Children trade publishing: the evergreen and happening industry!

Varsha Verma

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 Edit artiThere’s a lot happening in the children trade publishing. Indian authors, illustrators and of course Indian publishers are gaining recognition like never before. So, how is the industry today - healthy, competitive or crowded? finds out Varsha Verma.

Children’s books have an appeal for both children and adults alike. They entice you, entertain you and keep you glued unless you read it cover to cover. People involved in the industry, whether they are a writer, illustrator or a publisher, are often passionate about children’s books. Here, we met a few such people involved in the industry and got some thought-provoking insights about the same. 

Anushka Ravishankar, an award-winning author of children's books, and Co-founder of Duckbill Books, says, “I got into writing because of a love of books and of words. That was when I about 9 years old! I never thought I'd become a writer, though. That happened when I started reading children's books with my daughter. I realised I enjoyed reading those books and thought it would be fun to try and write some stories for kids. And surprisingly, people seemed to like them.” 

While, Anuj Chawla, director, Dreamland Publications is a third generation publisher.“Somehow since my college days, I had a keen interest towards children book publishing as you can showcase your creativity and make the books more interesting for young learners,” he says. 

Sudeshna Shome Ghosh, publisher, Talking Cub (a new imprint on children’s books from Speaking Tiger) came into publishing quite by chance. “Personally, I got to know about a profession called publishing by chance, after talking to some editors while I was in college. The thought that one can work in a field where the work involves reading, editing and closely working with authors was immensely appealing. After that, one learnt a lot on the job and from seniors.Children's publishing, because as a Bengali I have grown up on a steady diet of wonderful children's books and once I was in publishing I wanted to be part of the process of creating good books for children in English in India. This was some time in 2001-2002, when books for children by Indian authors were beginning to get attention again. After that, this segment has become more and more important for publishing houses and there is a lot more editorial focus on creating good content,” she shares. 

Nancy Raj is a well known children’s book illustrator, who recently won the Hindu Goodbooks Award 2018, for the category Best Illustrations (for the book Maharani the Cow). “As a child, I enjoyed making pictures and caricatures of friends and family. I have been a designer working for corporate organisations for over 12 years now, and this journey has always been teaching me to explore, experiment and realise my passion and love in making illustrations for Children’s books,which is why I chose children’s book illustration over a corporate job,” she says. “My imagination is inspired by tiny details in the world around me - which is why I enjoy capturing people, their emotions and involvement in daily life through my sketches. I’ve illustrated for stories, poems, text books, cartoons, and much more...and also conduct workshops on illustrations. What I love while making pictures is that I enjoy thinking through my characters, the setting, the treatment and the colours, and sketching through a entire journey to bring concepts and stories to life. Sometimes the journey is short, sometimes it’s a long trail.” 

Trends in the children trade publishing market 

“Children book publishing market is very competitive, which is great. It means we're all spurred on to do the best we can and authors have a choice of publishers to go to, which means more writers are encouraged to get into writing for children,” shares Anushka. 

Anuj also echoes her thoughts, “The Indian publishing market at the moment is competitive, you need to be at your best to deliver the right content to the buyer. There are numerous players in the market but to stand out from the crowd we have to create the content looking at the market trends and demands.” 

While, Sudeshna says, “The children's book market is definitely healthy at the moment with a number of publishers bringing out books of different kinds and suited for various age groups, as well as price points. In fact, I feel there is still space for more here, for eg, more who do quality picture books and books for early readers.” 

“Children’s books and reading materials in India do have a long journey. I feel that the network of children’s book circle including the publishers, authors, illustrators, educational system, readers, book fairs, art lovers, book lovers, etc. is slowly growing. This network is becoming healthy and competitive like never before. This is a good sign and a good news that over the last ten or fifteen years, this segment is growing though not at a very rapid pace,” opines Nancy. 

Growth in the industry… 

“In terms of both sales and the number of children's books published, it's definitely on an upward swing!” says Anushka. 

Do books shape child’s mind? 

On asking about what role do books play in shaping a child’s mind, Anushka replied, “I don't believe books should be seen as tools to shape minds. Not the kind of books I like to write and publish, anyway. Books should be a source of joy. Authors are experimenting with new genres and styles, but whatever might change, one thing will always stay the same - the power of a good story.” 

While, Anuj believes, “Books play a major role in shaping and developing a child’s mind. With the help of books, a child can develop their imagination, IQ skills set and reading capacity as well. We develop the content in such an interactive format that even during the technology age, we are able to keep the children hooked to the books rather than electronic devices.” 

Sudeshna also believes that books obviously play a big role in shaping minds. “They bring with them the power of imagination, the magic of words, and the ability to grasp ideas and thoughts. This is apart from helping develop mental faculties like reading and comprehension and developing emotional quotients. It has been proved by research that the earlier children are exposed to books, the more rounded is their overall development”. 

What makes a great children’s book? 

