The Bookseller - Inspiration https://www.thebookseller.com/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration en What the publishing world looks like from an outsider's perspective https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/what-publishing-world-looks-outsider-s-perspective-1086146 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>My background is as an artist. Before I started Joffe Books, my only experience with the industry was publishing my very first-novelish novel with Saqi Books. It was about an arrogant and ambitious young British artist. Its sales were minimal, and the final Borders book reading had a whopping zero attendees.</p> <p>Perhaps because I came to it from another world, I don’t divide publishing into outside and inside, big or small, trad or indy. I honestly don’t really know how other companies do things or what the differences are.</p> <p>I just think of publishing in terms of people buying books and reading them. This is not format specific, or shop specific, or country specific. Everything we do is just about creating the best books we can and reaching as many readers as possible. We streamline the in-between bits while keeping a high editorial standard, respecting the work and love authors have put into their writing.</p> <p>At this very moment in time, most efficient way we can do all this is by selling most of our books on Kindle and through Amazon. This primarily digital process means we can get books by million-selling authors like Joy Ellis and Faith Martin into the hands of our readers super fast.</p> <p>I have developed many of our processes, from manuscript preparation through to publication, by emulating the best in the field, or just by googling how to do them, to meet the goal of selling great books in large numbers. This evolution through trial and error has led to a publishing process that might be described as holistic: linking up editorial to cover design to marketing. In simple terms: many of these jobs are done by the same person.</p> <p>The advantages is that if I’ve done the final proof, designed the cover and written the blurb, then I probably know more than anyone what readers will appreciate about a book, and at that point, I might as well create an ad campaign or a marketing email.</p> <p>Because feedback is coming in all the time, direct from readers in the form of emails from our loyal advance readers or comments on social media, I have a real sense of what people like or dislike about our titles. And because of this live data and the ease of making changes, we have the ability to respond very quickly to the information we’re getting. For example, if readers tell us they hate a cover, we can have a new one designed, uploaded and live in a couple of hours. Or we can create a selection of covers, show them to our wonderful Facebook followers, and let them help decide which one works best.</p> <p>In short, almost everything we do, we've made up as we went along. If something worked, we did more; if it didn’t, we stopped and tried something else. By that process, we got to the point of selling 2.6 million books last year.</p> <p>I still don’t really know how traditional publishing works.</p> <p><em>Jasper Joffe is the&nbsp;founder of e-book specialist publisher Joffe Books.</em></p> </div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/jasper-joffe">Jasper Joffe</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/joffe-books">Joffe Books</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/Jasper%20Joffe.png?itok=nfS9OcAj" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Mon, 23 Sep 2019 08:27:13 +0000 jasperjoffe 1086146 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/what-publishing-world-looks-outsider-s-perspective-1086146#comments Can heat and touch-sensitive book To You replicate human connection? https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/you-yiota-demetriou-1072316 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>When British-Cypriot multimedia artist, performance maker and academic Yiota Demetriou went through a tough period, she wrote&nbsp;love letters—never sent—to help her through it. Afterwards she decided to turn them into an innovative, interactive&nbsp;book about love and loss addressed to 'You', the reader, with help from book artist/designer Tom Abba.&nbsp;</p> <p>We talked to Demetriou about how and why the project was created.</p> <hr> <p><strong>What is <em>To You</em>?</strong></p> <p><em>To You</em> is an artists’ book in an A5 paper-based concertina form that is heat and touch-sensitive. The book presents an intimate reading experience, as its pages—that are full of poetic love letters written in prose—are covered in black ink, which at first glance makes them&nbsp;seem unreadable, until they are warmed by human touch.</p> <p>The book is an objection of devotion and a metaphor for relationships—expressing, manifesting and almost materialising the insecurity and vulnerabilities that come with love, loss, and grief. The intimate letters hiding inside the book only reveal themselves when the reader establishes an affectionate connection by touching its&nbsp;black-inked pages.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Why did you create it?</strong></p> <p>In the beginning came the letters, my own vessel of consolation, that weren’t intended for the world to see. Instead, I wrote these having someone significant in mind, but never sent them. I began writing in 2015 and 2016, through a period of depression, grief and loss. I soon came to realise that the letters were more about understanding relationships and loss, and accepting the vulnerability of my own emotions; which I also describe in the book as “Apogymnomeno/(a)”. This is a Greek word (my first language is Greek) that expresses what the book conveys, meaning: “vulnerable emotions or experiences that are startling, raw, humiliating, naked, intimate, overtly exposed and almost unsettling in their own familiarity”.&nbsp;</p> <p>When a friend read the letters and strongly encouraged me to take them out into the world, as with any writing project I started to restructure and re-layer them. My aim was to omit anything specific that had happened&nbsp;and to extend the reflective tone, making the letters more relatable, with an emphasis on emotion.&nbsp;</p> <p>After consulting with friends, family, and colleagues, and editing the content until it was&nbsp;more suitable for a wider audience, I started to think about how people could read it. I had a restless urge and vision for body and text to merge, and for these elements speak to each other. I wanted the book to almost take a live form and somehow react as humans often respond, only revealing its secrets and heartfelt thoughts when an intimate connection is established with another body that&nbsp;is also able to feel.</p> <p>Due to my artistic and academic professional background,&nbsp;I’m obsessed with people’s stories and how these are performed through tellings, listening, or reading, and engaged with. At the beginning of this project, many people really didn’t understand what I was trying to do and I received so many negative and unconstructive responses. But I was lucky enough to have people that encouraged me and to be part of artistic and technological networks that just got me. Little did I know, at that point, that the vision would become a reality when I found a way in which the book could respond and reveal its intimate thoughts via touch—simulating intimacy with human contact.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Screenshot%202019-08-22%20at%2014.04.12.png" style="width: 302px; height: 350px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/To%20You%20Image%20by%20artist%20and%20author%2C%20Yiota%20Demetriou.jpg" style="width: 444px; height: 250px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>(R-L) Artist and author of Y</em><em>iota Demetriou testing the protype (image by George Margelis 2019) and </em>To You</p> <p><strong>How does it work? How is it different from other books?</strong></p> <p>There’s an obvious element of tactility that goes into touching any type of a hard-copy book and even interactive digital books these days. The difference with this book is that the way it asks to be read and engaged with reflects its content and the way in which it was written.&nbsp;</p> <p>The book is covered in black thermochromic ink that activates when conditioned through thermal conduction; basic school physics—the transfer of heat from one body to another creates a reaction. This ink is a liquid crystal technology. At specific temperatures the liquid crystals re-orientate to produce an apparent change in colour. That’s what happens when people touch my book—the black pages become translucent and the love letters are readable. The scientific mechanics behind how the ink works are almost poetry to my ear as a metaphor for human connection. That's why it's different from a ‘normal’ book.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How did you create it? What technology was used?</strong></p> <p>Thermochromic ink has been known to be used in thermometers or battery testers as the thermochromic liquid crystals (TLCs, as they're known) give a relatively accurate measurement of temperature within certain bands.