The Bookseller.com

3rd December 2008

Philip Jones is the managing editor of theBookseller.com. He will blog with links and comment about the book business.

In praise of women in publishing

14.07.08

I've never really understood the Media Guardian's "media" rankings. The Guardian doesn't regard book publishing as part of its media coverage: too old fashioned, no doubt, and covered elsewhere in the literary sections of its newspaper.

Yet, publishers routinely creep into its power list--albeit with a hint of churlishness.

Marjorie Scardino is usually in, but mostly because Pearson owns the FT (definitely media-ish). Her other (book) businesses might dwarf it, but no matter. She is the top publisher at 26.

Crispin Davis has made an appearance in the past: Reed owns a business magazines division, after all. But he is out this year: presumably because he is selling that business, and the fact that Reed sells billions worth of information (digitally and in print) each year doesn't count as media.

Gail Rebuck is back in, having dropped out after 2003. Though read her entry, and you'd be forgiven for believing that despite being the "most powerful woman in UK publishing", she is basically in the list for publishing Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell.

Caroline Michel is in: it's an odd one. She deserves it, but it is media mogul Andrew Neil who dominates the write-up: "Michel is a close friend of Neil, who praised her 'talent and vision' as one of the reasons why he bought the company [PFD]."  Neil himself drops out. So perhaps Michel is just keeping his place warm.

Then there is Katie Price - at 83. She outsells the Booker shortlist, and is on the telly.

On the one hand I remain irked that the Guardian remains so dismissive of book publishing as a proper "media" business: but on the other it is hard to miss the fact that of the "media" players featured from publishing, all of them are women.

For that at least, publishing, and the Guardian (but mostly publishing) be praised.