“That's a deep and perhaps impossible to answer question! I think storytelling remains the key. Whether it is fiction or non-fiction, or book for any age group from picture books to YA books, the writer has to be able to tell a story or a narrative with ease and a facility with words that will keep a child glued to the book. Children are wonderful critics and once you have lost their interest, your book is doomed. So it is important to know what will keep a reader engaged with the book,” says Sudeshna. 

“To make a great children's book there is not just one key factor. It’s a combination of all the factors like script, content styling, presentation of a topic, then printing and fabrication. We have to closely monitor all these factors to make a great children's book,” says Anuj. 

“A good story, with humour and conflict and a strong emotional hook. A really good book works for everyone - not just for children,” says Anushka. 

Finding illustrators… 

Illustrations form an intrinsic part of a children’s book. “Illustrations are like music, It needs no translation and can be enjoyed by every age groups. Illustrations from any source conveys many messages, sometimes a piece of illustration makes you laugh, sometimes it makes you think, it evokes various emotions, totally teleports you to an entirely different place. Readers are now looking for books with India-specific content – such as Indian setting, Indian characters, subjects etc. And I am glad Picture book / children’s books found in the Indian market now-a-days are finding its way in the predominance of the textbook culture. It helps a child reflect to various perspectives of culture, literature and creativity and much more,” says Nancy. 

So, how do publishers find the best illustrators? “We select illustrators on the basis of their experience in this field and how well they understand the brief of designing and delivering the product as per the requirement of the project,” replies Anuj. 

While, Sudeshna says, “We have a wonderfully talented in-house art director. Together with her we decide on the look and feel of the book, and she works with a wide range of illustrators whose work will fit the kind of book we are doing to come up with the final look.” 

Challenges… 

“Publishers need to be aware of what is happening in terms of the interests of children. Changing attention spans, availability of diverse forms of entertainment, the pressure of academics are all challenges. Yet we also need to know that children today are much more aware, focused, and fearless in expressing themselves than before. They are exposed to many ideas in their environment and we need to know what these are so our books remain relevant. That said, there are certain aspects that will always remain--good storytelling, ability to engage with the reader, well produced and designed books--are some things that are eternal,” says Sudeshna. 

“The main challenges in this segment are the unorganised distribution and retailing system,” tells Anuj. 

On asking about the challenges as a children author Anushka clearly states, “There are no challenges, really. Writing for children is the most liberating thing. You can act/think like a child and not be embarrassed. What more can you ask for?” 

While, Nancy mentions her challenges as an illustrator. “ Every piece of illustration that I work, goes through intense thinking and planning, creating the character to compositions to look, feel and the mood. I am always conscious is that illustrations can go flat and literally destroy a dream that the book can create, however powerful the text, it is the pictures that sticks in the mind. Children’s book illustrations are an art by itself, they talk stories and sometimes more powerful than the text. These artworks are now found in galleries and art exhibitions for public view as art objects. They often take a quiet approach, hidden between the wrappers of a book - waiting to be opened by a reader. I feel this is the most challenging part – the reach and exposure,” she adds. 

What to publish? 

“We study the market trends and scenarios and also we introduce certain topics which are the need of the hour. The topic and the content is the most important feature of the book. It needs to interesting and engaging from a child’s perspective,” tells Anuj. 

While, Sudeshna says, “We choose our books based on literary merit, the uniqueness of the idea, the way our entire list is oriented (for eg, we do want to focus on non-fiction books), trends in the market place and of course the profile of the writer also comes into consideration.” 

Sharing more about what they look for in the submission of manuscripts, Sudeshna added, “ The submission should come with a detailed synopsis that gives a clear outline of the story and characters, or the main idea of the book if it is non-fiction. The length of the book, targeted audience should be mentioned. If it is based on research then an idea on the kind of sources and amount of research put in should also be mentioned. It should also come with three chapters that will show the writing style and structure of the book.” 

Indian vs. international books… 

“We try to deliver international quality books at best affordable prices which cater to all classes of the market. If we compare the price with any of the US/UK publishers, our books are moderately priced,” states Anuj. 

“Books from the west are a big challenge as they take up the most mind space among children and parents. Awareness of our books and authors still needs to be worked on. Limited media available for promotions as traditional media rarely covers children's books, so we need to rely on digital as well as in-person book promotions like taking the authors to schools, festivals, etc,” tells Sudeshna. 

Expectations from the industry… 

“I just want more and better books; I'd like authors to stay off cliched stories and come up with complex and unusual plots. Publishers should push the boundaries and take risks, instead of sticking to tried and tested authors and safe genres like mythology and folk tales,” opines Anushka. 

“We want good books, good authors and good editing. At Talking Cub, we are also looking at a diversity in our publishing list where we are both aware of the marketing angle and yet take risks if we believe in a book,” adds Sudeshna. 

On book festivals… 

“The ongoing trend of book festival is great. I do wish the festivals would give more space and importance to children's books, because the only way children's books will get visibility is if they are treated like the important literary objects they are and not lesser products of the publishing industry - which, alas, is what frequently happens in India,” says Anushka. 

