24 April 2023

Last year’s London Book Fair (LBF) was not a great experience for many: the building works outside Olympia were noisy and disruptive; there were long queues to enter, as everyone had to show their Fair and covid passes; and a large percentage of attendees caught coronavirus after being stuck indoors for three days. Visitor numbers were down 10,000 or 40% on the last live event, in 2019.

In some ways, that made for a calmer LBF, one where you could walk down the aisles between stands without being jostled, and where grabbing a coffee or sandwich didn’t require a 15-minute wait.

This year, entrance on Wednesday morning was quick, although the first day was busy with the usual long queues. Works to turn Olympia into a cultural hub continue, with five enormous cranes towering over the venue, building a new music arena and theatre, along with hotels and a performing-arts school.

After a quiet start, people poured into the corridors and stands from mid-morning onwards. By the afternoon, the spring sunshine was doing its best to bake exhibitors and visitors on one of the nicest days of the year.

The Academic & Professional Hall was not busy. Cambridge University Press decided not to take a stand, and its rivals such as Oxford University Press didn’t look overwhelmed with visitors. The Trade Hall was full, with busy tables on most stands. All the free seminar events were extremely well attended, with many having to squat on the floor or stand outside the talks area to hear the speakers.

Themes of the Fair

The free talks programme was bigger and wider ranging than in previous years. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) was a key theme. Panels covered both how to recruit and retain a wider range of talent than has traditionally staffed publishing houses, and how to widen the range of books published. Kate Wilson, MD and Founder of Nosy Crow, who is opening a new US office, pointed out that 33% of London children don’t identify as ‘white’, a figure that rises to 55% in the US. Their first US/UK title is also being published simultaneously in Spanish, to cater for the Latinx audience in the US.

Suzy Astbury, MD of recruiters Inspired Selection, encouraged those trying to get into the publishing industry to think beyond traditional editorial roles, or the ‘Big Five’ companies. With 75% of candidates after editorial roles in adult trade fiction, it’s worth applying to other roles in production, marketing, rights and sales, and remembering other sectors in which books and content are published, such as Academic, Educational and Professional.

Another area under discussion was the influence of artificial intelligence (AI), a catch-all term that US literary agent Ethan Ellenberg said had become ‘meaningless’, as people were using it to cover everything and anything. The most interesting and potentially useful tools now widely available are Chat GPT and other writing programs. These could revolutionise publishing and are already having an impact. Not only for the content they can provide, but also marketing copy and commercial plans, as you can ask the programs to produce a business plan or an advertising campaign. All the speakers I heard welcomed this new technology as an ‘opportunity’ rather than a threat. Joanna Penn, a prolific and successful self-published writer, loved the possibilities it presented, and described herself as an ‘AI-assisted, artisan author’.

Money and salaries were another concern, with many arguing for better pay rates, particularly in the big cities where monthly rent can average £830 (London) or $4,000/£3,215 (New York). No wonder HarperCollins staff were striking because they said they could not live on a $45,000 starting salary with rents like that! (For the uninitiated, US salaries are always much bigger than UK ones. When I asked one of my bosses about this years ago, I was told that’s just how it was – US colleagues worked longer hours, had fewer paid holidays and/or sick days and benefits, and were paid more. I’m still not entirely sure I get the argument.)

The overall atmosphere of the Fair was upbeat. It felt very international, with countries, foreign book fairs and international publishers taking over an increasing percentage of overall floor space. One consequence of there being fewer big, splashy promotional areas for specific titles is that there aren’t so many places to sit for those without a stand. I have fond memories of having a coffee in a large comfy chair in an area to promote a new Ruby Wax title, pre-covid. Even the Ivy at the LBF has gone. Lots of people sit on the floor to talk, eat their lunch or have a drink. I miss the pop-up spaces, mostly because of my ageing knees, although it’s good if the money’s being spent elsewhere.

Petra Green is Head of the PTC and a freelance publishing consultant. Follow her on LinkedIn.

20 February 2023

World Book Day (WBD) is a charity that changes lives through reading. Every year, and year-round, it creates a national conversation about the enjoyment of books and reading. Through its annual event in March – with its joy, celebration and fun – we encourage more children to read, and raise awareness of the difference reading makes to their lives. Through our year-round activities we support families, schools, libraries, bookshops and the wider community to help children develop a life-long love of reading.

Our aim is to improve life chances for more children, particularly those growing up faced with disadvantage and inequality. Whether we like to measure success as educational attainment or well-being, reading for pleasure matters more than a child’s family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income.

But reading for pleasure is in decline. Evidence from the National Literacy Trust (NLT) shows that in 2022 just 48% of children said they enjoyed reading, a figure which – when we look just at children and young people growing up with disadvantage and inequality – drops to 44%.

So, with reading for pleasure is at its lowest level since 2005, and a cost-of-living crisis combined with deepening educational and social inequality, WBD is a celebration that matters, and makes a difference.

