Meet the Shortlist (1): IPA Innovation in Publishing Award 2024

With the award ceremony just less than a month away, we interview The Dutch Publishers Association and the Brazilian Publishers Association, two of our four finalists for the IPA Innovation in Publishing Award to find about more about their initiatives.

Our first initiative is Renew the Book by the Groep Algemene Uitgevers - Dutch Publishers Association (GAU, Netherlands)

Please tell us a little more about the GAU

The GAU is the branch organization for publishers of general books. Although the names have changed over the years basically in 1815 the first branch organization for 'the booktrade' was founded, the so called KVB. In those days publishers and booksellers were often the same. KVB is short for Koninklijke Vereniging ter bevordering van de belangen des Boekhandels.

Now the GAU has about 100 members who represent more than 80% of the trade market for publishers. We are active when it comes to lobbying, organizing events, negotiate so called Model Contracts etc.

What inspired your project?

Our project was inspired by three 'ambitions':

• To stimulate innovation in the Dutch book market
• To generate publicity to show the Dutch book trade is innovative
• To attract new people from 'outside'

Those ambitions/objects still stand. When we started we 'suffered' in publicity, and certainly also in politics, about a kind of very old fashioned, non-innovative sector. Renew the Book certainly helped here.

Tell us a bit more about your project. What makes your project innovative?

Renew the Book always attracted innovative start-ups from all over the world who brought new and inspiring ideas on book-related matters. A wide range of topics, from marketing and distribution to meta data and reading.

The program is a combination of helping start-ups develop their plans and ideas by various experts, and also to give one or two a price which they can use to develop their ideas further, expand and also give them visibility within and outside the trade.

What are your hopes for the future of the project?

We hope to continue the project for many more years. It is a perfect way to stimulate innovation within the book trade. We need innovation but also know companies find it 'difficult' being absorbed by daily business. It show this trade has many more possibilities. And that makes it attractive to work for, also for young people.

How do you think your project could inspire other initiatives elsewhere?

Over the years we have worked internationally, for example with the German Börsenverein (ContentShift), but also Futurebook in the UK and the German FuturePublish.

More important winners have been in touch with many nternational partners. Bookarang for example, a company which provides metadata for books (especially libraries) now also is in contact to work in Germany, Scandinavia etc.

What the GAU achieved with five editions of Renew the Book is what we had in mind. And that is why we will continue. Always looking for a new angle. Last year the focus was on reading. Maybe next year the focus will be on sustainability, also an interesting topic to bring innovation to the book trade.

Now let's turn to our second shortlisted initiative, AEJ Academia Editorial Júnior by the Sindicato Nacional dos Editores de Livros (SNEL, Brazil).

Please tell us a little more about the SNEL

Created in 1941, the Brazilian Publishers Association aims to represent the interests of the publishing sector before all government branches and advocate for freedom of expression and copyrights. Today, we have 327 members in our associative plan.

SNEL is affiliated to the International Publishers Association (IPA) and to the Centro Regional para el Fomento del Libro en America Latina y el Caribe (Cerlalc).

What inspired your project?

Under the current administration, the staff of SNEL was encouraged to present ideas of social projects linked to books. The team discussed various suggestions and ultimately proposed a plan that would disseminate interest for working in the publishing industry, while at the same time support young people by offering them free classes about every step of the publishing process, including visits to publishers, bookstores and printing houses, and at the end facilitating their hiring within the sector.

Tell us a bit more about your project. What makes your project innovative?

Recruitment, selection, and training within a company often demand considerable time and resources to ensure that new employees grasp the dynamics of the market, understand their roles, and become adequately prepared for their positions. The objective of Academia Editorial Júnior is to provide free, advanced training for young university students, equipping them with knowledge about the book production chain. Consequently, even before completing their studies, these individuals are already well-prepared to enter the publishing market, having gained valuable experience and insights across various business areas.

What are your hopes for the future of the project?

The aim is to facilitate a nationwide implementation of the project, providing opportunities for several young individuals from socio-economically vulnerable backgrounds who aspire to enter the publishing market. The expectation is that these emerging talents will be identified and contribute to the growth of the book sector.

How do you think your project could inspire other initiatives elsewhere?

We believe the greatest appeal of the project is its clear win-win aspect: Each class is taught by a different voluntary team member of a SNEL publisher, making it low-cost for everyone. Young students receive free training and job opportunities, while publishers benefit from greater availability of well-prepared individuals ready to join their teams.

Read our second set of interviews in the coming weeks.