Going ahead… 

“There is always a pressure on the price of children's books, yet they do need to look and feel good. So I think it is a balance that publishers have to strike between using resources and at the same time not pricing the book out of the market,” concludes Sudeshna.. 

The art and craft of translation

Translation is a very interesting craft which requires proficiency in languages one is working with, a good understanding of the cultures those languages represent and also a fair degree of understanding of the target audience. Without this critical mix of skills and abilities, translations can turn out to be pedantic, boring, literal and forced pieces of writing which conveys nothing worth enjoying. Here, Rajesh Khar, editor, Pratham Books, shares more about translations in conversation with Varsha Verma.

AABP: India is a multi-lingual country. How challenging or exciting it is?

Rajesh: Every kind of diversity is special and I really feel that the diversity of languages and therefore cultures in our country is a very exciting phenomenon. I have enjoyed every thread of it and yes, it does pose some challenges but overall it is something to celebrate and to be ecstatic about. When you travel across India, you see different people eating different food, wearing different sort of clothes, living in their own different ways and speaking different languages. It is all so interesting – their clothes, their rituals, their festivals, their entire way of life and the most distinguishing feature there is the language. The sheer number of languages that people speak in India creates a unique tapestry of expressions, traditions, histories, politics, literature, wisdom and threads of human evolution itself. I have always been fascinated with this linguistic diversity of my country.

AABP: How easy/difficult it is to find good translators? Are there any translation courses they can pursue to enhance their skills?

Rajesh: In m personal experience of dealing with languages and translations, I have found that good translators are not easy to find. Finding good and efficient translators is equally difficult if not more, than finding original authors in those languages. Most good translators for the children's books are usually teachers, authors, editors, theatre persons, journalists and people who have been working with children. Translation is a very interesting craft which requires proficiency in languages one is working with, a good understanding of the cultures those languages represent and also a fair degree of understanding of the target audience. Without this critical mix of skills and abilities, translations turn out to be pedantic, boring, literal and forced pieces of writing which conveys nothing worth enjoying. And like any other craft, translation requires practice, a lot of it.

Translation courses are offered in many colleges and universities abroad, however in India, we have only a handful, literally handful of institutions where one can learn the basics. These include IGNOU, JNU, Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Central Bureau of Translation and some universities.

AABP: What has been your biggest professional reward?

Rajesh: As a translator, I have had my moments of delight when people have liked whatever I had translated. This includes my mother, my close friends and colleagues who always have generously praised my pieces. My colleague Mala Kumar, who also happens to be a well known children's author and a journalist liked my translation of her English story 'Paper Play', so much that she wrote a mail to me saying that my Hindi translation read better than her original story. Of course, she was too generous with her words but for me such words coming from an author are very precious. Similarly my ex colleague and head of content Manisha Choudhry had complete confidence in my sensibility as a translator and would ask me to read her Hindi translations before signing them off. That meant a whole lot to me. My translations have been liked by people like Dr. Madhav Gadgil, who are very particular about how their stories should read in other languages. I have translated one of his stories, Muchkund and His Sweet Tooth which is about a delicate ecological balance between flowers, fruits, bees, bears and forest. He liked it and had approved it without asking for any changes. I feel moments like these are very fulfilling and are the highest professional rewards one can hope to get.

AABP: What advice would you give to an upcoming translator?

Rajesh: I am hardly in a place to give advise but yes I can definitely share my experiences as a translator. Over the years I have learnt that translation works in conjunction with good language capability and sound cultural understanding. It is imperative to read, feel and experience the written words fully. This can only happen after one has observed and experienced the different cultures existing all around us. Reading books, watching plays & movies, listening to good music, appreciating art forms, appreciating nature, talking to people...all of this help us find the appropriate words when we sit down for translation.

AABP: Are there any pitfalls to avoid in the translation business?

Rajesh: Yes there sure are pitfalls and the most dangerous ones in my understanding are doing an espresso-job-of-translation, missing out on the actual inherent texture and detail of the original piece and using too big or too difficult words.

AABP: What’s unique or interesting about any particular language combination?

Rajesh: What is unique or interesting in a pair of languages one is working with is completely subjective. For example, one might pick up a piece for translation just because the sheer difficulty of transporting that particular piece in the target language is challenging in itself. One may pick up a piece because it is such an interesting piece of work that it compels one to translate it. In my opinion, every language is unique in its own rights and when we think about the prospect of translating a story from it to another language, it automatically becomes a challenging task and therefore very interesting. In general terms, it is slightly easier to translate from one to another Indian language as compared to translating from English.

AABP: What’s your funniest translation story?

Rajesh: I haven't got any funny instance or anecdote to share however, I am very lucky that I do translations of children's story and many children's stories are usually funny. I have translated a number of very funny ones which include Hatchu Hatchu by Sharada Lolluru, Too Many Bananas & Too Much Noise by Rohini Nilekani.