The importance of reading

There’s no question that WBD is a huge presence in children’s lives. We know that 97% of children have heard of it, and that when children take part in a WBD event, 55% go on to read more books as a result.

We know that many children aren’t confident in saying ‘I am a reader’, despite its vital importance to their development. That’s why at WBD we have looked at the evidence to understand what factors are at play, and use our annual celebration to provide routes to reading enjoyment.

We’ve defined ‘reading for pleasure’ as ‘feeling [a] sense of satisfaction or pleasure by engaging with chosen reading material in their free time’. And we have absorbed and analysed the evidence to present six elements that enable a child to read in this way:

• Being read to regularly
• Access to books at home
• The ability for children to choose what they want to read
• Having trusted adults and peers sharing and recommending books
• Time to read
• The reading experience being enjoyable

Our resources, activities, events and the celebration itself are all based on encouraging these six behaviours, and finding ways to overcome barriers to reading.

The NLT also found that 1 in 10 children from disadvantaged backgrounds said that they don’t own a single book of their own at home. It’s important that, through an exceptional collaboration between publishers and booksellers, WBD is able to offer every child and young person the chance to experience choosing and owning a book – for free.

An industry collaboration

Every year WBD works with publishers and booksellers to make a range of £1/ €1.50 books available for children, who can access them for free when exchanged with the £1/ €1.50 token they receive in school or at nursery. 1 in 5 school children who receive free meals say the first book they have owned is a WBD book.

WBD’s charitable work has been supported by the industry from its earliest days, over 25 years ago. The first WBD in the UK and Ireland took place in 1997 to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading. As one of its founders, Baroness Gail Rebuck, recalled, “We wanted to do something to reposition reading and our message is the same today as it was then – that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives.”

Now, in 2023, our headline sponsor is still National Book Tokens, and we receive funding from over 40 publishers. This year over 4,000 bookshops are taking part, making the WBD books available to children across the UK and Ireland.

We know WBD has more to do. We want to make sure the charity, our event and our year-round work helps to improve engagement with reading, and reach more diverse communities to support life-changing reading habits with children and families experiencing disadvantage and inequality.

Working together with publishers and booksellers, WBD is helping to reverse the decline in children choosing to read. As an industry, in supporting WBD publishers and booksellers are helping to improve life chances for all children.

Cassie Chadderton is Chief Executive of World Book Day. This year’s WBD takes place on 2 March 2023. Find out more – including ways to fundraise – at www.worldbookday.com.

Cassie Chadderton is Chief Executive of World Book Day. This year’s WBD takes place on 2 March 2023. Find out more – including ways to fundraise – at www.worldbookday.com.

You can also follow WBD on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

20 March 2023

I won a Printing Charity Rising Star Award in 2019 whilst working at a small publishing company in Lancaster. As a Publishing and Book Design Assistant, I worked closely with authors to develop their manuscripts into professionally produced books. And as it was a small company, I had the opportunity to work on all aspects of the publishing process like marketing, editorial, sales, and production.

Publishing has historically been quite London-centric (especially pre-pandemic); working tucked away in the north of England, there were few opportunities to fund professional development. I had recently graduated from Lancaster University with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, but I was new to the publishing world, with my experience limited to the role I was already in.

One goal was to improve my project-management skills so that I could take on and lead individual projects of my own. I found a course run by the Publishing Training Centre (PTC) in London, that would help me discover more about project management, working with authors and suppliers, learning about budgeting, scheduling and dealing with delays and problems. This course would help me understand the editorial process in depth, making me better at my job. However, the cost of travel, a night’s stay in London and the course fees made it difficult to fund. Then I came across the Printing Charity and their Rising Star Awards (previously the Print Futures Awards).

Applying for an award

The application process was straightforward, with a written submission followed by an in-person interview with the judges. The questions were about what I wanted to fund with the award money and why it would be important to progressing my career. The interview similarly was about me and my ambitions and how the Printing Charity funding would help me with my professional and personal-development skills.

The award ceremony at the House of Lords was the highlight of the whole experience. The opportunity to interact with other award winners and members of the industry was something I hadn’t had before then.

The course I enrolled on with the award was the PTC’s Editorial Project Management – two days covering how to plan a project, budgeting, estimating costs, working with authors and suppliers to develop realistic expectations, and many other interesting skills associated with print and digital project management. Doing this course helped me identify areas to improve on in my working life and boosted my confidence when creating estimates and working closely with authors.

The benefits of the course

One of the unexpected benefits of taking this course was the interaction with others in the publishing industry who worked at bigger publishing houses. It gave me an opportunity to network and learn how a big publisher like Penguin Random House or Oxford University Press operates compared to a small independent publishing company. I also realised the importance of having a rounded understanding of the whole process from start to finish, as many people working in large publishing companies tend to get caught up in the day-to-day nuances of their own work, and never get a glimpse at what it’s like in another department. Having this overview of the editorial process was especially important to me when I started working at Taylor and Francis (T&F) in 2020.

