Between the Lines with Akashic Books

Publishing | Interviews

Akashic Books, an award-winning independent company in Brooklyn, has achieved phenomenal success in the global publishing industry. ​Johanna Ingalls, Managing Editor/Director of Foreign Rights at Akashic Books, shares her insights about the publishing industry.

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About Akashic Books
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Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction by authors who are either ignored by the mainstream, or who have no interest in working within the ever-consolidating ranks of the major corporate publishers.

​Over the 20+ years that Akashic has been publishing, the company has received several awards, including: an Ellery Queen Award, the American Association of Publishers’ Miriam Bass Award for Creativity in Independent Publishing, the Jay and Deen Kogan Award for Excellence in Noir Literature, and the LitChat Reader’s Champion Award.
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Akashic Books publishes a wide range of titles that caters to a diverse audience. Johanna states that Akashic Books “aim[s] to publicize and promote [their] books to all readers, and publish a diverse array of books to hopefully reach all lovers of books, of all ages, races, etc. We publish literary fiction, crime fiction, political nonfiction, young adult fiction, children’s picture books, music-related books, and art/photo books.”
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competitive Strategy
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In order to cement its position in the market, Johanna states that Akashic must form strong connections in the publishing industry.

“[Akashic’s editorial team] thinks it’s important to participate and attend conferences, readings, book fairs.” Johanna explains.

“We think it’s important to be part of the book publishing community which is why it’s important to leave our office desks and interact with other publishers, booksellers, librarians, book reviewers, etc. These personal interactions can be much more effective than simply relying on emailing and phone calls.” She elaborates.

According to Johanna, Akashic Books builds sustainable relationships with its readers, as well as the following partners:

• International publishers, who license and translate select books from our catalog into various languages;
• Agents, who represent Akashic’s titles in several countries/languages; and
• International distributors, who distribute Akashic’s English language books throughout the world.

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​Publishing Process
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​Aside from networking with its consumers and partners, Akashic remains competitive by building a quality list of titles. As such, Akashic’s editorial team vigilantly searches for new talent, meticulously revises the manuscripts it receives in hopes of finding its next bestseller.

 “An editorial team of four of us meet on a weekly basis to discuss submissions. Typically, at least two of us need to feel enthusiastic about a title for us to publish. We do also discuss the books’ sales potential, but we will take a chance on a book if at least one of us feel passionate about it, even if we know it will likely be difficult to sell.” Johanna explains.
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When asked about the challenges of Akashic Books’ editorial process, Johanna admits that “finding time to evaluate the numerous submissions [its editorial team] receives” is a pressing challenge.

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About the journalist

​Tiffany Lim has worked with several notable organisations with marketing, production and project management. Her clients and partners include Marshall Cavendish Editions, Bossini Singapore, National Library Board (NLB) and Mediacorp.

She has been invited to share her experiences with polytechnic students in Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic. ​She has also spoken in educational institutions (IMDA Labs, National Library Board) and literary festivals (All In! 2018).

More details may be found on her official website.