Press

8 Questions for BIPIN SHAH, Publisher of Mapin Publishing
SD Original, November 30. 1999
SD: What have you been busy with lately?
SHAH: I have been on my annual journey to New York to meet publishers, talk to curators at the museums and see what is new at the museums to keep up with the what’s new in South Asian art. I also explore during my visit the changes and new opportunity in US market and discuss challenges being faced by Mapin's US distributor. Pressure from online giant on discount continues. However, the US illustrated book market remains stable - though with smaller quantity but larger variety. Museums continues to create more beautiful books with the help of technology. Mapin has links of co-publishing with a number of US museums. The MET is now offering most of the old out of print books as a full pdf for view online to be saved and printed by the viewers.
That was followed by my visit to London Book Fair which has become essential date on the annual calendar - its either time to wind up deals made at Frankfurt or start looking at what’s coming up for the next year.
SD: How is Indian publishing doing right now, what are the most interesting trends and developments?
SHAH: Indian publishing continues to remain vibrant. Demand for print books continues to grow.
For the first time, the Government of India Ministry of Human Resource and Development has made possible ISBN registration online to make it easy for publishers to apply. This may be a step towards the publishing industry gaining an industry status. This will also help many smaller regional language publishers to migrate into main stream publishing by using ISBN for the first time.
The ministry of culture will soon propose a new law, the Deposit of Books, Newspapers and Electronic Publications in Libraries Bill 2016, to replace the Delivery of Books Act 1954 which has not been enforced by new publishers.
Although e-book sales have not taken off in India, a new start up for reading on mobile platform is exploring with a big push. It’s an ambitious project and one has to wait and see whether it will gain any traction. For the foreseeable future, print and e-book will continue to grow. Lack of reliable data on Indian publishing makes it difficult to rely on the figures being floated. Although Nielsen released its survey of the Indian book industry last year, its accuracy is questionable with a large segment of regional language publishing industry ignored.
There is a growing trend in self-publishing and the so called vanity publishing – similar to what Amazon offers under Creative Space – from Indian publishers to aspiring young writers.
More details on the current trends in publishing can be viewed in a recent article; Numbers and Letters by Mapin’s consulting editor, Vinutha Mallya in the April issue of Caravan magazine. http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reviews-essays/numbers-and-letters-india-publishing-industry
SD: Your publishing house Mapin works closely with international mesuems. How does it work?
SHAH: Initially, we approached international museums with large collections (such as Victoria & Albert Museum in London) on Indian art and offered to document their collection for publishing. We started with V&A Indian Art Series. This helped us with entry into the US market (The MET, The Rubin Museum, Sackler & Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution etc). Later on we offered to co-publish exhibition catalogues being originated by these museums. With our focused approach and marketing network, we eventually began offering packaging services to originate the museum books on Indian art of the sub-continent.
SD: In the area of illustrated books, do you see any cooperation between Indian publishers and Chinese publishers?
SHAH: Mapin’s publishing program is restricted to a focus on publishing illustrated books on art and culture of India. We are also publishing children’s books based on similar themes.
The good news is that in 2015 two Chinese companies Phoenix Publishing and Media Group and China South Publishing & Media Group are for the first time in the top 10 largest publishing groups worldwide according to the Global Raking of The Publishing Industry.
Furthermore, Mapin has signed agreement with Rightol Media Limited to represent us in China to offer rights for the Chinese language editions.
We are hopeful that we will be able to find partners in China to work together.
SD: Are you familiar with Chinese art and literature? Is there any artist or author that you particularly favor?
SHAH: Unfortunately I am not familiar with Chinese art. But I have appreciated viewing drawings and painting and especially Chinese porcelain which reminds me of patterns of Rajasthani blue pottery.
SD: You are very successful in bringing Indian culture closer to the attention of an international readership. Do you have any tips for Chinese publishers who want to promote Chinese culture internationally?
SHAH: Western publishers offer so much for the local market that it becomes a challenge to identify projects that will interest them. We try to identify trends in the market – whether it is lifestyle or work. This includes keeping track of where Western tourists are traveling to in India and what exhibitions are happening in museums in their country. How do the local galleries and associations attract local populations for smaller events outside the museums? What is being taught in schools and colleges that relates to India. In short, one needs to understand and keep a tab on the pulse of the market.
SD: In a 2013 interview you said “…what we are experiencing in global publishing is a tectonic shift…The concept of a book […] is itself changing.” Can you see the future yet, what will the book of the future look like?
SHAH: There is a continuous change in how information is accessed. The definition of ‘book” is going through a remarkable change. It is still evolving and will continue to evolve as long as there are brilliant minds to innovate new technology. In some ways, the information available in books is now available through various apps. Elizabeth Barrett Browning asked in one of her sonnets, “how do I love thee?” The questions publishers are asking “what do I call thee?” Is a book an app? Is it spread over google search engine? Or is it bundled in a pdf file? Is it a combination of text and video or text and audio? Where is the book hiding in animation? Is it flying 35000 ft high up on airplanes or being read in metros around the world on mobiles and tablets? Or is the knowledge merging in a vast floating bubble?
We need to keep our doors and windows open to allow the flow of ideas. The lines drawn around what constitutes a book is blurring. Is it about time UNESCO changes the definition of a book?
SD: Is this your first trip to China? What do you expect from your participant at the StoryDrive conference and your stay in China?
SHAH: Yes, this will be my first trip to China. However, we have printed books in China in the past and continue to do so. I would like to interact with Chinese publishers and understand how the publishing industry operates. What is the publishing process and how do they market books. How are they dealing with the digital revolution?
BIPIN SHAH (比平•沙阿) will be speaking at the StoryDrive Conference in Beijing (29 -30 May 2016).