I try and shed every single taboo when writing for young readers

Journey so far…

Pic courtesy: Asha Kochchar

Ever-smiling and always humble, Paro Anand shares, “I don't know how established I have been over the years, and not even sure when this really happened. The journey has been a roller coaster. I have struggled, strived and pushed as hard as I could. It began one very rainy day when I took a manuscript of several play scripts, door to door, down Ansari Road. I was soaked in the rain as I had wrapped my precious pages in my raincoat. Most of the time, I was turned away right at the gate by the guard. I must have gone to 17-18 publishers that day.

Finally, one said that they were interested in the concept of the playscripts, but wanted me to re-write everything. So I did and ended up with a bad back. But the book didn't even get published as the editor who had told me to write these, left her job and that was that. Eventually, it got published as my 7th book. And I have to say, it wasn't very good.”

But Paro is happy to be where she is now. “Now, I am so fortunate to have publishers wooing me to give them my work. How lucky could I get in one lifetime! The other day, I was sitting in my verandah with my morning tea, my lovely doggies by my side, my Sahitya Akademi award under my belt and I suddenly had the feeling that I had reached. This was it… everything I had worked towards – professionally, personally, economically – I had achieved. It was such a sense of 'phew,' I had worked to get here, and now I was here. Everything from here on is just the cherry on the icing of the cake,” she laughs.

Writing not just a hobby…

So did Paro always wanted to be a writer? “I had thought I wanted to be a drama teacher, but then I started writing plays and knew I loved it. I had always been a great liar. It was when, at a dinner, someone asked me what I did and I said I was a writer and the person said, “Oh that's such a nice hobby.” I was somewhat stung and said, "It's not a hobby, it's my profession" and that's when I started treating it as such,” she replies.

Hardest part of writing a book…

Though it seems hard to believe that established authors would also have some writing issues, but it is true. As Paro puts it, “Getting started is most difficult, and then comes the discipline. Once I am in 'the zone,' it goes along. But writing is something that can so easily be shoved to the back burner. Everything else seems more important and urgent, but you have to just set that time and do it. Even when I don't have something specific to write, I write.”

Writing for children: any guidelines?

“I try and shed every single taboo when writing for young readers, whether it is a book on body image for the very young, or the impact of rape and violence for teens. I respect my readers by giving them my truth. My only beacon light is that I try to end the story on an upswing, with a ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel. It doesn't have to be a happily ever after, tied up in pink bows, but just that I try not to end on a note of despair. Since teenage is a hard, dark time, I don't want them to be left with no hope,” shares Paro.

Characters: inspired from life or fictitious?

“Well, there is always a bit of both... shreds of people who I have come across show up in the oddest places in my stories. But I am not writing biographies, I am writing reality fiction, so the characters are not 'real' in that sense, though the situations and they themselves may be rooted in reality,” she tells. Advice to

aspiring writers…

As an advice to aspiring writers, Paro sums it just right, “Fellow writer, Uma Krishnaswami said something that has stuck with me years later. She had a secret formula for writers – BIC – which stands for Bottom in Chair. Simply put your bottom on a chair and write but don't set out writing for 16 hours and a 100 page book, stake it in bite sized pieces. Writing in the first flow is the fun part. It's the re-writing that is the work. But, re-work and re-write to make the best possible book. And then, once you feel ready, make a neat, error free submission. I have had really sloppy presentations made to me when I was a commissioning editor. And honestly, the feeling I always had was that if the writer didn't respect her own work, how could I?”

Book that influenced your life…

“Born Free by Joy Adams for inspiring me, Watership Down for making me see the animal kingdom in a completely different light, The True Adventures of Prince Teentang by Kalpana Swaminathan for making me laugh and Harry Potter and JK Rowling for showing me and the rest of the world that it was fine to break every rule that the industry pundits had set,” she says.

Tips for inculcating reading habits…

“As a child, I wasn't a great reader, it was when I found Born Free that it clicked. It was just a matter of finding the right fit for me. So I would say, try different books, don't hesitate to drop a book if you don't like it. Carry a book in your car when there isn't much more to do,” she advises.

On a lighter note…

On asking about her likes and dislikes, Paro replies, “I don't consider writing as work. It’s the thing that I go to if I am feeling off centre. I just love it. Other than that, I love to swim, play with my dogs, work out with my trainer, which would all make me a super fit, super slim person, but, sadly I also love food a lot and I am married into a family of awesome cooks!”

“I am secretly addicted to spider solitaire. I have to play it before I sleep because it blocks out everything else that happened in the day. I am also a huge fan of a singer songwriter, Keith Urban whose lyrics just really speak to me,” she concludes.