&nbsp;I wanted to explore how this type of technology can be pushed further and used differently. It was really important to me that the words in the book took a human manifestation to them. I wanted the content to reflect the form, and vice versa. Because the content is so personal and it’s about vulnerability and emotion, there’s almost this inherent shamefulness in being exposed. I thought, 'what if the book has a similar effect where, in order to show its vulnerability and expose its secrets, it needs that labour of devotion to the words so they can be revealed?'.</p> <p>I envisioned the book’s material form to reflect its content; a love union between form and text that work together, responding to each other through exterior interaction. The book had to be alive, to resonate with the erratic eruption of feelings, the non-linearity of life, the difficulty of relationships, the chaos and irrationality of emotions, the vulnerability and rawness of things. This ink can also perform quite erratically!</p> <p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rKr9WyAxNeE" width="560"></iframe></center></p> <p><strong>Were you influenced or inspired by any other interactive storytelling projects?</strong></p> <p>My professional background in both academic research and artistic works is focused on interactive storytelling and creating experiences, so I’m constantly exposed to amazing projects. And as a curious person, in my spare time I experiment by deconstructing and hacking whatever materials I can get my hands on. So I can’t really identify which specific project inspired or influenced the technical making of <em>To You</em>. What I can say is that I like semiotext autofiction works like<em> I Love Dick</em>&nbsp;by Chris Kraus, and I read a lot of existential philosophy because of my work.&nbsp;</p> <p>Saying that, I think I was inspired mostly by remembering my own selection of analogue interactive children’s books, the kinds with scratch and sniff elements, etc. I can’t remember any using the type of ink that I used for my book, and obviously <em>To You </em>isn’t a children’s book, but it's the engagement and playful aspects that drew me to think about the plethora and potential of these works.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What was the greatest technical challenge in producing it?</strong></p> <p>Challenges: imposter syndrome, limited time and money. I also had access to networks but no access to resources, workspace or specialised printing equipment. Also the precarity of my day job, made it difficult to continue with the project, financially speaking.&nbsp;</p> <p>Until I found what I wanted to do and how to do it, my front room became a lab. Eventually&nbsp;I had a workable prototype that I could show people, making it easier for them to understand what I was trying to achieve. That’s when my co-conspirator Tom Abba came into the picture. Tom is a well-known designer, and book artist. He really encouraged me to produce a small run of the book as a limited edition, and mentored me through this process.&nbsp;</p> <p>Together we approached a number of printers, but most of them turned me down because of the nature of the project. It was challenging, quite risky, and expensive. What I’ve done is innovative in many ways, but this ink isn’t new and it isn’t really used for books because it’s very expensive, it’s specialised and its mostly used for marketing purposes on smaller surfaces. Many printers did not have the ink, they didn’t feel comfortable printing outside their comfort zones (which I completely understand), or would not take on such a short-run of books.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Artist%20Laura%20Kriefman%20experiencing%20To%20You%2C%20Image%20by%20George%20Margelis%20%281%29.jpg" style="height: 250px; width: 375px;">&nbsp; &nbsp;<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/To%20You%2C%20Image%20by%20George%20Margelis%202019.jpg" style="width: 375px; height: 250px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Artist Laura Kriefman experiencing </em>To You<em>, and the book itself</em>&nbsp;<em>(images by George Margelis)</em></p> <p><strong>Who is your target audience?</strong></p> <p>Anyone really, who is curious and has a short attention span, and who, I suppose, likes to read and play, like myself.&nbsp;Also, individuals with an interest in art and technology.&nbsp;</p> <p>Due to its limited number, the book is a collector’s item. Many have purchased <em>To You</em> for their own art collection, or their personal artists’ books or rare books collection.&nbsp;One of the first prints was actually bought by the Bavarian State Library for their rare books collection. So it would be great to see if other specialised libraries, in the UK or internationally, would be interested to house a limited copy of <em>To You </em>in their collections.&nbsp;</p> <p>A number of audiences have also purchased <em>To You</em> as a gift for a significant other, and a lot of people have said that it is the ultimate Valentine's Day gift.&nbsp;</p> <p>A target audience, that I didn’t expect was the printing industry. I know it's an obvious one, but because I received a lot of rejection in the making process, I didn’t think that they would find it interesting. But <a href="http://printmonthly.co.uk/News/Industry/7870/the-book-that-reveals-itself-through-touch" target="_blank">they did!</a>&nbsp;</p> <p>But I guess it's also for those who have an interest in human relationships, and resonate with the feelings expressed in these letters. I hope the combination of my writing and the way it seeks the affectionate touch of its reader offers some relief, as it did for me whilst writing it.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What has the response to it been?</strong></p> <p><em>To You</em>, was first launched at the Bluchip Gallery (Larnaca) inCyprus, where I grew up, garnering significant national publicity. The Bristol launch took place at the Arnolfini, where visitors could engage with samples of the book and place orders. A limited run of 150 copies of <em>To You </em>are available to purchase through either galleries (if local) or via the <a href="https://to-you.live/shop/" target="_blank">book’s website</a>.&nbsp;Since then it was also featured in <a href="https://bristol247.com/culture/books/bristol-artist-releases-book-that-can-only-be-read-when-warmed-by-human-touch/" target="_blank">Bristol 24/7</a>&nbsp;and a <a href="https://bookarts.hypotheses.org/379?fbclid=IwAR2xv1ltA23IC7uac69HU_WXwGM9Is841pFYX-aW6Yqs6hYNM2h9Mp7MAl8" target="_blank">German article</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>I’m quite humbled by the response so far, and the encouragement and support that I’ve been receiving from people ever since I put the word out.</p> </div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/yiota-demetriou">Yiota Demetriou</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/tom-abba">Tom Abba</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/To%20You.png?itok=P0oF-RiM" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Wed, 21 Aug 2019 15:50:23 +0000 caroline.carpenter@thebookseller.com 1072316 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/you-yiota-demetriou-1072316#comments Could Unicorns, Almost be the first truly immersive audiobook? https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/could-unicorns-almost-be-first-truly-immersive-audiobook-1027351 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>This month saw the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy—and one of the events created to commemorate the occasion was a unique “immersive audio experience” based on a play by Owen Sheers about the life and work of World War Two poet, Keith Douglas.&nbsp;</p> <p>Created by Hay-on-Wye-based social enterprise The Story of Books, <em>Unicorns, Almost</em> is a multi-sensory experience designed with input from a team of blind and visually impaired young people, with a specially designed soundscape, 3D objects sewn onto the set and tactile objects to touch. Story of Books founder Emma Balch describes it as “like stepping inside an audiobook”, and hopes that publishers will see the potential of the format for bringing evocative works to life and reinvigorating their backlist.</p> <p>We sat down with Balch to explore how&nbsp; and why the experience was made and future opportunities for publishers looking to push boundaries in audio.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Where did the idea come from?</strong></p> <p>A crisis! Our production of <em>Unicorns, Almost</em> was very well received in Hay-on-Wye last year. On the back of this, we had an offer to take it to the Edinburgh Fringe, Bristol Old Vic, and Normandy (for the 75th anniversary of D-Day). Just as all this fell into place, Dan Krikler, who played Keith Douglas, was offered a job at the Old Vic. The dates clashed with Normandy and the first week of Edinburgh. It’s a text-heavy, one-man play, and Dan’s performance was “wonderful” (tweeted by Margaret Atwood, who came to see the play in Hay!)—so losing him was a huge blow.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Not wanting to lose the upcoming opportunities and with too little time to work with another actor, I had the idea for an immersive audio experience. My vision was to lead people into Keith Douglas’s world. We used an audio recording of Dan reading the play and overlaid it with a soundscape created by composer and sound designer, Jon Nicholls. We then created an evocative set, furnished with objects and books related to the life of Keith Douglas, to bring the story further to life. In this way, what started out as a rescue plan, has actually resulted in something super unique and exciting.