The very nature of independent publishing appears to place it in opposition to the world of corporate publishing. In theory, the two should speak to two separate ends of the spectrum, working towards diverging goals: yet this remains to be seen, especially at The Bookseller Children’s Conference. 

Two talks, placed on different sides of the day’s programme, worked to present the industry from their own unique perspective. Primarily, ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Starting Up’, with Magic Cat founders Jenny Broom and Rachel Williams, focused on their experience building a female-led, start-up, independent publisher in the pre-, mid- and post-pandemic days. The talk revolved specifically around Magic Cat’s customer-driven approach, as the two expertly spoke on how they navigate real-world topics and issues, whilst applying these, foremost, to a children’s and illustrated market. In an industry where 59% of businesses fail in their first year, and 98% of books released in 2020 sold fewer than 10,000 copies, you’d be foolish to think Broom and Williams walked their way into the market. Contrastingly, their focus, in a world of ‘uncertainty’, seeks to place emphasis upon their reader, and their books wholly reflect this; their talk mentioned the company’s success within sub-genres grounded in real-life topics. These include science and mental health, whilst working intimately with authors such as Laura Brand. At the panel’s conclusion, Broom encapsulated this approach in one, succinct sentence; they are “bringing real-world subjects to families who gather around the printed page”. 

Therefore, if independent is seemingly equivalent to this personal, family-driven approach, (with under 25 staff in Magic Cat’s case), then surely corporate must equal cold, unfriendly offices and unsmiling faces, driven purely by numbers, spreadsheets and teams made up of hundreds.  However, Tom Bonnick’s illuminating talk about his move from independent publishing, at Nosy Crow, to corporate, working as HarperCollins’ children’s fiction editorial director, served to strip away the ‘corporateness’, as one may traditionally expect. Bonnick began by affirming his belief in quitting while ahead, leading the discussion with the utmost praise for his independent background, and especially Nosy Crow’s focus on international publishing. Whilst presenting the corporate world from his own (and relatively newfound) perspective, Bonnick focused upon HarperCollins’ wealth of resources, pushing forward into a new digital age in a ground-breaking team, working with platforms such as Collins Learning in the education sector. The talk also mentioned the marriage of his role in the children’s department and collaboration with the HarperCollins adult fiction department, alongside his excitement at the opportunity to work with, and reinvent, famous, household brands such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Mary Poppins.  

Preconceived notions then, at least personally, of the disparity between independent and corporate publishing were quashed by Bonnick’s talk.  While both companies maintain their core beliefs – Magic Cat focus on themes of kindness, inclusivity and friendship, as their books “inspire care for our world… and each other”, while HarperCollins have an established global platform and brand, with teams in offices from France to Brazil – there is a simultaneous focus on education, growth, audience engagement and, most importantly, “kids who love books”. Although Bonnick’s talk acknowledges the inherent ceiling that comes with working at an independent publisher, experienced through his eleven years at Nosy Crow, and thus the greater opportunity for growth within corporate publishing, the intent between the two remain absolutely on par. That is not to say that Magic Cat, Nosy Crow and HarperCollins are wholly representative of independent and corporate publishing respectively, but, as the conclusion to Bonnick’s talk put so succinctly, “fundamentally, we’re all doing the same thing, we’re all still making books”. 

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