BA/PA Professional Shadowing Scheme
The BA and the Publishers Association are running a scheme for members that will see publishers and booksellers offer work placements to one another, as part of an exercise to further boost understanding and awareness within the two industries. The BA/PA Professional Shadowing Scheme will allow publishers and booksellers to shadow each other for a day or potentially more.
Publishers who have already signed up to the scheme include Little, Brown; Penguin; Dorling Kindersley (part of the Penguin Group); Profile Books; Canongate and Simon & Schuster, whilst booksellers include Caxton Books and Gallery; Mabecron Books; Jaffé and Neale Bookshop and Cafe; The New Bookshop; and Victoria Park Books. More publishers and booksellers offering placements will be confirmed as they come on stream.
Publishers are giving bookseller applicants the opportunity to meet the staff and attend sales, marketing and acquisitions meetings. Booksellers in turn will involve publisher applicants in the processes of book ordering and searching, as well as customer liaison.
This first pilot stage is running now, and is open to all levels of staff. All members are encouraged to offer placements and nominate individuals to take part in the shadowing scheme.
Richard Mollet, Chief Executive of The PA commented,
“The publishing and bookselling industries have historically depended upon a strong mutual understanding of each other’s businesses, so the Professional Shadowing Scheme is a natural extension of that partnership. The scheme should encourage better awareness and understanding between the two industries in terms of how each operates and performs and, as a result, should enhance the working relationship between publishers and booksellers.”
Tim Godfray, Chief Executive of the BA commented, “
We are really delighted that the Shadowing Scheme is underway. The BA and PA have always worked closely together, and anything that brings our respective members closer has to be welcomed and encouraged. At a time when collaboration and communication is at such a premium, we encourage all our members to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to invite publishers into their businesses, and in turn to embrace the chance to spend time working on the ‘ other side of the fence’. We are sure we will see tangible benefits to all those participating, and we look forward to hearing reports from both booksellers and publishers of success stories through the Scheme.”
Ian Hudson, Deputy CEO at The Random House Group, which will be confirming placements shortly, commented,
“We are delighted to support this initiative as a commitment to staff development and cross industry collaboration. We look forward to providing a number of placements that will offer relevant insights into how a leading publisher operates, meanwhile offering our own staff opportunities to learn from outside of their immediate environment.”
A Penguin spokesperson said “
Penguin UK and Dorling Kindersley are delighted to be taking part in this unique shadowing scheme. If publishers and booksellers develop a deeper understanding of one another’s businesses it will benefit not just the industry but, ultimately, readers too.”
Details of the scheme can be found on the PA’s website:
www.publishers.org.uk
For further information please contact Meryl Halls at
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk or Kate Bostock at
kbostock@publishers.org.uk