Scott Pack – The Book Swap Interview

by Melanie Gow on June 17, 2010

Scott Pack, Publisher

with The Friday Project,

blogger,

cake lover and

the man behind Book Swap.

Although you are a prolific writer yourself, between articles, reviewing, interviewing, blogging, and twittering, you have never been an author, what was your path to becoming a publisher.

Ah well, you see, I have had a book published. I just didn’t use my real name.

I have never publicly admitted what the book was although it isn’t a particularly well-kept secret. Ask the right people and you can probably find out.

My path to becoming a publisher was very simple and not at all typical. I had been at Waterstone’s for six years, left, and was offered a job with a small independent publisher. Er, and that was it.

It is useless to ask what book you are currently reading as you are famously an inexhaustible reader and that changes by the minute, so what books are you currently considering publishing?

The deals that aren’t signed yet I can’t really tell you much about but they include books by an up-and-coming comedian, a legendary DJ, an Oscar-winning actor and a 19^th century Argentinean political exile.

What achievement in your life are you most proud of?

It’s a toss-up between inventing the slanket, masterminding the 2012 Olympic bid and kissing Lauren Bacall.

If you were stranded on a desert island with three fictional characters, who would you like to be there with and why?

The narrator’s girlfriend from A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami. She has the most beautiful ears in the world and is fantastic in bed.

Odysseus. He’s been there and done that.

The pig from Charlotte’s Web. I like a nice bit of bacon.

What is the first book you bought with your own money?

I can’t remember, I am too old. The book that I remember most from my childhood is The Satanic Mill by Otfried Preussler. Spooky goings on in 17^th century Germany. I am reading it to my kids at the moment and it’s every bit as good as I remember.

What phrase do you find is most played in your head?

‘You fucking idiot’

At one point it was considered that “’Scott Pack’ had simply become shorthand for the ways in which book selling changed since the abolition of the Net Book Agreement”, what is the state of the book industry now in your opinion.

Flux.

Newspapers, critics, book reviews, which of these is the most irrelevant to the success of a book and why?

Newspapers. They still have some influence when it comes to books but it is on a ever shrinking audience. Put simply, they have concentrated for too long on books that most people don’t really want to read so huge swathes of book buyers now look elsewhere for advice on what to read next.

You have just got the position of Director of Digital Product Development at HarperCollins – there are projects like ‘The New Goodbye’ available first as an app on iTunes and developed by guys at the Creative Review, Seth Godin has made his first Vook and Enhanced Editions releasing titles like Nick Cave’s ‘The Deal of Bunny Munro’ digitally – how do you see the future of digital books?

I think they will become part of our reading repertoire. I very much doubt that they will take over completely. The typical reader ten years from now will still consume lots of printed books but may access their newspaper, sample new books and keep a collection of classics on their electronic device.

Book jacket covers are a known favourite of yours, how much of a part do you think images will play as books evolve with the digital advances?

Good question. I suspect the importance of images will migrate from the cover – which is far less influential with an ebook – to the insides. Offering a range of exciting content within the book itself will be an important factor.

What impact has the social media phenomenon made on publishing?

It has strengthened the most important factor when it comes to book sales – word of mouth. A great book can create significant buzz through Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere and that buzz has a far wider reach.

It has also generated some interesting new books. Shit My Dad Says being one notable example.

Name the top three things you love about your job.

The grey mug in the office kitchen, the journey home and the fact that I get Fridays off.

Cake, music or ‘a bit of money on something to win’, in what order do they thrill you?

They all have their moments but you really can’t beat a nice bit of cake.

What is your funeral song?

I won’t have a funeral. They seem a bit pointless. Once I am dead you can just dispose of me. I’d be quite happy to be put out with the rubbish.

Now to your latest venture, Book Swap, as the man behind the big idea, what made you think of it?

I read an interview with Twiggy in which she talked about clothes swap parties. Apparently women meet up, bring along clothes that don’t fit any more or that they no longer like and then spend the evening stripping off and trying everything on. It immediately struck me that you could do the same with books. Only without the stripping. Which is a shame, thinking about it.

I think the Book Swap would make a great TV programme, it has a very good proposal format already in my mind’s eye, and you famously loved the Richard & Judy Book Club, where do you see it going?

In the short term we hope to take it around the country. We have already been the guests of the Much Ado Bookshop in Alfriston and will be appearing at the London Review Bookshop and the Guildford Book Festival later in the year. Who knows what else the future will bring?