Even though the course I took focused on editorial project management, I learnt many transferable skills that I still use in my current job (Procurement Controller at T&F) working closely with internal production teams and external suppliers to ensure our books are printed and available globally. These skills have helped me manage and lead internal projects on supplier selection, and improve processes.

Having an understanding of editorial schedules, estimating and budgeting helps me manage manufacturing schedules, and work out costs so that we keep to the agreed margin. The skills I’ve learned on negotiating with printers, and dealing with problems and delays, have definitely come in handy – allowing me to understand the bigger picture and see how different departments work together to produce books on time and to budget.

If you are at a stage where you want to progress in your career and know what courses or help you need to get there, then the Rising Star Awards is an opportunity you absolutely cannot miss. Investing in your own professional and personal development is really important to having a satisfying career, and I cannot recommend the Printing Charity enough!

Srishti Kadu is a Procurement Controller in the Books Publishing Services Department at Taylor & Francis. 

You can find full details about the 2023 Rising Star Awards, including FAQs and an application form, on the Printing Charity's website. The closing date for applications is 2 April 2023.

The Society of Young Publishers (SYP) was established in 1949 and is run fully by volunteers. Anyone who is in the first ten years of their publishing career can join the Society and serve on one of the committees.

The SYP helps people to get into and progress within the publishing industry through a range of events, conferences, partnerships, and schemes, such as the mentorship scheme. As an SYP member, you will be able to access various discounts from our partners, website job board and InPrint magazine.

With six national branches – in London, Oxford, the North (Leeds/Manchester), Scotland, the Southwest and newly launched in Wales – the SYP is a truly UK-wide organisation, with one more office in Ireland (Dublin).

The SYP mentorship scheme

Our mentorship scheme is a great opportunity to receive guidance, insights and personalised feedback from publishing experts. You don’t need to be an SYP member to apply. Last year, we had applicants from many different backgrounds, with candidates working across small independent publishers and the ‘big five’. If you think you could benefit from the mentorship scheme and have specific goals in mind, I would encourage you to apply.

Depending on the SYP branch, there are three mentorship schemes to apply for – Into, Ahead and Launch.

• SYPInto is designed for those searching for their first job in the publishing industry

• SYPAhead is aimed at anyone who is already working in the industry and looking to progress their career, and

• SYPLaunch is for freelancers, those looking to start their company or progress in the industry in a less traditional way. Run by SYP UK, applications are welcomed from anyone based in England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Check the SYP mentorship page for information on which scheme is available in your area.

Reshape your career in six months

The mentorship scheme lasts around six months and consists of a minimum of four one-on-one meetings between a mentee and a mentor, often held virtually. The exact structure is up to you and your mentor, but we suggest using the first meeting to further explore your goals and objectives and establish the structure for the remainder of the scheme.

SYP is also organising a virtual social event to meet mentors and mentees from the other schemes. This is a great networking opportunity, especially if you’re trying to break into the publishing industry, or have just moved to a new area for a job.

How to apply

SYP uses a blind application process to avoid any bias. Applicants indicate two publishing areas of interest, so we can match them with publishing experts with relevant experience and skills. Other questions are specific to the scheme but generally consider your motivations for applying and your specific goals and objectives. While we try to match as many applicants as we can, it very much depends on the availability of mentors in specific areas of the publishing industry.

My top tip is to make your objectives as clear and realistic as possible. This will emphasise that you know what you want to achieve from your mentorship and how it will benefit you. Those objectives are also a great starting point for the first meeting with your mentor.

Applications will open in May 2023 (to be confirmed) and successful applicants will be notified shortly after. The number of applicants varies by scheme and SYP branch, but last year we had over 100 applications for SYPInto in London.

Learn from inspiring mentors

To get the most of your mentorship scheme, remember that mentors are volunteering their time and knowledge, and are happy to answer your questions and offer their personal and unique insights. On SYPInto, for example, we were lucky to have mentors from publishing-recruitment agency Inspired Selection, who offered invaluable insights and tips for writing CVs and cover letters.

This year, both our schemes in London included professionals from trade and academic publishing, working across a broad range of departments – from editorial and marketing, to rights and agenting. We had mentors from publishers such as Penguin Random House (PRH) and Hachette, as well as many others.

While, unsurprisingly, there has been a huge interest in editorial from the applicants, we have seen numerous people interested in marketing and publicity and a significant increase in interest in rights, scouting and agenting. With physical book fairs returning after the pandemic, rights are more visible than ever.

My personal experience

I completed the SYPAhead mentorship scheme a while ago, when I was working in my first publishing job and looking to move into a different area of publishing. My mentor, a Rights Executive at PRH, was brilliant in explaining her role in greater detail and offering useful guidance and tips – from job-specific advice to working on my CV. By the end of my mentorship, I managed to land a job in rights.

Alicja Baranowska is Foreign Rights Sales Executive at Welbeck Publishing and Co-Chair of the SYP. Follow her on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

Follow the SYP on Twitter. Full details of how to apply for a place on the SYP’s 2023 mentorship scheme will be available in the upcoming months on the SYP website.