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BOOk CLUB
Cat MacNeil

Photography: Maria Rassie This month the Society of Young Publishers attended the Green Mans Book Club in Longfield, Kent, where they were discussing Eleanor Browns The Weird Sisters. The book centres around three sisters - Rosalind (Rose), Bianca (Bean) and Cordelia (Cordy) - who are returning home to care for their sick mother, but also have their own personal reasons for returning. Roses fianc wants to move to England against her will. Bean was caught stealing from her job and is in thousands of dollars of debt. Cordy has just found out she is pregnant, without knowing who the father is. Everyone shrugged when asked what they thought of the book. All filler, no killer someone said; it was fine, but not gripping. No one liked that the narrator was all three sisters omnipotently telling the story. Some thought it was being told by a fourth sister. Others thought the sisters were telling the story in hindsight, building up to something life-altering - but nothing dramatic happened. Brown does warn us: Our estrangement is not drama-laden we have not betrayed one anothers trust, we have not stolen lovers or fought over money or property or any of the things that irreparably break families apart. We all wished their estrangement was dramaladen; it made little sense, and we wondered where their resentment towards each other came from. The sisters father is an eccentric Professor of Shakespeare who communicates almost exclusively in Shakespearean verse; an exciting premise to some. We enjoyed the idea that the sisters were Weird like the witches of Macbeth, but the fact there are three of them is where the similarities end. In fact, the Shakespeare references were underwhelming - most of the quotations seemed irrelevant. Although their father is loved by his students, his wife and daughters cause him to fade into the background. The parents were very close, and we wondered if this meant they didnt need children, as their involvement with their children sometimes bordered on neglect. Our overall judgement was that the story was only nice. We associated well with the situations, thought the characters were wellobserved, and enjoyed watching the sisters change (very slightly) for the better.
The SYP hold our monthly book club every month at Waterstones Piccadilly. Please visit the website for more details.

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FOOD FrOm FiCTiON

Emma Goode

Despite the fact in some books the characters never seem to eat a thing, there is no shortage of foodie moments in fiction: descriptions of dishes that make your mouth water and your stomach rumble. We all have our favourites: mine include the interrupted spaghetti-making in the opening of Murakamis The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Bridget Joness disastrous blue soup, and Roland and Mauds romantic picnic in A.S. Byatts Possession: Fresh brown bread, white Wensleydale cheese, crimson radishes, yellow butter, scarlet tomatoes, round bright green Granny Smiths and a bottle of mineral water. Delicious. Famous fictional descriptions of food have inspired many spin-off cookbooks. George R.R. Martin has become infamous for his long descriptions of lavish feasts in his Song and Ice of Fire series, which have inspired A Feast of Ice and Fire, the official companion cookbook. There is a Jane Austen cookbook, a Harry Potter cookbook, with recipes including butterbeer and cockroach clusters, and of course Roald Dahls Revolting Recipes, including recipes such as Georges Marvellous Medicine or Mr Twits delicious wormy spaghetti. Are these kind of books just gimmicky gifts, or are the recipes actually edible? I decided to try my hand at one of them, and made Ms Trunchbulls chocolate

cake from Matilda - you can see my results by heading on over to InDigital. The connection between food and fiction becomes even clearer during the festive season. Cookbooks make ideal gifts, and are a staple of all trade publishers Christmas offerings. For the last two years, Jamie Oliver has topped the Christmas bestseller charts and he strikes again this year with his 15 Minute Meals. Other books likely to perform well this Christmas are Nigella Lawsons Nigellissima and Nigel Slaters Kitchen Diaries II. These books encourage people to take time out to cook and eat, to be extravagant and indulgent. The pictures of friends laughing around platters of sugar-dusted mince pies are tailored to fit with peoples idealised image of festive dining - an image which largely originated in fiction. When we consider fictional Christmas dinners, the author who immediately springs to mind is Charles Dickens. Our typical image of Christmas is usually epitomised by the Cratchits humble Christmas dinner in A Christmas Carol. The whole family work together to create the delicious feast, which is a cosy picture of seasonal goodwill and harmony: There never was such a goose. Bob said he didnt believe there ever was such a goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family. When the flaming Christmas pudding appears, the image is complete. This isnt quite most peoples real experience of chaotic Christmas dinners - no lumpy gravy or soggy brussels sprouts in sight but even Dickens knows this, and elsewhere he turns the idealised image on its head to remind us that no families are quite as perfect as the (actually rather annoying) Cratchits. My favourite Christmas dinner scene is the one from Great Expectations, where Pip is treated to the scaly tips of the drumsticks of the fowls, and with those obscure corners of pork of which the pig, when living, had had the least reason to be vain. As they eat, he is bombarded with moral lectures from the other guests, who compare him to the roast pork: Swine is put before us, as an

