Penguin Imprint Focus: Day Two, by Nichole Morford

(View entire post here)

As we round down the final few posts for our Penguin Imprint Feature, we're going to step aside and allow Nichole Morford to post about life at DK. She's going to be guest blogging for the next few entries, and will reveal what being a DK Editor actually entails.

We're in the midst of starting presentations for the Frankfurt Book Fair here, which means that there is quite a lot of buzz in the office. It's also Global Week, so there are a fair number of American accents mixed in with the Brits-along with German, Australian, and the odd Canadian. One of the nicest things about working for DK is its truly global perspective and reach. Typically, our main outposts publish simultaneously, with varied DK translations following in their wake. Every month the directors of these branches come to London to compare notes and brainstorm.

This sort of globalization means that our books must appeal to a very wide market. As an editor, you start thinking about this at presentation stage, when you're compiling contents lists and collaborating with designers to decide how the book should look. The ideal product is timely and has a distinct personality, yet won't date quickly or look too British or American to be unappealing in, say, India. Of course, we sometimes do books that are designed for specific markets-but by and large, we try to make books that are compelling for everyone.

Pre-Frankfurt is one of the busiest presentation times. I'm currently developing three new concepts: a sex and relationships guide for couples; a gorgeous how-to book on home massage; and what is essentially a boiled-down MBA in a book. These will be presented to DK's various territories and sales people in September, and will be brought to the book fair a month later to pitch to other publishers. It's busy, but always exciting to help plan the birth of a book-or several!

DK, Dorling Kindersely, Penguin books, imprint, editors, authors, guides, book publisher, books, eyewitness, dictionary, encyclopedia, publisher