Paro Anand is one of the leading authors for children and young adults. She also works with children in schools and NGOs, through her programme Literature in Action and holds a world record for helping over three thousand children make the world’s longest newspaper. She has been awarded for her contribution to children’s literature by The Russian Centre for Science and Culture. No Guns at my Son’s Funeral, opened to rave reviews, was on the International Board on Books for Young People Honour List, has been translated into German and French, and is being adapted for cinema. The Little Bird who held the Sky up with his Feet was on the 1001 Books to Read before You Grow Up, an international gold standard of the world’s best books ever. She has published her 26th book this year, a graphic novel called '2' published by Scholastic and there is another ready to go called A Very Naughty Bear with Scholastic and two more in the pipeline - a collection of short stories called The Other and a novel called Nomad's Land.

GenX in Publishing!

Innovative ideas, new perspectives, fresh energy… Gen-X publishing professionals are dynamic and eager to take their companies to newer heights. Varsha Verma of All About Book Publishing met such young professionals in the book publishing industry. Excerpts.

Nrip Jain

BPB Publications

BPB is the Asia's largest publishers of computer, electronic books and CD Roms/ DVDs. For the last 50 years, BPB has been a friend, philosopher and guide for programmers, developers, hardware technicians, IT professionals, etc who have made things happen in the IT World. The publishing house was started by GC Jain, who has been honoured with the Padmashree award in 2002 by Hon'ble President of India for his contribution in spreading IT Education in India. Today, the publishing house benefits from fresh ideas by third generation entrepreneur – Nrip Jain, who joined the family business in 2011, after completing his B.Sc. in Business Studies from UK and working with a corporate for two years in UK.

Journey so far…

“When I joined the family business, I realised that we need to be street-smart. I was lucky that I had an experienced set-up with good family values in place. The mix of academics and experience was great,” he shares.

“Since the marketing has changed over the years tremendously, I wanted to change ahead of time, so I use all channels like online, interactive and social media to reach a wider audience. It is important to engage with customers and social networking sites like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and LinkedIn go a long way in keeping them engaged,” he adds. Nrip is open to improve on his systems and working style with time. His all-time role model remains Steve Jobs, who believed “Do what you love and the money will follow.”

Offering international books at low prices

Nrip sees a huge potential in the computer publishing segment as the world is going digital. “For the last two years, BPB has reprinted low priced Indian editions under arrangement with leading publishers like McGraw Hill, Sybex, Pearson Group, Wordware, Mike Murach & Associates, Waterside, Barons, Paul Harris (Austraila) etc. which are immensely popular in India amongst the computer book enthusiasts. One important aspect of the Indian reprints are the prices; our prices are very reasonable considering the high quality of production,” he shares.

Customised books

An important title in their treasure trove is Tally India, which they publish on an exclusive basis. “It is a low cost book which is used in all major universities which have a course on finance & Accounting,” he adds. “What’s more? We offer Tally book in 10 regional languages like Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Hindi, English, etc.”

BPB also publishes customised books catering to the individual market needs. “We customise the books for the school, college and professional markets. With our emphasis on high quality of authorship, authenticated content, editorial and production values, our educational and professional divisions have been fulfilling the requirements of a vast number of readers,” adds Nrip.

Expanding horizons…

“This year, we will be launching 100-150 new titles,” he shares. “Besides, under the National Skill Development Corporation, we will be offering 75-100 titles under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).”

Nrip is also trying to expand into other territories and he wishes to offer his books for schools as well. They are also focussing on real estate and finance. “I tried to monetise the assets we have. We had a showroom in Connaught Place in New Delhi, which we closed down due to emergence of online e-commerce portals like Amazon, Flipkart, etc. We are also focussing on online sales,” he adds.

“Besides, we try our best to offer every product strong and better than the last. We would continue to focus on computer and IT books as we believe that there’s still a lot that can be done in this field,” he adds. Nrip is also open for inorganic growth by acquiring publishers in computers and IT books. 

Sahil Gupta

V&S Publishers/Publishing Consultant

Sahil Gupta is a Publishing Consultant, who joined the family business – V&S Publishers in 2009. Today, the publishing house has 600 titles, four imprints and 400 ebooks. He has been instrumental is making V&S a process-oriented company, which separates them from other players in the field. “We have recently developed a good optimised economical warehouse for ourselves, which can be replicated by other publishers as well,” he shares.

“Since publishing is a noble business, as a company policy, we also publish one not-for-profit title every year as a part of our CSR activity. Under this project, we published a book on Autism which is very useful for people living with autistic people,” shares Sahil.

Journey so far…

A BTech in Electronics & Communications Engineering followed by an MBA with specialisation in Marketing & HR marked his change of direction into digital rights management and establishment of consultancy (www.publishingconsultant.in) business. Having sufficient experience in the academic and professional publishing sectors, he works regularly with authors and agents.

Sahil advises publishers on all aspects of digital publishing through his consultancy business. He is an experienced negotiator, with expertise in digital contracts for both selling and acquiring ebooks and other digital products. His expertise includes copyright law and publishing rights, including complete understanding of digital technologies. “I feel that publishing as an industry did not get due recognition. I started my consultancy business to connect with publishers who have been in the market for quite some time but are hesitant about exploring new ideas. There’s so much we can do with the content and optimising our resources is the way forward in this creative industry. So, I try to guide publishers on sustaining with optimisation of resources,” he adds.