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example to the young... What is detestable in a pig, is more detestable in a boy. His uncle Joe consoles him by spooning more and more gravy on his plate until his food is practically swimming. The award for most drastically ruined Christmas dinner, however, goes to James Joyce for his Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Stephens expectations for his first Christmas dinner with his elders are high. But the dinner is not as cosy as Stephen hopes, as his father gets into a heated argument with a fellow guest. As Mr. Dedalus massacres the turkey, the guests sit in embarrassed silence: Mr. Dedalus rooted

with the carvers at the end of the dish... Nobody spoke. The dinner ends in the offended guest storming out and Mr. Dedalus bursting into tears. Despite the fact reality never quite meets our expectations, we all continue to see Christmas as a time to get together with our families, eat, drink and be merry, and buy cookbooks. We continue to aim for the Cratchits ideal, knowing at the same time that our gingerbaked ham will never look anything like Nigellas. Christmas is meant to be chaotic, and thats all part of the enjoyment.

miSS TrUNCHBULLS CHOCOLaTE CakE

The ordeal undergone by Bruce Bogtrotter in Matilda when Miss Trunchbull forces him to eat this entire cake did not put me off wanting to make it. This one is probably half the size of Trunchbulls infamous cake, and no one is going to force you to eat more than a slice - which I assure you is enough. After melting obscene amounts of chocolate, I have a newfound respect for Bruces eating capacity.

For the cake:

225g plain chocolate 175g unsalted butter 225g caster sugar 60g plain flour 6 eggs, separated For the icing: 125g plain chocolate 125ml double cream

iNSTrUCTiONS:
Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and stir until melted, then add the flour, sugar and lightly beaten egg yolks. Whisk the egg white until they form stiff peaks, then fold into the chocolate mix until well combined. Bake for 35 minutes until there is a crust on top. A skewer will not come out clean - the cake is more like a brownie. Leave to cool in the tin. For the icing: Melt the chocolate with the cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring until fully combined. Allow to cool slightly. Turn out the cake upside-down. Using a palette knife, cover completely with the icing. Leave to cool. Try not to do a Bruce.

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wE wiSH yOU a SUPEr THUrSDay

Victoria Pepe

A thoughtfully chosen book can be the perfect present. Im sure none of you need me to tell you this. For a start, its affordable. With discounts, even a hefty hardback can be bought for just under ten pounds. Whats more, a book can be a hundred different things to a hundred different people: a beautiful hardback to treasure; a favourite authors new novel; or that celebrity autobiography youve been dying to read. And what better time to give a book than at Christmas? A time for giving if ever there was one. And, cynical though it may sound, nothing

shows that more than Super Thursday. Its a phrase that conjures up images of excitement and power, that many of you will be familiar with even if you dont work in trade publishing because this is a time when even the wider media get very excited by whats happening in the publishing world. Perhaps that has been even truer this year when a certain erotica novel focused public attention on the publishing industry in a way we havent seen since the publication of the last Harry Potter book. From BBC to Sky, there has been a glut of Super Thursday features. Traditionally a Thursday in either late September or early October, Super Thursday is the day in the year when the highest number of hardback books are published, and they are all released with one end in sight: to be the bestselling book over the Christmas period. This year, it fell on 11th October, and as was expected, over 220 new hardbacks were published. So, what type of books can be expected on Super Thursday? As has been well documented, the last decade or so in particular has seen the rise of the celebrity autobiography, and its at this time of year that we see most of them being published. This year alone weve had David Walliams Camp David, Will Youngs Funny Peculiar, Miranda Harts Is It Just Me? and many more. But its not just non-fiction. Many big brand novelists have published their latest offerings too: Cecelia Aherns One Hundred Names and Dennis Lehanes Live by Night are just two. To the uninitiated, it might seem almost incomprehensible that publishers would choose to release what are undoubtedly their biggest books of the year, on the day that every other publisher

