On November 9 the American Book Producers Association hosted its annual conference at the Player’s Club, and 120 people attended a day that began with a keynote from PW’s Sara Nelson (who proudly announced that PW had won first prize for editorial in the Publishing/Journalism category at the recent Folio Awards), and ended with a panel titled “What’s Next? Future Trends and Strategies for Success.” While there were many packagers (or as they prefer, ‘book producers’) in attendance, more than half the group were from large and small publishers.
The early sessions offered packagers and publishers practical workshops, and the presenters, which included Jim Becker (becker+mayer!) on P&Ls, Parachute’s Susan Knopf, Stonesong’s Judy Lindon and Rodales’s Zach Schisgal on “proposals that sell,” as well as several other well-versed pros, delivered useful nuggets of hard won experience. Susan Knopf told the audience that Stonesong founder Paul Fargis had once warned her that proposals submitted in 8 1/2 ” x 11″ “fall to the bottom of the In Box,” and should be avoided at all costs. Jim Becker explained why, despite the enormous outlay, cash flow — as well as profits — improve when packagers deliver finished books. At a later session Nancy Hall and Perseus’s J. McCrary divulged useful information on selling to display marketers (if possible, do it before selling the project to a publisher), finding custom publishing clients, and preparing for international editions.
The final panel of the day brought together Perseus CEO David Steinberger, Scholastic Book Fairs and Trade President Lisa Holton, Chronicle President and CEO Jack Jensen and DK Publisher Carl Raymond in a lively discussion about the future of the industry and how each participant viewed the opportunities available to his or her company. Steinberger defended his model of small publishers clustered around a distributor (CDS) by theorizing that “size is the enemy of creativity.” He admitted that, when he first came to Perseus and looked at growth options, owning a distribution company presented a clear opportunity. Jack Jensen talked about Chronicle’s aggressive move into direct-to-consumer sales, both online and with its two stores. He and Lisa Holton agreed that having retail interactions with consumers helped the editorial process. Carl Raymond talked about the many ways in which DK is modifying its original mission, including developing product specifically for the US market, extending successful travel series into lifestyle areas, and doing more “book plus” projects. As each panelist presented, fellow panelists were seen jotting down notes, and following the session, spent time on the stage with follow up questions to their colleagues.
PT’s Lorraine Shanley moderated the ‘Future Trends and Strategies’ panel.