“Infact, we give a third person perspective to the publisher; find the loopholes in their system and give them solutions for the same. There is information sharing, rather than finding their trade secrets,” he says.

Challenges faced by publishers…

“The biggest challenge is not having skilled personnel and skilled people are very expensive. Besides, most of the publishing houses do not have processes in place. Their filing systems are shoddy, there are no proper contracts with authors, ecommerce portals, booksellers, etc,” says Sahil. Another challenge he shares is that since 2011, people are moving towards digital and publishers do not know what is the right way forward.

“Besides, distribution network is another area which publishers need to look into. There will be a great demand for books as commodity in tier 2 & 3 cities. So, publishers need to focus on these cities, where distribution systems are still not developed to the optimal level and ecommerce is still in its infancy,” adds Sahil. “There is immense scope for books in regional languages, tribal languages and dialects. I feel regional markets will be flooded with books in their own language.”

The way forward…

“Sale of books is not increasing because publishers are not able to visualise and cash on the fact that content is consumed in chunks. So, there is a need to repurpose the content because it is not about what you publish but it is about how you publish it. Publishers with technology will be at the helm – it is time to use multiple platforms, audio books, QR codes, ebooks, Augmented Reality, videos, etc. Publishers need to embed multiple formats,” he says. Another important point that Sahil mentions is that company ethics will play a bigger role too.

On a concluding note…

“Publishers are here to stay. Books will be the preferred medium for quality content as it is increasingly becoming difficult to find original and authentic content on the internet. I feel consolidation is the way forward and our industry might see more mergers, collaborations and joint ventures in the industry. There will be lot of cross-industrialisation and technology companies will have a greater role to play,” concludes Sahil. 

“IPA is a trade organisation with a human rights mandate”

SAYS DR MICHIEL KOLMAN, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION, WHO WAS RECENTLY IN DELHI IN CONVERSATION WITH VARSHA VERMA OF ALL ABOUT BOOK PUBLISHING. HE ALSO BRIEFED ABOUT SOME OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS THE NEWLY ELECTED IPA PRESIDENT AND THE OBJECTIVES THAT IPA HAS BEEN CURRENTLY WORKING ON. EXCERPTS.

The International Publishers Association (IPA) is the world's largest federation of national, regional and specialist publishers' associations. Its membership comprises 70 organisations from 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Americas. Through its members, IPA represents thousands of individual publishers around the world who service markets containing more than 5.6 billion people. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, IPA represents the interests of the publishing industry in international fora and wherever publishers' interests are at stake.

Dr Michiel Kolman, president, International Publishers Association, briefs us about the key pillars of IPA and the trends within the publishing industry. Excerpts.

Two key pillars of IPA…

“One of the two key pillars of IPA remains protection of copyright, which we feel is very crucial as without protection of copyright, publishers cannot make deep investments. As an organisation, we fight for copyrights. At the international level, we work with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).We also work regionally and are involved with legal interventions like that in Singapore and here in Delhi (Delhi University photocopy case). We organised a lot of activities around these cases,” said Dr Kolman. “Authors and publishers should be rewarded for their work and they should not be undermined by piracy.”

Another key pillar for IPA remains Freedom to publish. “We are trade organisation with the human rights mandate. Freedom to publish is a fundamental subset of freedom of expression, and is a prerequisite for a thriving publishing industry, which is itself an essential part of a democratic society and a basis for a knowledge economy. The protection and promotion of freedom to publish is therefore one of IPA's key objectives,” told Dr Kolman. “Publishers take a lot of personal, physical and financial risk by publishing controversial works. Thus, we try to protect and promote freedom to publish. In my two years of presidency at IPA, I wish that our efforts towards Freedom to publish are either stable or even stronger than before.”

The IPA Prix Voltaire…

Interestingly, in 2005, the IPA created the Freedom to Publish Prize to honour a person or organization adjudged to have made a significant contribution to the defence and promotion of freedom to publish in the world. In 2016, the prize was renamed the IPA Prix Voltaire, in tribute to the French philosopher and writer François-Marie Arouet (penname Voltaire), who propounded a doctrine of tolerance and free expression before the terms were in general use. Moreover, between 1755 and 1759 Voltaire lived in Geneva, Switzerland, where the IPA is based, before moving to the nearby French border town of Ferney, which was renamed Ferney-Voltaire in his honour after the French Revolution,” added Dr Kolman.

The 2017 presentation of the IPA Prix Voltaire will return to the Göteborg Book Fair, Sweden, 11 years after the first ‘IPA Freedom Prize’ was awarded to Iranian publisher Shalah Lahiji, in September 2006.