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is doing the exact same thing. All of the biggest authors, all of the most hotly anticipated books, all crammed into shop space hoping to be front of store, piled high on limited shelves, waiting for shoppers to pick them up. What are the chances of getting books into the best promotions? Equally, publicity departments work flat-out pitching their books, all hoping that the papers will feature one of them or write a review. But there is only limited review space in the papers (and its shrinking). Why, then, do they bother in the face of such competition? Its simple really: the numbers speak for themselves. The four weeks over the Christmas period account for up to 17 per cent of the entire years sales. And for hardbacks this number is even higher sales over this period can account for up to 27 per cent. And this wouldnt be a story about book sales without a healthy

THE NUmBErS SPEak FOr THEmSELvES

nod to e-book sales. In 2012 in comparison to 2011, e-book sales rose by 90 per cent in the first six months of the year. This can amount to a value of around 250 million (although that figure has been declining in the last few years). It will be interesting in the New Year to look at the figures for the last quarter of 2012 and see whether the Christmas market as we know it is changing. Although Super Thursday is a tradition that seems here to stay, it seems possible that the emphasis on hardbacks will lessen as we turn more and more to e-books. So although everyone is publishing their big books, its also true to say that everyone is buying them too. And at a time when each month sees depressing headlines about decreasing sales of books, the seasonal sales period is too important to the bottom line to ignore.

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rEwOrkiNG CLaSSiCS FOr mODErN TrENDS

Cat MacNeil

Are there no original ideas left?

Reworking classics is no new phenomenon authors have been writing official and unofficial parodies, sequels and prequels for years - but it seems there has been a recent boom. Everyone has heard of Fifty Shades of Grey. When it was originally published in 2011, I doubt E.L James knew it would change both erotic and classic literature forever - that she would merge these genres, creating a string of parodies and rewrites. Publishers used the success of Fifty Shades to rework classic literature for the erotica market, hoping to interest readers across both genres. Did they succeed? Would those who enjoyed the tension between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett and those who enjoyed the graphic scenes between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele enjoy both together? Quite a risk. The erotica trend continues as e-book publisher Total-E-Bound published a collection of erotic retellings of classic novels. The cheaplypriced Clandestine Classics, which include titles such as Pride and Prejudice and Dracula, boast: You only pay for the words our authors have added - not for the original content. These books keep the authors original prose, but add missing scenes for readers to enjoy. In A Stud in Scarlet, Hemlock Bones has a sexual relationship with his assistant, Dr Hotson, and in Wuthering Heights, Catherine Earnshaw has bondage sessions with Heathcliff. Should these insertions be allowed? We could argue that the Brontes and Austen lived in a significantly different time to us, but if this trend were to

resurface again in 300 years, how would J.K. Rowling feel if Harry Potter was re-written to include a completely different use of his wand? My problem with classic/erotica crossovers is that characters are defined by how the original authors portrayed them. Would we feel differently towards Mr Darcy if Austen had included a raunchy sex scene? Of course we would. The frustrations between Elizabeth and Darcy are only heightened because they never you-know-what; their draw to one another is intellectual, and they would not throw their convictions away for physical pleasure. Creating a parallel world for them full of lust and sex cheapens Austens characters. Erotic parodies, on the other hand, I can somewhat make my peace with. They are not used to feed the readers need for erotica, but to make fun of this ridiculous trend. For example, Michael OMara combined Fifty Shades of Grey with Pride and Prejudice, swapping Christian Greys Red Room of Pain for Mr Darcys Blue Broom-Cupboard of Seriously Kinky Shit. Funny, right? Parodying classics through erotica can be problematic, however. Constable & Robinsons collection of 50 short erotic parodies, Fifty Shelves of Grey: A Selection of Great Titles Erotically Remastered, irked me by including childrens stories such as Winnie-thePooh. Call me prudish, but I am not interested in the deflowering of Winnie, as funny as the book may be. Rewrites and parodies of a different kind offend me less. Seth Grahame-Smiths Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a huge

