Posted by Maleeha Mir on 7 June 2024, in Event reports, News
Photos by Daniel Solomons, Words by Maleeha Mir
Byte the Book's June panel event, “Book Business: How do Authors, Agents & Publishers Work in the Digital Age?" provided a compelling exploration of the constantly evolving digital landscape of the publishing industry. Led by Byte the Book’s Justine Solomons, the discussion featured insights from an expert publishing panel including Marcus Leaver (Founder and Group Publisher Gemini Books), Kate Nash, (Agent and Director of Kate Nash Literary Agency), and Richard Charkin (Publisher at Mensch Publishing and author of My Back Pages.)
Our panel from left to right: Richard Charkin, Justine Solomons, Kate Nash, and Marcus Leaver.
As the conversation began, Justine Solomons prompted the panel to reflect on the digital transformations over the past decade and their impact on today's publishing world. "Publishing has only been in the digital age," remarked Marcus Leaver, pointing out that Amazon was already operating in 1995, seven years before he started his career. This observation set the stage for a discussion on how technology has consistently influenced the industry and changed the roles and relationships of authors, agents, and publishers navigating the space.
Marcus Leaver sharing his insights on the digitisation of the publishing industry.
Kate Nash emphasized the critical role of literary agents in navigating the digital era. "Authors need agents to ensure their works are given the attention they deserve, especially with the vast number of submissions publishers receive," she explained. The Kate Nash Literary Agency represents around 32 authors. She shared her process for discovering new talent, highlighting open submissions and recommendations from events as key sources. "The challenge is looking through 150 submissions a week, but it’s essential to find those unique voices," she said.
Kate Nash detailing her experiences as an agent and shedding a light on the importance of supporting and empowering her authors through the publication journey.
Richard Charkin, who founded Mensch Publishing at 70, offered a unique perspective on the industry's economic challenges. He criticized the high commission rates taken by agents, which can be up to 15%, and shared advice he received early in his career: "Be economical as a publisher. For example, don’t print too many copies and consider print-on-demand (POD) to avoid waste." He stressed the importance of courtesy in the industry, lamenting the low response rate to emails as a sign of declining professional standards.
Richard Charkin sharing how publishing will develop during the digital age of AI innovation.
Marcus Leaver discussed the importance of focusing on consumer demand in publishing. "At Gemini, we make books that consumers want. It's about delivering good content in any form," he stated. He also shared his views on the role of agents, suggesting that they sometimes complicate the author-publisher relationship. "We try not to use agents at all. We come up with ideas for books and put them into production directly," he explained, citing examples of successful projects initiated without agent involvement.
The panelists also addressed the marketing responsibilities within the industry. Richard Charkin noted, "Authors are your clients, and you need to manage them well, just like you would staff. Regular appraisals and honest communication are vital." He added that small publishers like Mensch can operate effectively without the overhead of larger marketing departments, focusing instead on direct and efficient practices.
The panel discussing how traditional publishing needs to change structurally to become a better and fairer creative industry for authors and smaller publishing businesses.
Throughout the discussion, the panelists underscored the importance of adaptability and maintaining strong, transparent relationships within the publishing ecosystem. "Publishing is made of lots of small decisions and no particularly big ones," Marcus Leaver quoted publisher Paul Hamlyn, emphasizing the cumulative impact of everyday choices in shaping a successful publishing house. From an agent perspective, Kate adds that “communication is key in author care and managing publisher relationships. Every publisher has a different work culture and it’s important to keep that in mind as an author. As an agent, authors are the priority, we want them to thrive and be comfortable”.
The attendees enjoying the networking session after the panel.
In conclusion, the panel provided valuable insights into the dynamic interactions between authors, agents, and publishers in the digital age. The panelists' diverse experiences and perspectives highlighted the ongoing evolution of the industry and the importance of adaptability, transparency, and consumer focus in navigating this ever-changing landscape.
Thank you to HW Fisher for sponsoring our event! You can find HW Fisher's latest 'Authors and Freelance Journalists Tax Guide 2023/24' here.
You can see more photos from our fantastic photos from 'Book Business: How Do Authors, Agents and Publishers Work in the Digital Age?' event here!
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