As a general rule this factor is positive7 its margin is more than 3 greater than theirAnd in the end the quality is always lessSmall tour of the runway hot new trendsBe proud of you do not have the spirit of chicaneA team of volunteers ready to respond blow It works because the people are educatedTo do this should meet several conditionsLess than 5 of applications arrive by mail to furniture Bourroulec brothers Eric JourdanThe eyes in eyes, Hervé de La Martinière swear that all goes well. And, in a broken laugh which is customary, scans the questions: "my rise to the capital is the pledge of my serenity and my confidence in the future," says the CEO of the group La Martinière. On the threshold, resumed in early 2004, this speech not reassures to half. Fifteen days ago, not to murmurait not, in the little world of publishing accustomed to be looking at to gauge, as old and prestigious House in the rue Jacob would again change hands due to the difficulties of the Group "In reality, says an employee, we are not bound to the current.
Certainty, the threshold is today just presented the starting smashing Laure Adler, dismissed for serious misconduct in December after having recruited a year ago as head of general literature. Incompatibility of mood with Denis Jeambar, former President of the Executive Board of the Express-Expansion group bombed President House last October, while the coveted position The arrival of the former Director of France Culture, with a past in the Edition (Denoël, Plon) and especially an address book provided, had raised many hopes. "In reality, this was a period of total paralysis." "It was a woman of power, not a Manager," comments, acerbic, a Publisher. 40 Authors in have not signed a petition of protest at his eviction. "Worrying!" exclaims then with the Ministry of Culture.
Wave of departures
Since its acquisition by Hervé de La Martinière, the House, which celebrates this year its seventy years, accumulated, it is true, crises and reorganizations. It all began three months after the change of ownership, in June 2004. The departure of the charismatic Claude Cherki, suspected of having pocketed a comfortable capital gain by selling the threshold to Hervé de La Martinière, shakes a House infused with Catholic values of left. Following two years of stalling, or even error in the choice of management.
To succeed Claude Cherki, a tandem is appointed, with as CEO Pascal Flemish, heir to one of the founders of the threshold, and as publishing Director Olivier Cohen, is recognized the world of general literature. A year later, he chooses nevertheless to return to lead the Editions of the olive tree, subsidiary of the threshold, he founded. "The registry had not taken internally", says a close. During this time, Hervé de La Martinière is proclaims interim CEO and installs as soon as a new organization into 4 divisions: literature, documents, books, social sciences and humanities. For the sake of efficiency, the Pocket ("Points") is filialisé.
During this period, the threshold House undergoes massive departures. They reject the break created by the change of ownership, as Jacques Binstock, Director of threshold image, or Hervé Hamon, or they go to retirement (Françoise Peyrot, Michel Winock), a generation of "historical" leaves the ship. Although, overall, the authors remain loyal, some writers to success, including Catherine Millet or Tahar Ben Jelloun, who, in 1987, had offered a Goncourt to the Publisher with "Sacred night", join the competition. The House is destabilized. "After the departure of Claude Cherki, with all the elders of the House, we met to decide what we do." Leave Stay "We have finally decided to continue to take the"shed"," says Louis Gardel, a veteran of the company. In the turmoil, the House maintains its editorial line. "It has kept the same requirement intellectual and aesthetic than in the past, with the desire to have quality books but who walk," he says. Never Hervé de La Martinière has attempted to impose a new.
For some, the instability of the past three years and the paralysis in the decisions resulting left legacy: "the threshold is a home weakened, a drunken boat, accuses an editor. It will take time to go up the slope.
In his Office installed under the roof, Denis Jeambar, the new CEO of the threshold, delivers a more optimistic judgment: "The threshold is still a fantastic sesame." The mark is much less damaged than that personal thought. "I am convinced that great authors may come or come back," he said. Courted by Hervé de La Martinière since mid-2005, while he was still in "The Express", he received carte blanche to define an editorial strategy. The founder of the La Martinière group justifies its choice. "It's a man of a great culture, and writing with a wonderful eclectic address book." Furthermore, he knew the House as the author.
The officer in-the-art
For six months, the former journalist is the apprenticeship of editor. In 2006, in a difficult book market, the threshold income increased by 1.3, reaching EUR 52.7 million. "The company is profitable and produces a good result of operations", provides, without further precision. January and February would be strong growth, with sales up 31 over the same period of 2006, fired by the works of William Boyd, Olivier Wieviorka, Hubert Reeves and Laurence Parisot.