22

Photography: Shutterstock.com

success, and Quirk Books have launched a Deluxe Heirloom edition with even more zombie mayhem and violence. Produced in hardback, with a faux-leather cover and sewn binding, it imitates the classic look, and has also been published as an interactive e-book. Also in the series are Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Android Karenina, which sets Tolstoys novel in a dystopian world of cyborgs and interstellar space travel. So how come the presence of zombies in Pride and Prejudice is acceptable, but not sex? The difference is that zombies are so out of context of the original story. We do not believe that Darcy and Elizabeth as we know them are zombie-hunters, and so their conviction and integrity remains intact. Other recent parodies include Pan Macmillans parody of J. K. Rowlings The Casual Vacancy, entitled The Vacant Casualty.

The fact it was published in August, a month before J. K.s book had been released or even its plot revealed, makes me wonder: who buys these parodies that are so quickly written? Gollanczs parody of the dystopian YA series, The Hunger but Mainly Death Games, was published in hardback five weeks after agreeing the offer, and was available as an e-book after just three. As publishers rush to move with the trends, are we missing out on quality books and instead given rash imitations? Isnt the point of classics that they are just that - classic? Updating them for modern trends, particularly in the erotica genre, cheapens the quality of the original story and damages the characters integrity. Why this continuous need to rework the old stuff? Are there no new ideas? Come on publishers give us something new!

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THE NEw yEarS PLEDGE

CJ Montague

Photography: Bim Hjortronsteen

Allegedly, ahenny is defined as the way one stands when perusing another persons bookshelves. Dont worry, I tried to pose then too. If you were to adopt an ahenny stance and look at my bookshelves you would find a broad mix of romance, thrillers, biographies, lifestyle titles and YA fiction - for work, you understand. Working in publishing makes it incredibly easy for me to access books, potentially leafing through the next big thing when it is merely a thing. As with any passion, you have your

favourites. I can name books which have defined periods of my life (Jane Eyre and Turn of the Screw), those which have been devoured and forgotten (it would be folly for me to give examples), and those somewhere in between (Toms Midnight Garden or The Man with the Dancing Eyes). I wish that I could rewind and never have read Chris Cleaves Gold, so that I could read it for the first time again, and again, and again ad infinitum. I wish I could reread One Day, which I actually read in one day on my

24

tiny iPhone screen, or experience afresh lesser known favourites like The Namesake, where the plot flows from page to page. To use a phrase that fills my office but finds its truth in the silky prose of this book: it sings off the page. To forget a great read at the end would be a dream - but to experience something on repeat forever leaves no room for new experiences, and isnt that what were in this business to do? Unfortunately, I dont actually want to read many of those books you have just perused on my shelf. Like Guy Garvey, member of Elbow, who recently remarked that at the height of his career he thought he might have fallen out of love with music, I currently have a tepid relationship with books. For him, it took hosting a radio show where he had a reason to discover new music to get him excited about it again. Sadly, nobody wants to give me my own radio show, and being up to your ears in books doesnt guarantee good reading. This isnt what you want to hear when you are new to publishing, but you might as well know now good fiction wants you to find it, and it is often found in unlikely places. So where is this great fiction? Considering the impact translated fiction has had, why havent you thought of it yourself? And not just fiction from Scandinavia. Yes, Stieg Larsson and Lars Kepler have played Henry James to our British sensibilities by entrancing our gothic and horror loving tendencies, but we should not overlook publishers like Pushkin Press, who were recently snapped up by former Penguin employees, Freudenheim and Seegmuller (judging by their names, they know good translated fiction!). Gallic books have had large scale success with UK rights in a certain French title, The Elegance of the Hedgehog. It sold over a million copies in its first year of publication through its French publisher

