David Remartínez (Zaragoza, 54 years old) is one of those editors who feel a lot of papers, check the structure of the text, turn the concepts, take care of the style and are the parrot of the faults. Of those who guide the authors by the dark paths of creation. Publishes This is how a book is written (ARPA): A manual for beginner writers (but also an X -ray of an industry’s gears) according to the Method of the ARPA publishing house, which goes from the conception of the free idea to communication and sale. Remartínez is also a journalist and book author like A pop history of vampires (Harp) or Gabinism told our children (Trea). Meet the business on both sides.
Ask. You are a table editor. Should the trade more visible?
Answer. No, at all. A book, in the end, is a collective work, where there is also the commercial, communication, design team … people think about the figure of the editor that captures talent and hires books, someone with literary smell, but table editors are essential for a good editorial, their work is to look for the particular that a book has, that others do not have. It is a trade to claim, that it is disappearing, but I do not think there is a kind of co -authorship.
P. Is it difficult to handle the vanity of writers?
R. There is a lot of psychology, you have to congenize with the author, who has to understand that you are there to help and not to say that everything is poorly written. If there are irreconcilable differences, the editorial can terminate the contract. It doesn’t happen much, but it happened to me a couple of times. It is a brown.
P. Why are there so many people writing?
R. Publishing is easier than ever: there are 3,000 publishers in Spain and, in addition, you can self -publish. It is easier than ever communicating and finding public. Before it was an elite thing and has now democratized. And it’s fun!
P. Yeah!
R. It does not usually give a lot of money, but it allows you to connect with many people, discuss, participate in a conversation: you join a very long chain of thought, because all the issues are already addressed. Many professionals allow them to enter certain circuits, give talks, be invited to events. Of course, if you do badly it is a demerit.
P. Does self -publishing have a bad reputation?
R. Not so much: the myth of which Millionaire was published in Amazon has been extended. It is true that an editorial the margin for the author is lower (between 8 and 10%) and that from the outside looks very weird. Because in this industry the part of the lion is taken by the distributors. But if you self -publish you have to invest in other things offered by an editorial: edition, communication, design, sale …
P. I am always surprised that such diverse and powerful editorial industry is held.
R. Among the 3,000 publishers there are many that publish very little, or that are institutional or very specific. Some are semi -war and nobody understands what they do. Actually, the most operational are about 100. And in many two or three people work: they are the equivalent of a small cheese in the Picos de Europa.
P. Let’s go with a cliché: Is it published a lot in Spain?
R. About 90,000 titles per year, which generates a very competitive market. Large publishers (the market is dominated by the planet and Penguin Random House groups) publish many titles: those who sell compensate for the expenses of those who do not sell. There is an overproduction, but it is also fantastic: a society that produces many books is a society in which there are many people thinking and writing. In which there is a lot of concern.
P. What should a book have to be successful?
R. You never know, because many factors influence. The thesis of the book, and that can be sold well to the distributor and the bookseller: you have to be able to explain it in two lines. The title, the cover, the author. Have good communication that knows how to place the book in the media. Until the launch date it is very important, depending on the fairs that there are, or gender, because some are better for summer and others for Christmas … and the extension is fundamental.
P. Because?
R. In general, all books have 75 pages. The authors do not usually think about this. And it costs a lot to convince them to pruning, because they want to put everything they have (and that the reader does not always interest). It seems that publishing a 150 -page book is little. Younger writers are already doing shorter things. And short books are often replacing journalism to understand things such as the Ukraine conflict.
About 90,000 titles per year are published, which generates a very competitive market
P. The roof design?
R. The collection covered, which make the identifiable publishing house, are important for many readers, who trust the seal. They are more common in Europe than in the Anglo -Saxon world, where each book is different. Although that also makes design more difficult.
P. The writer’s profile?
R. It is very important, it is what the publishers look for. The first thing is the idea, then who is the author. Sometimes, writers are encouraged to invest in their networks to get more followers. If the author has self -confidence and enthusiasm, and can move the book, it guarantees the average of 400 copies. You already have the production expenses paid.
P. The books of the influencers…
R. There have been monumental hosts. It was thought that, if one had 100,000 followers, 10% were going to buy the book. But it has not been so, or only in some cases. True security is someone who has a solid community in its field.
P. Lights and shadows of his trade.
R. I spend it superb people who know a lot about what they write. Then, they throw many hours correcting … and you don’t get rich either.