A Discussion with Ed Nawotka, international and bookselling editor at Publishers Weekly (S2 E22)

10 Oct A Discussion with Ed Nawotka, international and bookselling editor at Publishers Weekly (S2 E22)

Posted at 04:12h in Podcast, Spain, USA by

 

By Marleen Seegers, Co-Founder of 2 Seas Agency and Host of The Make Books Travel Podcast

October 10, 2021
international editor

Ed Nawotka © Three Smudges Photography

Welcome to the very last episode of season two of the Make Books Travel Podcast.

I’ll be taking a break for the next month or so in order to focus on my virtual and in-person meetings before and during the Frankfurt Book Fair.

I’m SO excited to be taking part in the fair, and to be back in Europe for the entire month of October after having stayed put in California for the last 19 months.

Today’s guest, Edward Nawotka, is the international and bookselling editor of Publishers Weekly and co-founder of Publishers Weekly en Español. He’d just returned from a trip to the Madrid Book Fair, which we’ll discuss, as well as Publishers Weekly en Español, the state of independent bookselling in the US, and the biggest shifts he’s noticed during his many years covering the international publishing scene. We talk about much more, but I’ll leave it up to you to discover…

Here are some of the questions I asked Ed:

  • What led you to start Publishing Perspectives, and how did you launch it?
  • You were editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives between 2009 and 2016. What were some of the most significant changes, or shifts, you noticed during those years while covering the international publishing industry?
  • You now cover, amongst others, international affairs at Publishers Weekly. Besides the impact of the pandemic, what changes have you noticed since you started at PW?
  • You also focus on bookselling in the US at PW. Can you briefly discuss its current status, particularly for indie bookstores?
  • Can you tell us about PW en Español?
    • What was the incentive to start this magazine?
    • Does it provide similar content as the US edition?
    • Was the need for this magazine felt mostly in Latin-America or Spain, or both?
    • How has the feedback been so far from the Spanish language publishing world, and those who are interested in the industry?
  • You were at the Madrid Book Fair recently;
    • Was this your first in-person fair since the start of the pandemic?
    • Please tell us about your impressions
  • How is the Spanish book market faring?
Show Notes
Make Books Travel Podcast
  • Ed’s book recommendations:
– The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier
– The Passenger & the Compass series, from Europa Editions
– Life Lessons: Two Experts on Death and Dying Teach Us About the Mysteries of Life and Living by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler
– Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse
– The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
– Too Old, Too Late Smart by Gordon Livingstone
  • About Ed:

Ed Nawotka is the international and bookselling editor of Publishers Weekly and co-founder of Publishers Weekly en Español. Prior to that he was the founder and editor of Publishing Perspectives. Ed has covered the book business for more than two decades, for publications including Bloomberg News, the New Yorker, People magazine, and USA Today. Prior to that he was a foreign correspondent working across Europe, Asia and Africa. He began his career in books as a bookseller for Doubleday Bookstores in Boston. He lives in Houston.

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