</p> <p><strong>What were the greatest challenges in pulling it off?</strong></p> <p>Time, for sure. We had just four weeks until the opening in Normandy. Dan was up for doing the audio, so I booked a recording studio and hired a technician.&nbsp; John Retallack, the plays’ director, then worked with Dan to help him prepare. The recorded audio files then went off to Jon Nicholls, who adapted the soundscape that he had designed for the live show and then mixed this with the raw audio of Dan’s voice. Jon also created a complementary soundscape that we could use in the exhibition space.&nbsp;</p> <p>The next challenge was logistical. We had to transport the whole set, the exhibition objects, the speakers and so forth from Hay-on-Wye to Normandy, and then repurpose them for a new show. Working cross-culturally was challenge as well—especially as I am not a French-speaker. There were local politics to be negotiated and key relationships to be forged. But I loved every bit of it—I just treated it as a huge learning experience for me.</p> <p>Each separate location also comes with challenges as none are traditional theatre settings, from a hotel in Hay to an Army Reserve Centre Hall in Edinburgh. The advantage in each case is exclusive use for the show—something that is very unusual. So, while our choice of location does present challenges, they also provide us with exciting opportunities. To maximise these, we have created distinct sets for each venue. For the Hay-on-Wye performance, Lucy Hall designed a wonderful desert ‘tent’ that helped transport the audience to the Western Front. In Normandy, we took inspiration from the Bayeux Tapestry, especially for the audio experience. We worked with Q-Ateliers in Normandy to create a ‘tapestry’ panel that led the audience from the door through to an intimate chamber. In this case, the set was designed with communal listening in mind.&nbsp;</p> <p>That said, the design also lent itself towards individuals going into their own heads. So, in that sense, it proved an optimal environment for listening to this audiobook/radio play style version of <em>Unicorns, Almos</em>t. With no live actor, we found that many people wanted to close their eyes. Others enjoyed moving their gaze to the photos of Keith Douglas or to objects related to him—both of which felt as if they were almost coming to life during the play. Responses to the communal listening experience were interesting, with some enjoying sitting in a group while others clearly felt more comfortable finding a seat on their own. It was really important to us to remain adaptable so we could accommodate the audience’s varying responses and preferences.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Unknown-3_0.jpeg" style="width: 458px; height: 350px;">&nbsp; &nbsp;<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Unknown-2_1.jpeg" style="width: 233px; height: 350px;"></p> <p><strong>What has been the reaction so far?</strong></p> <p>Very positive! ‘Emotional’, ‘very moving, ‘inspiring’, ‘surprising’, ‘unexpected treat’, ‘wonderful’, ‘extraordinary experience’—these are just some of the reactions that people wrote in our visitors’ book or posted on social media.&nbsp;</p> <p>We had a very eclectic audience—from squaddies and local policemen through to fans of Keith Douglas’s poetry (including a former editor at Faber from Ted Hughes’ time!). Perhaps the biggest surprise was the support that the audio performance garnered from local residents in Normandy itself. French speakers really seemed to appreciate the set and the text, commenting on the clear diction and the acting performance through voice only. Some found it useful to follow the text in the play script (published by Faber Drama), while others closed their eyes and just listened. The photos of Keith Douglas had a big impact on people as well, as did the objects relating to the play and the poetry.</p> <p><strong>Is there anything that didn’t work as well as you would have hoped?</strong></p> <p>We would still like to have had the live show! We were thrilled with the immersive audio experience, which has great potential to grow and tour. However, there is no getting around the compelling live performance of Dan Krikler as Keith Douglas. In terms of marketing and audience development, it is certainly a bigger leap to get people through the door for audio versus live theatre. For this reason, we would like to find ready-made audiences rather than selling individual tickets. We will be offering it from the autumn as a complete package that can be hired for literary festivals, schools, bookshops, and cultural centres.</p> <p><strong>What’s next?</strong></p> <p>We hope to do a series of five plays/projects about the life and work of a single poet. Owen Sheers and John Retallack are currently drawing up a shortlist. Top of my list is Fernando Pessoa. He wrote in five languages and under more than 125 pseudonyms. It would be great to do a multilingual play that combines video, live theatre, and salon type events running simultaneously in different countries. Owen’s first choice is Elisabeth Bishop, while Sylvia Plath has John Retallack’s vote!</p> <p><strong>What should publishers learn from this?</strong></p> <p>Backlist titles can be revived in ways other than republishing. Make connections and create partnerships with others who can develop a story around an author or a book. Publish new editions to tie in with the partnership, and build new interest and audiences.</p> <p>At The Story of Books, we are really interested in developing other creative projects that delve into publishing archives and backlists, and then bring to life the powerful stories that we find there. We want to take these stories out of a publishing bubble. In a celebrity driven book market, we love the idea of partnering with publishers to find little-known stories and tell them in surprising ways.</p> </div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/audiobook">audiobook</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/owen-sheers">Owen Sheers</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/world-war-two">World War Two</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/keith-douglas">Keith Douglas</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/Unicorns%2C%20Almost.png?itok=Iw0W07XM" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:32:25 +0000 Molly Flatt 1027351 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/could-unicorns-almost-be-first-truly-immersive-audiobook-1027351#comments From legacy to ‘lean’ - how publishing innovates https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/legacy-lean-how-publishing-innovates-1010981 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The biggest challenge to innovation in publishing is not tradition but mindset.&nbsp;</p> <p>Whenever an innovation project I was working on hit the buffers, I’d blame legacy systems and ways of working for holding me back. I wanted to start from scratch. Inspired by top-secret radical innovation, I would fantasise about setting up an independent ‘skunkworks’ unit with freedom to experiment and disrupt. I was wrong. All publishers can innovate—whether they are hundreds of years old or just starting out. Here’s some examples from across the sector, starting with the dream of a blank page.</p> <p>When Asi Sharabi (pictured above) and his co-founders first had an idea to create a book, they asked: “What happens when you publish a book in the same way you build an internet startup?” They created Lost My Name, and built Wonderbly, the award-winning personal publishing startup that combines storytelling, engineering, digital and print.&nbsp;</p> <p>The team had no knowledge of publishing, but with backgrounds in the creative and digital sectors, they had lots of experience building products and services using startup principles. That formed the foundation for the first book and business.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Lean Startup is part of our DNA,” says Sharabi. “At the heart of it are two closely related concepts, both quite different from the traditional publishing model. First, being very close to our customers and their needs. And second, aiming to validate a concept—be that a new book or a feature on the website - as fast and as cheaply as possible. This means a very strong test and learn mindset and culture and continuously looking for ways to evolve our methodologies and processes.”</p> <p>While the principles Sharabi talks about are different from traditional publishing, they are possible to implement in a traditional publishing setting—if you have the right mindset.&nbsp;</p> <p>For example, we use the term ‘legacy publisher’—while it might seem pejorative, it’s a pretty accurate description of the systems in place across the sector today; ways of working that were established over tens, if not hundreds, of years.&nbsp;</p> <p>Take the editorial production schedule. For many publishers, it can take up to two years for books to be edited, typeset, proof read, printed and made into e-books. Each of these tasks takes place sequentially, with dependencies between them, so that one cannot be started until the previous one has been completed. As such, it’s similar to ‘waterfall’ software development, which was disrupted by agile and Lean Startup approaches.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/GettyImages-500845845.