GOOD FiCTiON waNTS yOU TO FiND iT, aND iT iS OFTEN FOUND iN UNLikELy PLaCES

Gallimard, and has since proved an international success for Europa Editions in North America. It also won the 2007 French Booksellers Prize, the 2007 Brive-la-Gaillarde Readers Prize, and the Prix du Rotary International in France, which draws us nicely into another vein of discovery for your now international palate. Outside of those hotly contested English language book prizes The Man Booker, the Orange prize for fiction and the Pulitzer etc, we are not the only people judging writing. After all, many a nation got in on the ABCs before we did. The Corine International Book Prize celebrates German fiction, the Jerusalem Prize is awarded biennially to writers whose works have dealt with themes of human freedom in society, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is awarded to any work of fiction dealing with South Asia, and is nonspecific in terms of ethnicity or nationality. In fact, there are hundreds of international prizes you can find out about. The last avenue I will go into (although by no means the last for you in your quest to escape the pool of English language fiction and become a more international reader) are book clubs. There are fewer clever ways to read than through a book group, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to enjoy them. After school and university, there is little to encourage you to broaden your reading, to force you into new genres, and make you talk about your impressions. In public. At a book club, nothing rests on whether you liked a new book or not; your opinion is an expression of yourself, as your next choice of book should be. Get out there and read!

Find a book club near you at www.bookgroup.info or come along to the SYP Book Club.

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THE 2012 SOCiETy OF yOUNG PUBLiSHErS CONFErENCE

Sarraounia Christianson

This years hotly anticipated annual SYP conference kicked off at 11am on Saturday the 3rd of November. Held in the London College of Communication building in Elephant and Castle, the theme for the day was Beyond The Book. Coming in from the autumnal chill attendees were greeted by committee members bearing canvas goodie bags emblazoned with the SYP logo. The day of talks opened with the Game Changers debate. These innovators were a set of four speakers whose work challenges traditional publishing channels. A wide range of ideas were discussed, from bringing reading to the masses to using software to create your very own e-books and the boom in self-publishing, which continues to ride the Fifty Shades wave to success. This generated some probing questions from the audience including: will digital books ever be accessible for all? Provided with essential food-forthought, conference-goers headed to the first session. You could attend three talks of your choice as well as the opening and closing debates. I attended the Careers Clinic first. Experts from the world of publishing recruitment extolled the virtues of understanding your skills set and where your passions lie. We were given the opportunity to undergo a surprisingly nervewracking mock interview! A top tip from Sam Coleman of Atwood Tate is to do a maximum of no more than three internships. Cheerfully and expertly lead by LCC technicians Tony and Scott in the printing room, the Print Production Workshop was the highlight of my day. I found all the hands-on processes fascinating and I learnt an immense amount about lithography printing, even getting to wield a giant electrical guillotine that can slice paper with

terrifying accuracy! My final session of the day concerned the cutting-edge of publishings digital future. Andrew Rhomberg and Jon Ingold presented inventive reading experiences in the seminar Interactive and Social Reading. Interactive image-driven e-books were showcased as well as ways to break out of the Amazon mould of the consumer experience. The closing debate was an intriguing panel of publishers and media moguls. Entitled Crossing Boundaries, it rounded up the day in fine form. The panel discussed ways in which we can move beyond the book by blending types of media to create new ways to grow publishing. Andrew Turner, the 2012 SYP Chair, was extremely happy with how the conference went. Every seminar I attended and the opening and closing debates were interesting and thought provoking. The vibe was friendly with SYP members from all over the country attending. Nadine, an SYP Oxford member was surprised at the unprecedented access to industry experts; I met a lady from Pearson just by sitting on the same table as her during a coffee break! Beyond The Book promised much and did not disappoint. The plethora of experts, abundance of knowledge and opportunities on offer was fantastic. Julie, Lucia and the committee worked tirelessly to create a useful and memorable day. Roll on #SYPconf13!

