The magic formula for publishing

Written by Lisa Highton - Book Brunch

Thursday, 16 February 2012

A year ago, Two Roads was but the proverbial gleam in the eye of its founder. Now, it's a full-fledged success story. Publisher Lisa Highton reflects on the experience When I considered starting Two Roads, a new imprint at Hodder & Stoughton, I was made to think about everything I'd ever done in publishing and where I saw the future of my list. If Two Roads was to have a clear message, I needed to know what it stood for and what my taste was, and it appeared that stories, voices, places, lives pretty much covered it. I've always loved big-hearted stories, strong on narrative, often set in far-flung places. This became the impetus for a diverse list with a single focus: great stories, well told. Until I came back to the UK, the majority of my publishing experience was in Australia, where I published a lot of US bestsellers. In those days it was easier to swim upstream (less so now for a number of reasons), but I certainly wanted to bring that international sensibility to the UK and equally to our overseas markets. The first book I published when I started work in the UK in 2006 was Marley and Me, and the first book I bought was Water for Elephants (the latter selling over 250,000 copies last year for Two Roads). One of the many things I wanted to do with the new list was to be more hands-on. Two Roads is a home for strong reading group fiction and non-fiction, so I was determined to get on the road and talk to readers. Or, as it turned out, on the rails. By the end of February I will have travelled over 7,000 miles up and down the country, through lots of bookshops, speaking to readers, booksellers and aspiring writers. There are times when a train journey late at night may not seem appealing, but I am always cheered by the enthusiasm of reading groups, with members who are keen, articulate, funny and eager for great stories. It is extremely rewarding to see exactly who our readers are and work out the best ways to reach them. I don’t know the magic formula for publishing, otherwise we could all stay home and be replaced by algorithms, but I do know it needs to be led by enthusiasm and that certain spark you feel when you read something fabulous. But having a fabulous book is one thing and knowing how to publish it is quite another - this is a particularly challenging duopoly. A book campaign isn’t just for publication week; it needs perpetual attention and care. In our first year at Two Roads we have had many great achievements, including our first bestseller (Water for Elephants) and more than 7,000 miles travelled to meet avid readers and booksellers. We have built a strong online community, which has opened up the world of publishing to the general public, and have also improved reader engagement through our Two Roads Book Club. In 2012 we look forward to expanding our fiction list with a number of debuts that are perfect for reading groups, such as The Stockholm Eight, a story of intrigue and suspense set in 18th-century Stockholm, plus some fantastic non-fiction, such as Happier at Home by social media guru Gretchen Rubin, and a book for all book-lovers, The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe. So what have I learned in the first year? Publishing is made up of a million tiny acts - we just don’t know which ones will pay off. Food on the railways hasn’t improved, book groups are amazing, and social media is changing the face of publishing. I’m very pleased that Two Roads is having its first birthday and I look forward to many more celebrations over the years. Thanks to colleagues, authors and agents who have been amazingly supportive. There is much to do and much to look forward to. Footnote: Lisa has sent The Bookman " our first birthday video which we released today. It's actually our real Two Roads book club with authorWill Schwalbe whose book, The End of your Life Book Club, we'll be publishingthis Sept/Oct."  http://www.tworoadsbooks.com/