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 399px;"></p> <p>Pan Macmillan recently celebrated 176 years in publishing. While it is rightly proud of its traditions, it has taken huge strides to implement innovation and was the first publisher to go completely mobile-responsive. Lee Dibble, who heads up the content team, describes Pan Macmillan as “a great place for ideas”. That attitude led new projects.</p> <p>In 2016, the digital team got excited about the potential to spin out simple chatbots on Facebook that would recommend books to their audience. Technological advances meant it was relatively easy to create a bot that pulled in books data via an API. Unfortunately, that’s where the project ground to a halt—the historical data wasn’t good enough to be useable. The technology was there but legacy was holding them back from innovating. While it might have taken a few days to create the front-end bot, it would take two whole years to structure the data for the back end.&nbsp;</p> <p>That’s a tough outcome for what was meant to be a speedy innovation project. Many of us would give up. The chatbot experiment might have uncovered an uncomfortable reality about the systems, but having an innovation mindset got the digital team through it.&nbsp;</p> <p>Dibble found that digital transformation isn’t about technology but a way of working. They had to do the work, restructure the data and create a new system—and keep staff informed throughout. Now that’s been done, they have a foundation for innovation that provides the opportunity for more experimentation, such as a recent project with Amazon Alexa. And it could even be said that being a legacy publisher has some advantages—when you take the perspective of 176 years, 24 months to fix data is no time at all!</p> <p>Sharabi’s talks about the same thing - innovation is about evolving methodologies and processes, and by having a mindset focussed on growth, it means we can rise to the challenge. While publishing systems might be established, our culture can change. That is why the Lean Startup principle of ‘Build - Measure - Learn’ is so important and something we can all apply.&nbsp;</p> <p>Now, Wonderbly is no longer the new kid on the block—with a growing backlist and ten books published every year, it keeps evolving in the same way Pan Macmillan does. Both have a fast cycle of innovation that uses customer feedback to quickly test, iterate and improve products. It’s an approach explained by Shib Hussein, co-founder of unrd, of how customer feedback drives product development for his mobile immersive-fiction startup.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We learned that we were spending way too much time, effort and gloss on creating really awesome intro videos for stories. Our data and user groups were telling us that they don’t care about the intro video, with some skipping it!”&nbsp;</p> <p>Taking a ‘Build - Measure - Learn’ approach meant they could save significant effort by making shorter videos, reducing time and money, and increasing customer engagement and retention. By using customer feedback, unrd understands what stories people care about. As a business that means they know what to double down on and what to discard as they work to deliver better stories to their readers.&nbsp;</p> <p>For me, that’s what innovation in publishing is all about: having a growth mindset that learns from experience and from customers so we can tell better stories - and make better books, products and services. To survive as industry, we should be proud of our legacy but open to change and innovation—whether our companies are hundreds of years old, or just starting out today.&nbsp;<em>&nbsp;</em><br> &nbsp;</p> </div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/wonderbly">Wonderbly</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/pan-macmillan">Pan Macmillan</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/unrd">unrd</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/asi-sharabi">Asi Sharabi</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/lee-dibble">Lee Dibble</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/Asi%20Sharabi%20192x181.png?itok=1QsUjvrP" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Wed, 22 May 2019 10:38:23 +0000 Bec Evans 1010981 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/legacy-lean-how-publishing-innovates-1010981#comments “There is tremendous opportunity right now for collaboration between the book industry and immersive technology”: VR pioneer Stephanie Riggs on rethinking books https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/there-tremendous-opportunity-right-now-collaboration-between-book-industry-and-immersive <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>VR and AR are much-discussed in the publishing industry – but few publishers have found a way to translate the new tech in a way that works for books. Stephanie Riggs, one of the pioneers of virtual reality, thinks she knows why.&nbsp;</em></p> <p><em>An internationally recognised director, producer, creator and speaker whose immersive experiences with Disney, Google, Facebook, Refinery29, Carnegie Mellon, Yale, and NYU have lead the evolution of the VR field, Riggs has just released </em>The End of Storytelling: The Future of Narrative in the Storyplex.<em>&nbsp;The book outlines the history of storytelling and illustrates why familiar storytelling techniques used in books, film, and theatre do not translate very well to new mediums, such as VR and AR, and often leave audiences a little disappointed. Instead, she suggests that we need to stop looking at storytelling in this square box of a book, a stage, a screen and, instead, change the way we think of narrative using these immersive technologies.</em></p> <p><em>We asked her to talk more about the impact of her ideas for the future of books.</em></p> <hr> <p><strong>Why doesn’t traditional storytelling (such as we find in mainstream books) fit well into VR and AR?</strong></p> <p>Three fundamental traits of immersive technology undermine the traditional process of telling stories. The first is the absence of a frame. Books are framed by their pages. Theatres by the proscenium. Televisions and computers by the screen. The frame separates pre-scripted content from our naturally interactive reality. And it is ubiquitous. When we work in immersive experiences, the frame disappears, disrupting our expectations of where to look for content. That’s why when people over the age of about twelve experience VR for the first time, they stare straight forward in the headset rather than looking around the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>The immersive quality of being within the content rather than separated from it, creates the second reason why traditional storytelling doesn’t work in VR and AR: the sensation of presence. A 1998 study by German researchers Regenbrecht, Schubert, &amp; Friedman brilliantly described the differences between how our brains process increasingly sensorial mediums: “When we read an article about a narrow suspension bridge, we would rarely experience any sensations because of the mentioned height, but we have a clear mental model of the described space. When we see the bridge in an action movie and we look down to the bottom of the valley together with the endangered protagonist, it is likely that we feel fear because of the height. However, when users have to walk over that bridge in a virtual environment, many of them will experience physiological symptoms and sensations of fear, because they have a sense of actually being there.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Finally, authorship itself evolves. Interactive technology supports scripting more akin to gaming than novels. These worlds are able to deliver content that responds to the actions of guests rather than a singular plot line. As people adapt to the first two traits of immersive technology, the absence of frame and the sensation of presence, it will be generative scripting that ultimately demands that writers reconceptualise how a narrative is constructed and evolves the future of our stories.</p> <p><strong><span class="floatright"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Unknown-4_0.jpeg" style="width: 300px; height: 480px; margin: 5px; float:right;"></span>What does a story need if it is to work well with immersive technologies?</strong></p> <p>I have seen many traditional screenwriters, authors, and playwrights try to write scripts for immersive experiences using the same techniques that worked for them in their native formats. It rarely creates an experience that is easy for guest in VR or AR to follow or interact with. There are awkward transitions between plot points and interactivity, and guests don’t know where to look because they’re not accustomed to being surrounded by their story. This is one of the reasons that I wrote<em> The End of Storytelling</em>: to share the lessons I’ve learned through decades of working with narratives in immersive environments that can help traditional storytellers “think immersively.” For a story to work well in immersive technology, we don’t start by writing a script. We start with a concept of what we want the guest to experience and then design the flow of interactions based on the psychological experience of the guest.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What do you see as the main challenges facing book authors and publishers who want to exploit these new media?