The SYP Conference 2012 was a roaring success and great fun for all involved! Publishing is an exciting industry and is moving at such a pace that more and more ideas can become realities. - Lottie Chase, 2012 InDigital Commissioning Editor

26

The 2012 Conference Co-ordinators

Julie Woon After months of planning, emailing and a very frantic morning getting everything ready for the conference, it was a huge relief to finally see everything click into place for the big day. What really made it for me was seeing how engaged all our speakers were, and realising how lucky we had been that so many had given up their time to speak for us at this event. It was great to see that everyone was really getting involved with the talks! A personal highlight was being told by various speakers how impressed they were with the event, and even hearing that the standard surpassed some large publishing conferences! Im delighted with how Beyond the Book went and proud of what Lucia and I achieved. None of which would have been possible without the support of a fantastic committee, the generosity of our speakers and the incredibly patient staff at London College of Communication. Lucia Sandin I have been a member of the SYP since 2008 and on the committee since 2011, so this was my first opportunity to get involved with organising the conference. It has been very exciting to experience the back stage of the conference, having been a keen but shy visitor in the past. It has really been a blast. It was sometimes stressful but the rush of seeing it all come together and people visibly enjoying themselves and expanding their horizons, has really been worth it. I had a great experience due to our excellent speakers, who kindly took a Saturday off to share their expertise with 150 curious visitors, patiently responding to difficult questions. We couldnt have done it without the enduring support of the LCC and Desmond ORourke, who is a devoted friend of the SYP and I hope will continue to be so for many years to come.

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THE 2012 SOCiETy OF yOUNG PUBLiSHErS LONDON COmmiTTEE

andrew Turner
Chair
This year as Chair of the SYP has been amazing and I am looking forward to continuing to be involved next year as Vice Chair.

port the team as Jobs Officer; looking forward to another exciting year!

Lorna Bleach

Student Liaison Officer

From Portsmouth to Durham, and many places in-between, being the Student Liaison Officer and meeting lots of future publishers was fab. Next year Ill be Commissioning Editor for InDigital cant wait!

konstantinos vasdekis
Marketing Co-ordinator
It has been two great years being the Marketing Co-ordinator. Time to depart now, but very happy for all the material produced and the people I worked with. Best of luck to my successor.

Bim Hjortronsteen
Designer
This year has gone by very quickly, but I hope I have made a visual mark on InPrint. The highlight of the year was to have coffee with Dave Morris during our photo shoot.

alex Higson
Vice Chair
My two years on the committee have flown past, yet weve achieved so much; thought provoking debate at events, socials bringing together likeminded people, and innovative editorial. Best of luck 2013 committee!

Tina mories

Events Team Leader

My time on the SYP has been invaluable experience within publicity and has introduced me to so many enthusiastic, talented and simply lovely people. Due to my work inbox explosion I feel after two years its time to pass the torch. Please dont be a stranger - @tinamories

alli walker -

Membership Secretary
My time with the SYP has been a fun filled year where I was able to meet a lot of interesting new people. As I will not be returning next year, I just wanted to say goodbye and good luck in the future!

Helen youngs

Events Co-ordinator
In 2013 Ill be the Events Team Leader, taking all my thoroughly enjoyable experiences over the past year as Events Co-ordinator, and building a fabulous social calendar for yall.

Ella kahn

Secretary/Treasurer
After three amazing years, Im sad to be leaving, but Im so proud of our achievements and excited to see where the new committee will take the SYP next!

Naomi Bacon

Events Co-ordinator
The confidence Ive gained from working with the committee was undoubtedly instrumental in my securing a job. I am grateful to my SYP friends for spurring me on!

Esme richardson
Jobs Officer
Being a part of the SYP Committee has been a fantastic experience and Ill be staying on to sup-

28

Lucia Sandin

reading many future editions.

Conference/Special Events
This is my short but bittersweet goodbye to two jam packed years on the SYP Committee. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Social Events (2011) and Special Events (2012) Co-ordinator, but it is time to pass the torch to another enthusiastic events organiser!