Trends in publishing industry…

“It is the beginning of the digital revolution, which surely hasn’t finished yet. Some companies are very advanced like the STM publishers who have gone 80-90% digital. But it is not so in other genres. But, digital publishing offers incredible level of opportunity as new formats are evolving and gives intimacy with the end-user, the reader, which was never before. For example, since STM is digital, there is a wealth of analytics which help us develop further products, which we could never think before, he shared. “We also feel that children book publishing will change completely as children are more comfortable reading on hand held devices like tablets, iPads, mobile phones, etc.”

Another important fact that Dr Kolman mentioned was that in the era where there is so much development of fake news, publishers have a strong role to play in publishing reliable and quality information.

Trends in Indian publishing industry…

“In many countries like India, I see that there is a lot of importance on education. The society is changing dramatically and internet has interconnected people and things. There is a development of quantum computing which will allow incredible amount of data being processed faster. India, being a young nation, is embracing change of future and this is a good sign for the industry as education publishers help in this transformation by offering quality content for the society,” said Dr Kolman.

“Associations play an important role and publishing associations in India are very successful and contribute a lot to bring a change in the society,” he added.

On 2018 IPA Congress…

The 2018 IPA Congress will be held in the plush Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi from February 11-13, 2018, with around 900 delegates in attendance. This is the second time the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) has assumed responsibility for the now biennial congress, having first staged it in 1992. “FIP is fully committed to bring an extremely ambitious and successful programme and we are expecting a very strong attendance from abroad and India,” said Dr Kolman.

The theme of the congress is ‘Shaping the Future Innovation Meets Experience,’ where experts will present, question, debate, analyze—and finally emerge with a new set of perspectives, ideas and takeaways. “The topics will include Copyright, Freedom to Publish, Children Publishing, Educational Publishing, Digital and Print, Library Movement, Self Publishing, STM Publishing, Asia as a Market and India as a Market, etc,” he added. The speakers will include not only from publishers community but also technology companies.

“It will be a perfect place to showcase what India can do in publishing, boost a lot of publishing and give a quantum leap of knowledge to young publishers. International players can learn a lot from innovations happening in India and vice versa,” concluded Dr Kolman.

“Education is embedded in our value system"

“Education is embedded in our value system"

says Sivaramakrishnan V (Siva), managing director of Oxford University Press (OUP) in conversation with Varsha Verma. 

“A developed education society is one where the role of teacher and teaching profession is aspirational. In India, education is embedded in our value system. Every parent, across any strata, aspires for his or her child to be educated. Also, education is relatively affordable in India and the whole process of reverse innovation is happening in India, making online content more accessible through technology,” says Sivaramakrishnan V (Siva), managing director of Oxford University Press (OUP) - India Branch, with regional responsibilities including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. 

The expertise & experience… 

Siva has extensive experience in the Education Services, e-commerce, automobile and FMCG domains. In his previous assignment, Siva was executive president – Education Services at Manipal Global Education Services (MaGE), one the country’s largest privately owned higher education and training services providers. He also spent nearly ten years with the Ford Motor Company–including time based in the UK and US–and held various consumer branding roles within Proctor and Gamble. So, how has been the transition from FMCG to cars to education industry? “Throughout my career, what’s been consistent is that all the brands had strong focus on discovering or uncovering consumer needs, fulfilling them and then taking that fulfilment to the market. Secondly, all of them had increasing levels of technology play on the path of the consumer. Third, along the way, as you grow, domain knowledge becomes 10% of what you are and people, behaviour and experience become 90%. So, it is impervious to the sector,” replies Siva. “For the last 10 years, I have been in the education sector – almost all of them focusing on content and its delivery.” 

Education industry makeover… 

Since Siva has been into the education industry for a decade now, what are the major changes he has witnessed? “Technology is the biggest influence in the education industry. There are two areas in technology which have transformed education – first is the digitisation process, curation and consumption, which has had a positive impact on all these areas, cutting down lead time, costs, etc. The second part of technology is device, which has transformed from a large vertical one to small flat devices. Vertical devices failed in education because it was not a sticky device. While, the flat device is like a book and it offers all three features - information, entertainment and education. A lot of features in the devices today are driven by education. The cost of devices too has come down drastically, making it more affordable,” says Siva as a matter of fact. 

Another important change that Siva enumerates is content, which has changed dramatically. “Every piece of content was like a dictionary. Now, we have chunks of content vs. big content, which has aided technology. Hence, there is more reusability and curation of content. Then, there is lot of interactive content. Every publisher today has ebooks to supplement print books. Besides, content is no longer only in the purview of subject matter expert but instructional design and technology have become the key part of content formulation,” shares Siva. 

“The third thing that has changed dramatically is the consumer of the content. I believe that children born after 2000, by the time they reach the age of higher education, would consume educational content very differently,” he adds. 

Siva also feels that schools have been more progressive towards change than higher education segment. “The pedagogy and content of schools has improved a lot,” he says. “This has much to do with the boards like ICSE, CBSE and state boards. The project work, assignments and assessments have changed dramatically and a lot of them are driven by technology and data,” tells Siva. 