</strong></p> <p>The technology itself presents a formidable challenge. We lack industry standards in software, hardware, methodology, and even the language we use to describe working in interactive mediums. However, the most significant challenge comes from ourselves. When traditional creators work with immersive technology, they tend to fall back on the well-established paradigm of “storytelling” rather than doing the hard work to understand how and why this medium is different than classical (pre-immersive) mediums.</p> <p><strong>What do you think are the main opportunities for the book trade in terms of exploiting VR and AR?</strong></p> <p>Today’s immersive technology readily lends itself to augmenting existing publications. AR isn’t widely and consistently used, so it’s a great time to explore how what’s on the page can come to life and experiment with out-of-the-box ideas.&nbsp; In the long-term, if we are able to reconceptualise what a narrative is and evolve it beyond just storytelling, the possibilities are endless.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Do you think it’s important for the book industry to harness these technologies or should it stick to the (very different) more traditional reading experience?</strong></p> <p>The craft of writing powerful characters, moving narratives, and mesmerizing sequences has, for the most part, eluded creators of immersive experiences. Often times, they are so focused on what the technology can do that the story suffers. I believe that there is tremendous opportunity right now for collaboration between the book industry and the immersive industries.</p> <p><strong>What other emerging technologies do you think have the potential to disrupt the book industry in the next few years?</strong></p> <p>Going back to your first question, machine learning and artificial intelligence have the potential to profoundly disrupt how authors construct narratives and how guests experience stories regardless of whether the interface to the story is a page, a headset, or a mobile device. I’ve been collaborating with several colleagues on this challenge, and the future that lies ahead of us is incredible!</p> </div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/stephanie-riggs">Stephanie Riggs</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/vr">VR</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/virtual-reality">virtual reality</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/Stephanie%20Riggs.png?itok=-dunAFfl" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Wed, 15 May 2019 09:21:47 +0000 Molly Flatt 1007171 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/there-tremendous-opportunity-right-now-collaboration-between-book-industry-and-immersive#comments We Kiss The Screens combines multiple narratives, print-on-demand and AI to create a unique reading experience https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/we-kiss-screens-combines-multiple-narratives-print-demand-and-ai-create-unique-reading <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>Editions at Play - the Peabody Futures award-winning initiative created by UK-based publisher Visual Editions in collaboration with Google Creative Lab to explore new, dynamic reading experiences - has just launched its ninth project, We Kiss The Screens.</em></p> <p><em>Created by Tea Uglow with the help of an AI called George, WKTS is a multi-perspective story experiment based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. Described as "a book of many truths, where no one can quite agree on what happened," the mobile version is <a href="https://www.wekissthescreens.com/intro">available to read now</a>. As you read - depending on the choices you make - a unique, personalised print-on-demand copy is then also available to order for free.</em></p> <p><em>Designed to explore how digital culture can be used to create personalised physical objects in a way that goes "beyond #hashtags or having your name printed on a Coke can," it's certainly a fascinating experience, and a worthy successor to previous projects such as Kate Pullinger's <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/breathe-723661">Breathe </a>and Uglow's blockchain book <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/when-book-not-book-when-its-culture-block-541251">A Universe Explodes</a>.</em></p> <p><em>But will these super-clever experiments ever appeal to an audience beyond a few digitally curious bibliophiles? And exactly what does it take to create one? We caught up with Anna Gerber and Britt Iverson, co-founders of Visual Editions (and members of the <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook40">FutureBook 40</a>), as well as Uglow, to find out.</em></p> <hr> <p><strong>You've interrogated various elements of digital and interactive storytelling throughout the Editions at Play series. What did you particularly want to explore with this project?</strong></p> <p>BI: Right from the start Editions At Play has been about experimenting with what books can be in a digital age, and how we can create stories to read on mobiles that are based on the possibilities offered by the internet rather than by the conventions of publishing.&nbsp;</p> <p>We're intrigued by the connection between the stories readers choose to read online and the ones they choose to read in print and thinking about how we can connect the two.<em> We Kiss the Screens</em> explores that connection by rewriting the same story eight different times and using UI and print on demand to look at how digital culture can be used to create uniquely personalised physical objects that offer readers perspective and diversity of thought.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Where did you develop your ideas? Did you research, prototype and user-test or just come up with the concept within your team?</strong></p> <p>AG: We wanted to see how we could bring the physical tactile world together with a mobile first story. So we started with the question, "What would happen if a digital book could make a printed book unique to each reader?" We had touched on this idea with <em>Breathe</em>, the ghost story that comes to you, by bringing in real street names, the time of day and weather so it became a real part of the story and also with Entrances and Exits by using Google maps to navigate the character's journey all over the world. For <em>We Kiss the Screens</em>, we take the experience outside the phone and place it in readers' hands in the shape of a printed book.&nbsp;</p> <p>The testing and researching and failing and testing again happened within Google Creative Labs who made sure the multiple narrative structure (the same story is retold eight different ways) worked from a UI and UX perspective; Visual Editions who made sure the text and visual language did the storytelling justice and worked seamlessly from digital to print; HP Indigo who pushed what's possible in the print on demand world in terms of colour (every page has a different colour); and FE Burman who know print on demand machines better than anyone and showed us that it really is possible for these books to look and feel like they were printed on litho, even though each one is unique to you.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/048_WE-KISSED-THE-SCREENS_four-screens_AW.png" style="width: 800px; height: 400px;"></p> <p><strong>Did you go down dead ends or change direction at any point?</strong></p> <p>TU: Yes. Certainly. We were always committed to the prospect of trying to create a book that told the same story from multiple perspectives without judgement. But quite how wide we were willing to go with that parameter changed a couple of times. The latest time quite drastically when we made the narrative very tightly fitted to the original and removed the scope for poetic license with the source material.</p> <p><strong>What were the most difficult technical aspects in creating the project?</strong></p> <p>TU: Technically the greatest challenge is in creating a model to allow every page to have a personal component and then to pass that to the printer in a format that they can use, it's really pushed at the possibilities of digital to print and PoD.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What were the most interesting challenges in writing it?</strong></p> <p>TU: It was a challenge but it was fun. The most interesting part is in trying to see how dramatically you can alter a narrative with minimal text changes, and trying to retain a sense of where everything was meant to be. That old problem of how much one can appropriate a perspective also occured to me, which is why we don't have a #blacklivesmatter perspective. Ideally all eight would come from different people, but that proved almost impossible.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Is there a danger that personalising books ties us into our own filter bubbles, rather than challenging us with something we wouldn't choose?</strong></p> <p>AG: Well, yes sure, there is always a danger that we perpetuate our own filter bubbles and in a way the book asks us to ask those very questions. When's the last time we looked up to see how far our filter bubbles stretch beyond what we know or feel comfortable with?