Cat macNeil
Editor
This year I learnt where I want to be and what I want to do. So I owe the SYP thanks for that and for some great times on the editorial team. See you next year.

Julie woon

Conference/Special Events
Organising this years conference has been a fantastic experience challenging yet immensely rewarding. Ive met a lot of great people through the SYP, and will definitely miss everyone!

Emma Goode
Editor
My time as an InPrint Editor has been wonderful, and I think weve produced some of the best ever editions. As Im becoming Commissioning Editor, I hope to continue this!

Ekaete inyang

Publicity and Social Media

My year on the SYP London Committee was so much fun. As well as being able to get involved with what the society does, I also made some great friends!

victoria Pepe
Editor
Ive had a fantastic year on the SYP Committee Ive met some amazing people and been involved in (what I think) are the best InPrint editions ever. Im sad to leave but am looking forward to seeing what the next committee come up with!

anjana menon

Publicity and Social Media

Thoroughly enjoyed my time doing Publicity and Social Media over the last few months - meeting great people and immersing myself in the world of publishing has been an incredible experience. Heres to another year of the same!

Daniel Bell

Conference Edition Editor

As an Editor with the SYP, Ive been involved with some fantastic projects and met a lot of amazing people. I look forward to continuing our good work next year.

Lottie Chase

InDigital Commissioning Editor

Ive really enjoyed my past two years on the committee as the Commissioning Editor of both InDigital and InPrint. Ive met some great people and learnt a lot from the experience. Im really excited to be chairing the committee next year and hope to meet a lot more of you at our events!

Dina Patel

Conference Edition Editor

Ive had a great year so far co-editing the Conference Special edition of InPrint and Im looking forward to staying on the committee and creating more amazing issues!

rosy Locke

InPrint Commissioning Editor

My year and a bit on the SYP Committee has been fantastic, and gave me the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of interesting and passionate people. Im stepping down as Commissioning Editor, but am incredibly proud of the editions weve made, and looking forward to

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rELiGiOUS PUBLiSHiNG
Lottie Chase

With this issue being brought to you at Christmas it would not be right to ignore the religious holidays that occur at this special time of year, from Diwali in November to Christmas and Hanukkah in December. We wondered how publishers of religious books plan their publishing calendars and what problems they face when commissioning new titles. How can traditional religious texts be brought to an ever changing audience in new and dynamic ways? Do these publishers struggle to recreate their materials or do the annual planned religious holidays mean that they always have an audience to cater for who are specifically buying their titles for these special occasions? We spoke to Katherine Venn from Hodder Faith and Lois Rock from Lion Hudson to find out how they operate and what limitations (if any) they come across.

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katherine venn Hodder Faith

How do you schedule your titles to launch at key times throughout the year to coincide with religious festivals? Are there particular religious holidays that To be honest we dont tie things hugely closely always draw in the most consumers? to religious festivals, as we dont publish classic Christmas is a big trade opportunity, but the irony Advent and Lent titles; theyre on our radar, of is that our titles are often overwhelmed by the course, but Id say we pay more attention to the more general titles brought out for Christmas. rhythm of the publishing year in general. That Because its less commercialised, people said, we do schedule certain things to coincide perhaps more often think of buying a faith title with Christian events at Easter. And as previously and conferences at mentioned, we focus on key wE DONT SEE OUrSELvES Easter and in the summer events too. summer. aS BEiNG DOCTriNaL

Whats worrying is the disappearance on the high street of specialist bookshops; but thats something thats affecting the entire industry. We now need to focus on reaching our readers much more directly.

