The Bird Interview: Don Weisberg
Don Weisberg has been in the publishing business his entire adult life. He began in 1973 working in a bookstore, followed by numerous jobs in sales, marketing and publishing at Bantam Books, then Bantam Doubleday Dell, Random House and now Penguin. He was Chief Operating Officer of Random House for seven years before becoming President of the Penguin Young Readers Group in May 2008.
Here Don responds to a number of questions about Penguin Young Readers Group's performance as well as the importance of online marketing and ways to attract more readers in today's economic climate.
How would you describe your first year at the helm of Penguin Young Readers Group?
It's been an exciting and rewarding first year. After 35 years in the industry, I've enjoyed learning a completely new aspect of the business and seeing first hand the differences between children's and adult books. Penguin Young Readers Group has one of the richest lists in the industry and I am gratified to have inherited such amazing books and such a terrific team.
There is a real electricity at 345 Hudson Street. What are some of the things that are driving this energy?
Thank you. There are a couple of things contributing to the energy here. One is that every member of our team knows and believes that what we do is important and that our books can make a difference in the lives of children. The people who work in the young readers division are a combination of optimism and idealism. Combine that with the incredible authors and books that we publish, and the energy is palpable. On top of that, we realize that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of our potential.
You have such a talented team of publishers, editors, marketing/publicity and sales executives. How do you keep everyone motivated?
Good question. I'll let you know when I figure it out. In all seriousness, motivation is never the job of one person. As long as our team feels independent and empowered to take risks, we will reap great rewards.
How would you describe some of your teams' most effective publishing strategies?
The simplest explanation is that we implement long-term strategies that focus on our authors' overall careers and how we can best help them reach their full potential. We define the pillars of the house, and put our energy on projects that will have the most long-term impact on our results, and we don't let up.
What are the most exciting aspects of Penguin Young Readers Group at the mid-year point and beyond?
To finish the first half of the year with Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride debuting on the New York Times Children's Chapter Book bestseller list at #1, the Wall Street Journal bestseller list at #3 and the USA Today bestseller list at #11 is testimony to all of our efforts, from the long-term publishing strategy to a creative marketing and publicity campaign to an incredible look and feel of the book to an aggressive distribution stance in the marketplace. We approached the campaign knowing that Sarah Dessen had written a #1 bestseller, and we made it happen. This is just one example of our new publishing philosophy, which we now bring to all of our major campaigns.
How would you describe the current state of children's and young adult publishing in the U.S. during what is still a challenging economic climate?
Children's and YA publishing are probably two of the few areas that are not suffering to the same degree as other areas of the business. However, regardless of format or genre, our customers are facing one of the most difficult sales climates in recent history. In some cases, survival is at stake and no area goes untouched. We are picking our shots and focusing on our tried and true backlist. Penguin's backlist is a great advantage during these times, but it is a struggle nonetheless.
Even though there are reports that kids are more interested in sending and reading text messages than reading books, the teen/young adult market appears to be particularly vibrant now. Why do you think that is?
Hold on, I'm in the middle of a text message. All kidding aside, I don't have the slightest idea. Okay, I'll give it a shot. The YA books with which we have had the most success deal with important issues such as teen suicide, anorexia, divorce and loss. One potential theory is that teens seek out our books because they deal with significant issues that twitter and texts can't intelligently address. Secondly, texting and twittering can't replace the pure entertainment that a Twilight or our own Vampire Academy can deliver.
Some of your Group's online marketing campaigns have been particularly successful, such as ones for Thirteen Reasons Why and Sarah Dessen's new book, Along for the Ride. Can you tell me a little about those?
The central idea behind both the Thirteen Reasons Why and Sarah Dessen online campaigns is reader interaction. Instead of force-feeding teens information about our books, we allow our readers to communicate with and influence one another via reader comment tools and social networking sites. For example, when we launched the Thirteen Reasons Why reader comment tool on the book's website, fans instantly started posting comments. These comments spurred others. There are now over 4000 comments on the site. Combine that with two incredible reading experiences and you have a cocktail for success.
Your group has also had success with bestselling adult authors crossing over and writing bestsellers for the young readers market, such as Mike Lupica and Nick Hornby. What do you think accounts for this publishing trend and your Group's success with it?
Two of the biggest bestselling YA authors over the last ten years are JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. A recent study showed that over 50% of Meyer's readers are adult. This is no different than the movie industry, where films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones draw both young and old viewers. At Penguin Young Readers Group, we are always striving to find books that readers will enjoy, regardless of age. Mike Lupica and Nick Hornby are great examples of authors who reach readers of all ages. We've also had incredible success with our Young Readers edition of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, which has been on the New York Times best seller list for 32 weeks now, several of those at #1.
Shifting gears, what inspired you to begin your career in book publishing?
The video and music stores wouldn't hire me. The book store did! When I look at a book, I feel like I'm looking at the greatest invention ever made. When I need uplifting, I turn to my library.
From your perspective, what's special about Penguin Young Readers Group and the company's approach to publishing?
Everyone here genuinely believes in what we publish and that our books have the ability to change lives. That passion and belief are reflected in the high quality of our books.
What have been the most rewarding aspects of your career?
I have been one of the luckiest people in the world to have enjoyed a successful career in book publishing. Working in this industry, you meet many of the world's most talented people who are at the forefront of the world's most important ideas and movements. And someone pays you to do it! I would of course be remiss if I didn't also mention one of the other great rewards of working in publishing: free books!
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in book publishing?
Two things: there are endless possibilities and nothing is sacred. With all of the changes happening in the industry, from new reading formats to shifting marketing and sales outlets, it is more important than ever to approach the industry with fresh eyes and a fresh approach.
When you look ahead to the future of Penguin Young Readers Group, what excites you the most?
What excites me is this company's ability to build an incredible list of books and authors, and to make each title a major success. Penguin Young Readers Group has one of the most creative and hard working teams in the industry, and at the same time, we like to have fun. We've just begun to tap into our true potential. From here, the possibilities are endless.