&nbsp;</p> <p>The less abstract answer looks like this: the ideas behind the printed book is for readers to see beyond their own choices. The book is inspired by fake news, alternative truths, chatrooms, the rebirth of propaganda -- all realities of modern day life. The idea that anything can be true, especially if it is broadcast, especially if it has popularity, or even if it is printed is a large part what the book asks us to rethink. Or at least to be aware of. As you read your pages in the digital version of the book, what you don't know is that each page you read has physical consequences. When you get your unique printed copy, you see that the pages you read are marked in white. But - and here is the point - you can also see the pages you haven't read. The pages that lie outside your filter bubble. The chosen filter, yes. But also the ignored, discarded and filtered out.</p> <p><strong>Do you think projects like these will ever appeal to an audience beyond a self-selecting few digital experimenters?</strong></p> <p>BI: As with any experiment it's about seeing what's possible, capturing people's imaginations and sharing learnings widely to inspire new leaps in how we think about books on digital devices, how we value digital culture, and how we move beyond linear ways of thinking when the world around us is anything but. So, yes we do.&nbsp;</p> <p>TU: If you asked about today, no, and that doesn't matter, it is simply articulating an idea. If readers of the future don't 'ever' find these narrative ideas appealing with more popular formats and content then I would be disappointed.</p> <p><strong>In terms of outcomes, what would success for this project look like for you?</strong></p> <p>BI: If we inspire at least one meaningful conversation around what books and culture can be in a digital age, then that's success.</p> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/editions-play">editions at play</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/visual-editions">Visual Editions</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/google-creative-lab">Google Creative Lab</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/tea-uglow">Tea Uglow</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/anna-gerber">Anna Gerber</a></li><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/britt-iverson">Britt Iverson</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/We%20Kiss%20The%20Screens.png?itok=ZT32oRCd" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-written-by field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Written By:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Molly Flatt</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Wed, 03 Apr 2019 11:17:42 +0000 Molly Flatt 981891 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/we-kiss-screens-combines-multiple-narratives-print-demand-and-ai-create-unique-reading#comments 5 things inspiring indie publisher Sam Hutchinson right now https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/5-things-inspiring-b-small-publishings-sam-hutchinson-right-now-954081 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Independent Publishers Guild Young Publisher of the Year Sam Hutchinson is only one of two members of staff at “kitchen-table micro-publisher” b small, though he also&nbsp;works closely with non-executive co-owner Cath Bruzzone. But its sales results—in its latest full-year results turnover rose 18%, while profit climbed a massive 700% — and its reputation in the children’s non-fiction and education market, suggest that Hutchinson has the list punching above its weight.</p> <p>in 2017, he commissioned a series of science titles, STEM Starters for Kids, aimed at tapping into a growing market for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths activity books - both a hit at the tills and a rights triumph, ith the books selling into 10 territories, earning a combined six-figure sum for the deals.</p> <p>1n 2018, Susan Martineau and Vicky Barker’s <em>Real-Life Mysteries</em> won the Blue Peter Book Award,&nbsp;sold 4,500 units—a considerable amount for a publisher of b small’s size—and was shortlisted for the School Library Association Awards too. No wonder Hutchinson&nbsp;was also named one of <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/rising-stars/2018#">The Bookseller's 2018 Rising Stars</a>.</p> <p>Here, he shares five things inspiring him&nbsp;to think and work differently right now.</p> <hr> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_1.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 520px;"></p> <p><br> <strong>Hardware:</strong> I’ve worked on a laptop for years and only just a few months ago splashed out on a big monitor, laptop stand, bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The main difference I’ve noticed is that my back hurts less! As someone who works between home, coffee shops and a co-working space, I thought it was important to be mobile. But, I’ve realised over the years that I rarely do good work on my laptop when I’m out and about. So I have my snazzy accessories set up at my desk in the co-working space and get most of my computer-based work done there, even if I don’t spend all my time there. Then I’ll take a notebook and my phone with me to meetings - plus possibly even a print out (gasp!) of what we’re talking about. Retro!</p> <p><strong>Software:</strong> This isn’t particularly futuristic and doesn’t relate to a life-changing app, but one thing I did two years ago was remove my work email account from my phone. Running a micro publisher like b small, I have to do most of the admin that comes along with my decisions. Approved a big complex rights deal? Great! Now it’s my job to draft the contract, raise the invoice, prepare and send the files, record the sale in our system etc. Scrolling through emails on my phone means I absorb the weight of all these tasks that need doing but I’m not in a position to do anything about them. I’d rather wait until I’m at my desk before seeing what I’ve got to deal with because then I can deal with it there and then. If anyone needs me urgently, they can call me. Quite a good way to realise that nothing in book publishing is ever really that urgent!</p> <p><strong>Book:</strong> <em>Flesh and Blood</em> by Michael Cunningham, which I read for the first time over Christmas after my partner Rudi recommended it to me. I wanted to read more stories with good gay characters in and it felt like quite a radical act to insist on that, really. I’ve actually become fairly obnoxious with my reading habits and will discard a book very easily if it’s not feeding my soul! Do the same! And respect your bookshelf enough to only keep the books you love and will read again. It’s just anxious clutter otherwise.<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>Idea:&nbsp;</strong>There’s a feeling that you have to put the hours in every day to become a success. I only employ one person so I don’t know what it’s like to run a big team but neither of us works specific hours. If we’ve got something we want to do during the day we’ll just go and do it or if I’ve ticked everything off my to do list by midday then I won’t rush to invent new tasks. Equally if there’s a huge workload then we’ll work late to get it done. I’m sure there is a fancy management term for this style of working! But I don’t know what it is.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Person: </strong>In a professional capacity, the person I would single out is Cath Bruzzone, who set up b small publishing in the early 1990s. Cath took a huge risk hiring me to run b small when I was only three years out of university. I’ve had the best training over the last seven years learning all about different aspects of the business and Cath has been consistently supportive, through ups and downs! I’ll also say my partner Rudi as otherwise he’ll find this and ask me why I didn’t say him.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/BS%20Rising%20Stars%2025-26.jpg?itok=_vVupzmg" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:19:30 +0000 Molly Flatt 954081 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/5-things-inspiring-b-small-publishings-sam-hutchinson-right-now-954081#comments Books outside the box: lessons for publishers from WeWork, Adidas and IKEA https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/books-outside-box-lessons-publishers-wework-adidas-and-ikea-945331 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Innovation in publishing. When’s the last time you saw something in publishing that made you think “WOW”? Have a think. No no, take as long as you like, there’s no rush.</p> <p>“Publishers can’t innovate. Despite all the resources and talent within publishing, startups have the edge when it comes to innovation”. Words from <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/ideas-paradox-why-publishers-fail-innovate-542836">Prolifiko’s Bec Evans</a> - one of the judges of the BookTech Company of the Year awards, ergo someone who should know. And I couldn’t agree more. I think publishing could be such an exciting space, but it’s so very rare that I see something really new, different and fresh.</p> <p>So why are publishers so scared of innovation? Do you think you’ll come up with something more innovative than the book itself? As a product which has essentially remained more or less the same since approximately the 15th century, the printed paper form seems to be doing fine, thanks for asking.</p> <p>But it seems complete lunacy to continue to bury our heads in the sands. In the red corner, we have the book: simple, printed paper with a jolly cover. In the blue corner, we have all manner of digital, social products, each designed specifically to invite interaction, and personalised to your individual preferences. I know, I know - you’re already painfully aware of the many products and services competing with your precious books for people’s attention.