What do the restrictions matter, as long as you want to?
The book, in a cultural sector hit hard, has withstood the health crisis relatively well.
This is illustrated by the creation of many publishing houses.
Large, small and medium, all are the babies of enthusiasts who hope to find a place in a crowded market.
There are nearly two hundred publications every day in France, from seven thousand different houses.
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"We wanted to get into the segment of white literature
[which does not fall under a particular genre, Editor's note]
, which is the showcase, the reference for all publishers,"
Romain Naudin, editorial director, told AFP. de Faubourg Marigny, a house backed by the La Geste group, located in Deux-Sèvres, and whose first two novels will appear in March.
In recent years, the company has created six other labels, such as the Presses Universitaires de Nouvelle-Aquitaine (research) or Marmaille & Compagnie (youth).
“We could observe the citizen reflex of the French who rushed into their bookstore when it was open.
"
Romain Naudin, editorial director of Éditions Faubourg Marigny
That this group lost almost a third of turnover in 2020 did not discourage him.
“On the contrary,”
exclaims Naudin, “
we could observe the citizen reflex of the French who rushed into their bookstore when it was open.
I didn't expect to see this in my life.
We had been told so often in the 2000s that digital technology was going to take everything in its path ... ”
Simple but demanding, Faubourg Marigny plans to become a medium-sized house, with a dozen novels per year, whose authors will not make the front pages of magazines or the television rounds.
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Know (everything) to do
More ambitious, Mialet-Barrault invited herself directly to the table of the great of the Parisian edition.
His first title,
Crenom, Baudelaire!
by Jean Teulé, published in October, placed on the podium of the best-selling books in France.
Behind this new arrival, two seasoned editors from Éditions Julliard: Betty Mialet and Bernard Barrault.
“Bernard and I didn't want to retire.
It all started with a joke from Antoine Gallimard, who told us that he would find us premises when we wanted.
And then it got serious, ”
says Mialet.
The famous premises are located in the heart of the left bank, Place de l'Odéon.
Mialet-Barrault has become a subsidiary of Flammarion, itself integrated into the Madrigall group (Gallimard, POL, Casterman, etc.).
And authors followed, such as Philippe Jaenada, Yasmina Khadra, Mazarine Pingeot, Lionel Duroy, leaving Julliard and its parent company Editis (Vivendi group).
“The reader does not care about the publisher, he is looking for an author.
But a label matters.
And that, at Editis, they did not understand it well ”
, details the editor.
Read also: Editis (Vivendi) redistributes the management of its publishing houses
On the other end of the spectrum, the little ones need to arm themselves with unwavering faith.
Marina Anca, author in addition, creates her own house, named Blinkline,
"without any public aid"
.
His first story to appear,
The Great War at Eighteen Years
, scheduled for May, is that of Paul Pourcelot, a young soldier of the First World War.
The text has been reviewed by the hairy son, Léandre.
"Alone, in a publishing house, you have to know how to do everything: write, layout, take care of sales, accounting, website, order management and sending invoices, negotiating contracts with channels, etc.
It is true that it is exhausting, but it is also a happiness ”
, explains the novelist.
The certainty that all these houses have in common is that the raw material - the texts to be published - will never fail.
“The confinement had this effect of freeing the writing.
We are not the best known, and we receive ten manuscripts a day, ”
concludes Betty Mialet.