Ebooks may be saviour/future of the publishing world, but the industry has a new buzzword now. P-books. Chances are you’ve not heard of them yet, but the way the publishing sector is going…
Let me explain. During a trip to New York, author Harriet Evans explained how she heard print books referred to as p-books – as if they were ebooks’ clunky physical byproduct, she wrote in a recent blog.
Elsewhere, there’s further evidence that the ebook is pushing traditional books to the back of the shelf. P-book devotees look away now – Amazon revealed last month how sales of digital books for the Kindle overtook print titles for the first time.
Digital innovation in the industry doesn’t just stop at being able to download the latest novel from women’s fiction writer Catherine Alliott in mere seconds, though. JK Rowling announced last week her plans for ‘Pottermore’, an interactive website with new material and collaborative features for readers to enjoy.
It won’t just be numerous fans of schoolboy wizard watching development of the site closely – literary agent Jonny Geller told the Guardian the author’s move may be something of a gamechanger for the publishing industry, in terms of how bestselling authors and global brands reach their readers.
It’s a lot to take in for those aspiring to work in the publishing industry. So, if you’re considering a career in the sector, and you’d like to know more about the roles available and what all these changes mean for traditional careers in publishing, join us for a live Q&A on 4 July from 1pm until 4pm – advance questions below.
To keep up-to-date with our regular Q&A sessions, you can now sign-up for our newsletter here.
Our panel:
Suzanne Collier is a Guardian Careers contributor and founder of bookcareers.com. Suzanne has been helping people develop their book publishing careers for more than 20 years.
Zoe Faulder is head of sales and marketing at independent publishing house Blackhall Publishing. Zoe has been on the board of Publishing Ireland since 2010, and has led three committees: digital, research and the Dublin Book Festival.
Neil Morrison is the group HR director for Random House Group, and a member of the main board.
Chris Hamilton-Emery is a director of Salt Publishing (including Embrace Books and Proxima), an independent literary press based in London and Cromer. Chris was previously press production director at Cambridge University Press.
Jo Allen is head of marketing and B2B for IOP Publishing. She has worked in the publishing business (B2B, academic research and consumer arenas) for more than 15 years.
Edelweiss Arnold is the marketing manager at The Publishing Training Centre, an educational charity focused on training book and journal publishers. Edelweiss has more than 15 years marketing experience in various newspaper and journal publishing companies.
Bobby Nayyar is the consultant development manager for DIPNET, the Diversity in Publishing Network, at Booktrust. He is also the publisher of Glasshouse Books.
Mary Ann Kernan has been director of the MA in Publishing Studies at City University London since 2006. Mary Ann’s publishing experience includes commissioning books, journals and e-resources for educational, professional and reference audiences.
Ella Kahn is an assistant literary agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates and 2011 chair of the Society of Young Publishers, a non-profit organisation which runs events and provides information for those interested in joining, or advancing within, the publishing industry.
Andrew Turner is a marketing executive at Nelson Croom, a provider of online professional development courses. Andrew is also an events co-ordinator for the Society of Young Publishers.
Tina Mories has interned for numerous publishing houses such as Penguin, Profile and Bloomsbury and is currently on a rolling contract with Orion Books as their digital marketing intern. She is also an events co-ordinator for the Society of Young Publishers.