</p> <p>But there IS space for innovation. Look at any other industry and you’ll see. A couple of recent innovations you’ll definitely have heard of? How about Gilette’s recent campaign or Greggs’ vegan sausage roll? Advising men to be less sexist and misogynist? Nothing new. Baked goods? Definitely not new. But tapping into today’s #metoo climate and responding to a rise in veganism? Rather smart. Best of all, both moves got customers - and the media - talking about the brands.</p> <p>So how can<em> you</em> innovate? Let’s start by taking a few interesting new innovations and looking at how you could use them…</p> <p><strong>Selling</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/We-Work.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 434px;"></strong></p> <p>Your PR team is probably discussing the implications of the <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/new-guidance-launched-for-social-influencers.html">CMA’s latest guidelines</a> for bloggers, influencers and social media personalities RN. But rather than asking them to take part in yet another virtual book tour (yawn!), why not create an opportunity that they’ll actually want to promote?</p> <p>WeWork recently partnered with LIKEtoKNOW.it to open <a href="https://www.theindustry.fashion/wework-and-liketoknow-it-set-up-shoppable-office-space/">an influencer-curated pop-up shop</a> in the co-working company’s latest office space in London. Could you invite the influencers and bloggers you work with to collaborate on a similar project? Perhaps they’d like to curate a selection of the best books to take on holiday? Or their favourite books by BAME writers?</p> <p>And your customers are your biggest cheerleaders. So why not give them a platform to curate and sell their favourite books? After all, most of us ask trusted friends first when we’re looking for book recommendations, right? Something like <a href="https://www.wgsn.com/blogs/concept-future-fashion-retail/">brand new digital marketplace app Storr</a> would offer a much more exciting, personal way of buying and selling.</p> <p><strong>Where and when</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/University-Arms-Library-room-900x523.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 378px;"></p> <p>Who doesn’t love free food? Tokyo’s Metro is currently <a href="https://qz.com/1531163/would-you-change-your-commute-for-free-food/">offering free noodles</a> to commuters opting to travel outside peak times, helping to ease congestion. Would you consider taking the Central Line a little later than usual in exchange for a brand new book and a cup of coffee? How can you not only ease pain points, but also make your products relevant in terms of time and place?</p> <p>In our always-on, ever more busy lives, reading is something many of us choose to do when we commute. Do we have time to pause in WH Smith and peruse the bookshelves? Probably not. But a grab-and-go breakfast-and-book combo? Yes please. And on the subject of transport - why oh WHY aren’t there <a href="http://https://thecurrentdaily.com/2019/01/22/8-brands-deploying-vending-machines-as-a-smart-retail-solution/">book vending machines</a> on every train and tube platform?</p> <p>The same goes for travel - another occasion where books come into their own. Heywood Hill has <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/cambridgeshire/cambridge/articles/hotel-hit-squad-the-university-arms-hotel-cambridge/">curated a selection of books</a> for Cambridge’s recently-opened University Arms - is there an airline, travel company or hotel you could partner with?</p> <p><strong>Sustainability</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/54dde085851a172a9b1d9f9440c71b84.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 366px;"></p> <p>Just how many books are being pulped every year? It’s the publishing industry’s dirty secret. How can you work differently with retailers sending books to their doom? And if your customers are going all Marie Kondo on their bookcases, how can you become part of that process?</p> <p>Perhaps you could set up something like <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90296956/a-coalition-of-giant-brands-is-about-to-change-how-we-shop-forever-with-a-new-zero-waste-platform">zero-waste platform Loop</a>? When customers have finished with a book, you could collect it and bring them something new to read? Or incentivise them to donate books to charity - perhaps partnering with a relevant nonprofit? <a href="https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/h-m-partners-with-lyft-to-incentivize-new-yorkers-to-donate-clothing/2019012425793">H&amp;M’s partnership with Lyft</a> is a great example of how brands can partner to do good together.</p> <p>Or maybe you could even upcycle your books instead of pulping them? Adidas <a href="http://https://www.lsnglobal.com/news/article/23506/adidas-upcycles-shoes-into-home-furnishings">recently collaborated</a> with designer Simone Post to transform old sneakers into rugs - could you create a limited edition collection of stationery or gift cards, for example?</p> <p><strong>Fun, different, disruptive things...</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/spotifycosmicplaylists.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 433px;"></p> <p>Boring is bad. Fun is GOOD. Can you do something fun for your customers? I love Spotify’s idea of <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/spotify-launches-horoscope-inspired-playlists/">creating playlists based on your horoscope</a>. I’d listen to that.</p> <p>Or how about a different take on mental health - anyone else been engrossed by digital platform <a href="http://friendswithsecrets.com/">Friends With Secrets</a>? Or just do something with humour - like <a href="https://youtu.be/j-y8wYLWBoA">IKEA’s recent sleep campaign</a> and <a href="https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/ikea-host-series-in-store-sleep-events/1523295">series of events</a>.</p> <p>And get ready for ‘Egg Hunting Season’ - the 2019 iteration of <a href="https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/cadbury-creme-egg-hacks-brands-ads-return-hunting-season/1521905">Cadbury’s Creme Egg campaign</a> is set to hack ads from other brands, with cash prizes to incentivise customers across the UK to take part in the company’s treasure hunt.</p> <p><strong>What's next?</strong></p> <p>So how can you become more innovative? What can you&nbsp;do to get people more excited about books today Or... shall we just stick with business as usual?</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/We-Work.jpg?itok=MkEIdxl3" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Mon, 11 Feb 2019 08:18:52 +0000 alice.revel_454331 945331 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/books-outside-box-lessons-publishers-wework-adidas-and-ikea-945331#comments 5 things inspiring The Literary Consultancy's Aki Schilz right now https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/5-things-inspiring-literary-consultancys-aki-schilz-right-now-920296 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em><a href="https://twitter.com/AkiSchilz">Aki Schilz</a> is director of editorial assessment company&nbsp;The Literary Consultancy. She's a&nbsp;tireless champion for writers, literature and literary values—from empowering Open Access events to her #BookJobTransparency campaign, and this year she was named one of the FutureBook 40 top publishing innovators in the UK.</em></p> <p><em>Here, she shares five things inspiring her to think and work differently right now.</em></p> <hr> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Untitled%20design%20%282%29.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 520px;"></p> <p><strong>Hardware:</strong>&nbsp;I actually lead a pretty gadget-free life, and have never been all that interested in the latest digital toys. I am currently on the look-out for a pocket sized power bar that allows me to charge my phone on the move as I do a lot of live-tweeting - recommendations welcome! I did however learn about Yoto for the first time at FutureBook, and was extremely impressed by the idea of a clever (rather than ‘smart’) speaker for kids, something that avoids the creep of surveillance by foregoing microphone-based data gathering, instead focussing on inputting via a range of cards, empowering children to choose how to play, creatively, in the real world. Tech-supported rather than tech-controlled reality feels very much the future.</p> <p><strong>Software:</strong> Trello is a brilliant task management tool that sorts your tasks into columns. You can shift cards in each column according to priority, set deadlines, assign tasks to team members on shared decks, and archive cards when the task has been completed – it’s just as satisfying as ticking a to-do list item off, except this way, they’re not all scattered between various notebooks. I have tried fiddling around with other platforms, but haven’t found one that beats Trello for simplicity. There’s probably a more sophisticated version for those who are incredibly serious about time management (this list is a good starter for ten) but for me and my small team at The Literary Consultancy, this works fine.