GaTEkEEPErS iN aNy What responsibilities to Do you feel your audience do you feel way, BUT wE DO HOPE constricted by certain as a publisher that may be THaT wErE PrOviDiNG a boundaries? There different from other trade or SErviCE TO PEOPLE wHO are only so many academic publishers? ways you can retell a waNT TO ExPLOrE FaiTH As a team were committed to traditional religious iN DiFFErENT wayS. bringing the best books by the story - how do you best authors to our readers, keep it fresh and which is of course common relevant to todays audience? to all trade and academic publishers! We dont I dont think this is the case at all! I think that see ourselves as being doctrinal gatekeepers the people who buy our books are continually in any way, but we do hope that were providing looking to engage with their faith more deeply a service to people who want to explore faith in to discover it afresh or make it more relevant to different ways. their lives. Down the centuries its been the task of the church and her theologians to grapple with What limitations are there when it comes to the same story and reinterpret it for their times; I marketing religious titles? would say we see ourselves as some small part We go to particular efforts to make sure our of that. marketing is not limited by being labelled religious. At the moment we are seeing great Are you embracing new technologies to success with an exciting new campaign, primarily reach a broader audience? Some publishers through online channels and particularly social are creating apps which allow people to read media which we think proves our titles are just religious texts and worship on the move. as relevant to an online generation. Absolutely. At the moment were focusing on e-books but were looking into new things all the How has religious publishing evolved in the time. past 10-20 years? Ive only been working on this list for five years, How do you view the future of religious but I would say that peoples horizons have publishing? There may always be an become larger, and in particular readers are associated audience but will they continue to hungry to hear about expressions of Christianity be reliable consumers? from all around the world. Weve found that our readers are very loyal.

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Lois rock Lion Hudson

How do you schedule your titles to launch at key times throughout the year to coincide with religious festivals? We publish Christmas-specific titles in September and Easter-specific ones usually in January. We also ensure that books for religious events such as Christening/Baptism/First Holy communion are published in time for the spring and early summer.

gold. As with vinyl in the music industry, it seems plausible that in years to come anyone buying a physical book will also buy a downloadable version as part of the purchase price. How do you view the future of religious publishing? There may always be an associated audience but will they continue to be reliable consumers? The future of religious books: remember we publish for world markets, so we have great optimism for continued interest in religious books. Think Brazil, Korea, Central America. Huge and youthful markets.

iT SEEmS PLaUSiBLE THaT iN yEarS TO COmE aNyONE BUyiNG a PHySiCaL BOOk wiLL aLSO BUy a DOwNLOaDaBLE vErSiON aS ParT OF THE PUrCHaSE PriCE.

Do you feel constricted by certain boundaries - there are only so many ways you can retell a traditional religious story. How do you keep it fresh and relevant to todays audience? We find that many readers like the traditional stories kept traditional. Some books may be beautiful/sophisticated and others have a novelty/play value, but this is more about modifying the story for types of reader than about refreshing the story. People want the real thing. Are you embracing new technologies to reach a broader audience? Some publishers are creating apps which allow people to read religious texts and worship on the move. We are moving into e-books and apps with a degree of caution. Some books, such as childrens Bibles, are valued as physical gifts and the physical attributes of the artefact need to match this fact: so traditional bindings, linen,

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CHairS COLUmN
Andrew Turner

It is hard to believe that it is already time for my final Chairs column in an issue of InPrint. The year has flown by but I have loved every second of my time as Chair of the SYP and am very proud of everything the committee and I have achieved.
Being Chair of the SYP is tougher than I thought it would be. It takes a lot of time, dedication and people management skills to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that the organisation is giving everything that it should to young publishers. It is pretty much a full time job and some weeks I would find myself working close to 20 hours on SYP related things on top of my normal job. This may sound like a lot but I can only image how much more I would have had to do if I wasnt surrounded by such a great committee. Everyone has worked amazingly hard to ensure that we achieved excellence this year and I personally believe that we managed it. A great example of this is the annual SYP Conference which was held on the 3rd November. Every

member of the committee helped to pull it together, whether it was registering and directing people on the day, creating the beautiful special edition of InPrint, packing the goody bags, or organising the seminars and debates. The special events team, Lucia and Julie, deserve so much credit for the event but I think they would agree without the help of the whole committee it would never have been as special as it was. As the time approaches for me to step down as Chair I have to admit I am genuinely excited about where the SYP can go next. The two years I have been on the committee have really created an amazing base for it to grow and I know that the people who will be taking the SYP forward next year have the will and ability to continuing building on what has been achieved in this time.

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