“Besides, e commerce is emerging as a very significant distribution channel, more so in higher education segment and less in school segment at the moment,” adds Siva. 

Embracing the digital revolution… 

“Digital is an opportunity for publishing, not a challenge. The publishing sector has completely embraced digital, in some ways more than others. Digital forms of content and representation, ebooks, subscription to clouds/libraries, ejournals – publishers have embraced it all – it has driven down cost and increased repetitive access,” tells Siva. 

“For publishers like OUP, institution, teachers and students – all are important. Print is at the core, especially in K-12 segment,” shares Siva. “Infact, print has gained volume in the toughest market – US, which is a clear indication that there is no debate on print vs. digital. Print is here to stay. Besides, there is a lot of research going on about the seriousness of reading vs. lightness of reading. It is seen that it is ok to skim through digital content but for a more serious reading, print is important.” 

On teaching English to young adults… 

Siva states that OUP has leveraged its traditional strength in English Language Teaching (ELT) by developing a strong Adult ELT programme in India targeted at students enrolled in Higher Education and those seeking employment. “As one example, OUP has made it possible for vernacular learners to learn English through their mother tongue, by developing bilingual learning materials – dictionaries and grammar books,” he says. 

He further adds, “OUP’s bilingual dictionaries cover 9 Indian languages (3 more will be added within the next 2 years). The bilingual Grammar series, English Grammar Just For You, is available in 10 Indian languages.” 

On OUP… 

“Our biggest part of offering in India is K-12; we are market leaders in this fractured market. Last year has been a very strong year for us. We do not focus on revenue growth. We measure our growth in units and I am pleased to share that we are growing very strong in units as revenue by itself is a reflection of multiple things. For OUP globally, India is one of the five biggest markets in the world. There is still appetite for more in India,” shares Siva. “Infact, Oxford University Press has decided to partner with Cognizant Technology Solutions as it moves towards becoming a more technology and digital driven business.” 

Taking about the key focus areas at OUP, he shares, “OUP is focusing more on teachers and teaching resources. Teacher resource is another main area which publishers are focusing on. Every single book from Oxford University Press goes with teacher resources. Then, we have Oxford Educate, which offers premium features of Learning Management System, Assessments and advanced e-Readers for schools who want to adopt a complete digital learning solution.” 

OUP has taken a step further and providing teachers training workshops. “Last year, we conducted over 1500 training workshops and trained approximately 1,00,000 teachers by engaging certified teacher trainers,” tells Siva. 

“Besides, we are trying to capture the data and reporting to further improve our content. We are also seriously looking at the role of technology and devices in the back-end, across our supply chain, deliveries, etc. We are also trying to focus on improving our publishing process like creative, design, content, copyrights, etc,” adds Siva. 

OUP is also focusing on higher education segment, which is the fastest growing segment as it is an adoption driven business. “We even offer tailor-made content for various institutes,” adds Siva. “Besides, OUP is also coming up with some good books in the academic segment.” 

On distribution channels… 

“On the business process side, adoption by an institution is fundamental to the way we operate. Our sales team is in touch with them directly. In the higher education space, the consumer can reach us directly or through booksellers. K-12 is a prescribed market while higher ed is a suggested market. So our distribution system is geared to fulfil the adoption cycle as applicable. Last year, we shipped approximately 22.3 million units, of which 90% were indigenously produced,” tells Siva. 

Advice to educators for selecting the right books… 

“Education is not different than any other sector and teachers should have a choice of products and education services. The brand and quality is very important. It has to be consistent over time. The quality should be good and there should be no room for errors. At OUP, quality is hygiene,” tells Siva. 

“Then the entire pedagogy is important. The teacher has to teach young impressionable minds. We do a huge amount of robust content creating too as per our publishing process, which involves extensive involvement of teachers. Sometimes, parents also suggest schools to use books from a particular publisher as they know which books are good too,” shares Siva. 

Talking about the discounts in the segment, Siva feels that it is a big challenge, besides piracy. “It is detrimental to the way you do business. But, our ethics remain the same worldwide, we do not believe in any kind of facilitation payments and we give the same discounts to all the booksellers,” he adds. 

On measuring learning outcomes… 

“A critical measure in OUP's Mission Success Factors is the impact on classroom learning outcomes because of our learning materials. The Oxford Impact Framework (OIF), as we call it, helps us measure the impact of our products in overall learning outcomes. We partner with third party experts who conduct these researches on our behalf, ensuring that the process is unbiased” says Siva. 

He adds, “At some point in the future, we would like to put out these reports in the public domain to share more broadly the insights that one can get about education delivery and classroom learning.” 

On a concluding note… 

“Structurally, we need to do a lot to enhance access and equity in the education sector. We need to have a flexible choice based curriculum. Besides, India also needs a lot of skilled manpower. Hence, there is a need for more vocational training colleges. Having said that, there has been a lot of improvement in the education segment and publishers like OUP are trying their best to meet the changing needs,” concludes Siva.