</p> <p><strong>Book:</strong> Kamila Shamsie famously issued a provocation to publishers to make 2018 the year of publishing women. (As far as I can tell, only And Other Stories took up the challenge - highlights from their list for me include <em>Sorry to Disturb the Peace</em> by Patty Yumi Cottrell and <em>The Proof </em>by Cesar Aira). I decided to make 2018 the year I read only books by women, with more books in translation and by women of colour. Of these, <em>The Leavers</em> by Lisa Ko was a stand-out for me in 2018. Intelligent, gripping, topical, knotty. It's a powerful look at the reality of life as an undocumented immigrant (Polly) and as the child of an immigrant caught between cultures (Deming/Daniel), as well as a stark reminder of how easily we walk through life not knowing, or wilfully ignorant to, the lives of those who have struggled for simple opportunities we take for granted, often at terrible, life-altering cost.</p> <p><strong>Idea: </strong>The idea that each of us has it in us to be leaders, to fight together for change instead of yelling more loudly than others demanding change, has been one I've been inspired by the last year and a half since taking up post as director at The Literary Consultancy. We've always been a company that facilitates conversations and thrives on collaboration, but to be completely candid, I simply didn't have the confidence I could make things happen myself and found it difficult to understand what my place was in this strange literary world, even though I had never had any doubts about TLC’s place in the literary ecosystem: we believe all writers deserve good editors, because we believe all writers’ voices are valid. In this mix, who am I to Make Change Happen and ‘lead’ (lead what? lead whom?) That was much less clear. But it isn't about me. It's about what we're here for. Everyone I've been brave enough to ask for help, has been willing to talk to me, and anyone who's asked me, I've tried to help however I can. It's not novel, but for me it's been a real and empowering shift to step into this, and I'm excited about the possibilities.</p> <p><br> <strong>Person:</strong> I'm not sure there's a single person who's inspired me 'most', but there have certainly been some amazing people who have contributed enormously at critical times. Peter McKay at Publishing Training Centre took a punt on the glimmer of an idea for an editorial training partnership, understanding that I felt it was important we looked at training access rather than focussing solely on headhunting 'diverse editors' (though still a good thing to do) and ignoring the barriers to entry for those from marginalised backgrounds. Speaking of editors, our professional reader pool at TLC has really been a huge inspiration. They're our lifeblood, and without them, we couldn't do what we do. We recently put to them the possibility of a regional TLC Reader-Ambassadors scheme, and with 58% of our readers based outside of London, the take-up has been amazing. We're also developing a new mini ebook guide series with them, so there's lots to look forward to as we continue to think about how best to support writers and literature, now and into the future.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/10%20aki%20schilz.jpg?itok=Ew6nt2kD" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Mon, 07 Jan 2019 09:31:01 +0000 Molly Flatt 920296 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/5-things-inspiring-literary-consultancys-aki-schilz-right-now-920296#comments 5 things inspiring Zed Books' Kika Sroka-Miller right now https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/5-things-inspiring-zed-books-kika-sroka-miller-right-now-894441 <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>Kika Sroka-Miller is a co-owner and director of Zed Books, an independent non-fiction publishing house based in London and the world’s biggest publishing collective. Joining Zed Books in 2010, she held the role of editorial director for five years before becoming brand and growth director. Prior to Zed Books she held several positions across the industry, working for Jacqui Small LLP and RICS as well as for a number of NGOs. </em></p> <p><em>At the <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook-conference">FutureBook Live conference</a> on 30th November, Sroka-Miller will be discussing Zed's unique business model and workplace culture on the panel 'Empowered, Itinerant and Automated: the Workplace in 2025.'</em></p> <p><em>Here she shares five things inspiring her to think and work differently right now.</em></p> <hr> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Untitled%20design%20%281%29.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 520px;"></p> <p><strong>Hardware:</strong>&nbsp;I’m impatiently waiting for my iPhone XS Max to be delivered to the office. I’m not in denial: my iPhones are an extension of my self. I find it astounding that in just one generation we’ve managed to build a material and cultural reality that is completely dependent on digital technology. What I am conveniently ignoring however, apart from Apple and Google’s continued conditioning of me, is what life on the outskirts of Shenzen City is like for millions of Chinese workers, what lithium mining is like, what yet another satellite orbiting the Earth means and what it might mean for us to continue building this reality, knowing that not everyone is able to access it. And yet here I am, waiting to peel another thin layer of plastic off another device.</p> <p><strong>Software:</strong> WhatsApp - carrier of the worst elements of my data-self, destroyer and builder of relationships, courier of flashes of genius and nudes alike - without which I would be so much less effective. The ability to be in touch with professional contacts and an instant later be chatting to family across three continents is a curious thing, both nightmarish and utopian. Luckily for me, anxieties around the merging of personal self and working self apply far less in the kind of project that Zed is.</p> <p><strong>Book:</strong> I just read Jacqueline Rose’s <em>Mothers: Essays on Love and Cruelty</em>. In it she invites her readers to think about what kind of relationships, society and politics might be possible if we all imagined what it would be like to be a mother. This is dangerous feminist territory -&nbsp;after all, the idea that motherhood is the ultimate fulfilment of womanhood is something that as feminists we’ve fought against for decades. But Rose’s point is more nuanced. Her ‘imagine being a mother’ means imagine being expected to carry the burden of everything that is hardest to comprehend about our (Western, capitalist, hetero-patriarchal) society and selves, whilst also being a scapegoat for our personal and political failings. My work is political work and the sad fact of the matter is that right now the rights of women, queers and people of colour are being reversed almost everywhere. <em>Mothers</em> is giving me another lens through which to think about individual and collective responsibility.</p> <p><strong>Idea:</strong>&nbsp;That there exists a future in which we articulate the relationship between individual and collective effectively. That experiments in alternative forms of living, working and thinking are needed now more than ever. That queerness has very little to do with identity or sexual orientation and that queering as an anti-normative project is essential to a more just future. Is that too abstract? How about using ISCCs to get all Zed’s banned content out to where it needs to be instead, then?</p> <p><strong>Person:</strong> Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Sharice Davids, Deb Haaland, Jared Polis and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are all fuelling my belief that us Millennials can and will change the face of Western politics. Gayatri Spivak is reminding me about the nuances of intersectionality and identity politics whilst David Morrow’s artwork is reminding me that “A change of rulers is the joy of fools”. Robyn Van Gyn and Chloe Kim’s snowboarding is reminding me about discipline. AI Anchor is reminding me that soon our understanding of intelligence will have been reduced to the capacity for calculation, and that our inner lives will become obsolete - so I should probably repent whilst I’ve still got the chance.</p> <p><em>FutureBook Live&nbsp;takes place on 30th November in London, at 155 Bishopsgate.&nbsp;The&nbsp;full programme&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook-conference/2018-programme">can be accessed here</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventsforce.net/bookseller/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=42317&amp;eventID=101">tickets can be bought here</a>.</em></p> </div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/tags-futurebook/futurebook18">FutureBook18</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_149_x_149/public/field/futurebook_image/2018/11/20/Kika%20Sroka-Miller.jpeg?itok=Zbddazw4" width="192" height="181" alt="" /></div></div></div><li class="item-inline"><a href="/blog-category-futurebook/inspiration">Inspiration</a></li><div class="field field-name-field-subscriber field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subscriber:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-premium field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">premium:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">0</div></div></div> Fri, 23 Nov 2018 08:12:31 +0000 Molly Flatt 894441 at https://www.thebookseller.com https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/5-things-inspiring-zed-books-kika-sroka-miller-right-now-894441#comments
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