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Introduction by whitefox CEO John Bond
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After ten years of whitefox, an anniversary which we celebrate in April 2022, it has become clear that making books isn’t, and never has been, one thing or one place. It has always been a multifaceted world of entertainment, information and education. Of evolving formats and delivery platforms, in-house inspiration and outsourced creative expertise. All the while, a process of redefining even what it means to actually be called a publisher.
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Freedom to roam outside of the proverbial box will only ever illustrate quite how diverse and open to interpretation the concept of publishing can be. Think of those publishers who looked at their market-share data in 2021 and thought what used to be niche had become mainstream, wondering how they could start acquiring more expertise in graphic novels and manga. Or US fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, who recently crowdfunded over $40 million to self-publish four new novels. Our world keeps shifting, morphing, moving on. There are so many different versions and models of adding value to creators. And ten years on from whitefox’s inception, we’re in the middle of it all. Still unbundling and shining a light on the value of the component parts of publishing, making it more transparent. Still building a sustainable business, doing something we all love, and trying to make a difference.
A few years ago I was asked in a trade press Q&A what would be the next big thing in publishing. I gave an equivalent of a LMFHO emoji and professed that I was just about the last person anyone should ask about that. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe we were just too close. To see that, in our own way, we were in exactly the right position to have a ringside seat and bear witness to Publishing 3.0.
So. Here’s to the next ten.
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10 most memorable whitefox projects
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To celebrate our tenth anniversary, the whitefox team has chosen ten of the most memorable projects they have worked on over the years – from a tap-dancing pigeon to an epic WWI four-book boxed set, celebrity vegan cookbooks to a mini surrealist book collection.
Going down the crapper(s)
Loos of London in collaboration with Pop Press, Ebury (Penguin Random House)
One we’re sure is on everyone’s bookshelf. Loos of London was a fun launch title of the new Ebury imprint, Pop Press, several years ago. In addition to the usual picture research, the whole whitefox team was drafted in to spend a penny at various notable WCs, from loos with a view, to cafés in former subterranean public toilets. We hit the jackpot when we learned that a church round the corner from the whitefox office had in its basement gents one of the earliest surviving examples of a genuine Thomas Crapper…
~ Silvia Crompton, Editorial Director
Click here to continue reading...
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Expert opinion of the month: Soraya Bouazzaoui
Soraya is a Literary Agent’s Assistant at Bell Lomax Moreton, and has been working in the publishing industry for over five years. She has a Creative Writing MA from the University of Westminster and also works as a freelance writer.
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Q. Do you think readers’ appetites have changed / are changing?
Absolutely, oftentimes I think they have a hunger for books they aren’t even aware of. For instance, most of the general public weren’t aware of the African SFF book Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi until it was published. It became an NYT bestseller very quickly, showing that there was indeed a market and audience that wanted to see variety in the SFF genre. It’s a matter of taking risks, and some publishers aren’t always inclined to do so, choosing instead to play it safe despite online media now providing access to people who haven’t otherwise been able to voice what they want as readers. In particular racial and ethnic minorities.
Q. What, in your opinion, has been the most notable moment in publishing over the last ten years?
Probably the increase in racial representation within the industry itself. When I started off six years ago, hiring me – a white-passing, North African Muslim – was the extent of their diversity. It was difficult even for me to feel comfortable in and navigate spaces, so people who are Black, brown and ethnic were suffering to a degree that I will never be able to understand. That isn’t to say racism has been eradicated in the industry, because I’d possibly say it’s thriving more than ever – but minorities have been able to create a space amongst them where they can at least work on books they love for readers who haven’t been catered to before.
Click here to read more.
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Interesting reads of the month
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Articles from the whitefox blog and beyond:
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About us
We are whitefox, a publishing services agency with decades of experience, collaborating with writers, brands and publishers to create beautiful books.
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