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Publishing a woman's point
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Women are here to stay, thanks to their independent minds and ability to go against market trends
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The greatest strength of women is their intra-personal skills GITA WOLF
Women power fuels much of the publishing industry when it comes to English language books in the country. Often, it is women who supply a large part of the editorial component. Their creativity helps provide a good deal of the visual inputs.
Women in publishing and women publishers are those who contribute in a prime way to "the knowledge industry." But when it comes to heading a major publishing house, it is usually the men who hold positions of power, while women may occupy the senior levels.
As Radhika Menon of Tulika Publishers tells you, "Many of the smaller publishing houses are headed by women. And they are generally committed to a certain philosophy, whether it is books for children, women's issues, Dalit literature or translations." She adds, "I'm involved in the publishing, editing, design and marketing at hands-on level. This is true of all publishing houses headed by women who work closely with smaller or bigger teams."
Tulika brings out quality books for children in English and 10 other Indian languages, books that are developed as supplementary readers for schools and resource books for teachers.
"The challenge we have taken is to publish innovative books for the mainstream which cuts across the urban rural divide and strikes a balance between the indigenous and the universal," says Radhika.
Gita Wolf of Tara Publishing, whose strength is "visual books for all ages," says women are not in leadership positions in publishing for the same reason as in other fields - lack of confidence and drive. Also because they tend to devalue their own skills.
"Their greatest strength is their intra-personal skills, the tendency to work with their team without being hierarchical and conscious of being the boss. Quality is the goal of Tara - we look around for extraordinary talent in unexpected places, in humble people such as tribal artists. We focus a lot on visual cultures and in India, we have so much visual beauty," says Gita whose publications have won international awards.
After 20 years as Branch Editor in Macmillan, Mini Krishnan who moved to Oxford University Press, says women are the gatekeepers of English language publishing today.
"They have negotiating skills which come in handy," says the editor who is well known for her Modern Indian novels in English translation project and the school textbooks project. "Most editors are women. They are good at revising drafts and in winning the confidence of the writer or school authorities. They make fine translators as it requires transcending your ego. The knowledge industry canons are all formed by men but most of the processes are being done by the women," she says.
"However, the potential of women in sales has not been tapped fully." More women writers are being published than before and the numbers will go up, she adds.
"Women publishers are far more independent minded, go against market trends and willing to take risks compared to the men in the field. The fact that all these publishing houses have held their own show that women are good at the business of publishing too, though in the male dominated mainstream publishing field, it is seen as some kind of indulgence! If the publishing houses have remained small, it is a choice that is made consciously," says Radhika Menon.
It is a perfect summing up of the commitment and the staying power of women publishers.
KAUSALYA SANTHANAM
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