The editorial, the Pocket through the Points collection plan, and the novel are the heyday of the editor. With the bestselling Michael Connelly and Mankell, "the police officer is an extraordinarily profitable sector,"
According to the new CEO. In contrast, trials, who established the reputation of the House with such authors as Barthes and Lacan, draw just their PIN of the game in a difficult market. Meanwhile, activity books refocuses its production, while the youth sector to develop. But the threshold or "Harry Potter", as Gallimard, or "Dora", the character hit of Albin Michel, and remains behind in this area.Literature also, the record is mixed. His best selling novel was year last in 25th position in the classification of "books weekly." In the foreign field, the editor always provides one of the most beautiful catalogues: John Irving, William Boyd, John's square, Arturo Perez-Reverte, Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek and Norman Manea, with which he also won in 2006 the Médicis foreign for "the return of the hooligan." But it sentence for several years in the French area made it difficult for any editing. Regular winner of the prix Goncourt in the past, it has more won the prestigious award since 1988 and "The colonial exhibition" of Erik Orsenna. Last year, he had to settle for the Renaudot, won by Alain Mabanckou with "Porcupine memoirs": best 100,000 sold to date, welcomed on rue Jacob.
New commercial organization
No one succeeded to Laure Adler. In fiction, two committees, one led by Louis Gardel, were implemented to read and select manuscripts. The position of General Secretary of the work of coordination between the publishers and authors was revived and assigned to Anne de Cazanove, a pillar. To restore the House, Denis Jeambar set sector "Documents of news", he decided to manage online. Inhabited by reflexes of press man, he wants the threshold to become more reactive: "House not to was not well prepared in the presidential election", noted. With its exemplary already sold 50,000, the success of "Need air", the book of the President of the Medef, Laurence Parisot, coveted by Odile Jacob and Bernard Fixot, fell much better. Incongruous, the publication on the threshold of the proposals of the French employers to candidates in the Elysee Palace "We must be pluralistic," he said, ensuring the checkbook to attract authors and develop ambitious projects. "But, he warned, all my decisions will accompany economic calculation."
For the House of street Jacob, switching back to the group La Martinière is translated by the intrusion of a new culture. Thus, is the operation more also collegial. In addition, the decision of Hervé de La Martinière separate the threshold of its distribution and dissemination services changed of this. "For a long time, the relationship between publishers and commercial teams were very strong." Publishers could defend their books, the implemented what they wanted. "Today, the relations are weak", said Patrick Rotman Editor. Volumen, born in 2004 from the merger of the tool logistics of the Editions La Martinière with his own, much more powerful, the threshold is now one client almost like another. At the start of the platform, in fact, he lived the same trauma that other publishers distributed: a literary rentrée marred by many failures. Odile Jacob, Payot Rivages, the school of recreation broke their contract. While booksellers tempêtaient. In early 2005, the situation is is fortunately normalized. "Today, the threshold represents roughly half of the activity of Volumen, and the third-party publishers distributed 100 half", considers Emmanuel Schalit, one paddled Beauvoir recruited late 2004 as number two of the group La Martinière, and appointed also President of the platform in early February.
The editors of the threshold, them, eagerly await a tinged of anxiety the results of the new trade organization of Volumen implementation late last year. Now, officials are more affected to a geographical area, but a type of sign (small bookshops or distribution). The reform will be a success
Competitors in ambush
For three years, the fate of the editor germanopratin is linked to the group La Martinière. And vice versa. The announcement by its CEO that he bought out the 14 of the Bank Natixis, his partner, left bewildered employees. They still have in mind the cash flow problems encountered in the fall of 2006, which led him to pay with delay printers, translators, etc. They also know that the situation was restored by the current account of 15 million advance by shareholders, including the family Wertheimer, owner of Chanel and holder of 46 of the capital of the publishing group. Helping Hervé de La Martinière to redeem the editor Barthes and Lacan, these billionaires have thought to offer a pan of French culture. How they now consider their investment "For them, the Edition, in the image of the mode, is a profession of creation, which takes time," said the editor of Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
Even more than in the past, the fate of the Publisher of general literature and that of its parent seem today suspended in the personal relationship secret family Wertheimer with Hervé de La Martinière. A force if the link continues. A major weakness for rupture. The competitors of the threshold Flammarion, Gallimard, Editis stand ready, in case the second scenario would occur.
