Eyewitness: The rise and fall of Dorling Kindersley

The Inside Story of a Publishing Phenomenon

Christopher Davis

• Publisher: Harriman House
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9781906659196
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780857191366
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Publishing
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

By the close of the last millennium Dorling Kindersley had become one of the most recognisable brands in publishing. Across the range of illustrated household reference titles, from children's books to travel guides, its distinctive look of colourful images cut out against a white background could be seen on bookshelves throughout the country - and indeed the publishing world.Apart from three minor acquisitions, DK had grown organically over 25 years to be a publicly listed company with a turnover of £200 million, some 1500 employees, publishing arms across the English language markets, a 50-strong international sales force that dealt with more than 400 publishers, a direct selling business with 30,000 independent distributors, and had expanded its skills for delivering handsomely designed reference books into the new media of videos, CD-ROMs and online educational content. Then a series of catastrophic printing decisions brought the company to its knees, and ultimately into the arms of Pearson.Christopher Davis is uniquely positioned to tell the story of DK's rise and fall. He joined the company at its foundation and in due course became Group Publisher. The narrative he provides is a dual one, encompassing the visionary genius of Peter Kindersley and the publishing revolution he fomented, and charting the remarkable, sometimes precarious, frequently hilarious, roller-coaster ride as the company grew from a handful of people in a studio in South London to a substantial global business.In the rapidly changing publishing climate of today, this book is also a nostalgic reminder of a time when creativity could flourish unburdened by the shackles of corporate bureaucracy.

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Publishing Details
• About the Author
• Author’s Note
• 1 – Bad Night at the Union Hotel
• 2 – Spreads on the Bed
• 3 – Mistress of Wine
• 4 – Ashes and Diamonds
• 5 – The Godfathers of East 50th Street
• 6 – Management by Hand Grenade
• 7 – 9 Henrietta Street
• 8 – Sex in the Connaught
• 9 – Never Negotiate with a Husky
• 10 – Name on the Spine
• 11 – Hughes the Money
• 12 – Revolution on the Page
• 13 – Impressionists in the Men’s Room
• 14 – Mammoth Sales
• 15 – If You Build It, They Will Come
• 16 – Over and Out
• 17 – Thanks, Bill
• 18 – Home Deliveries
• 19 – This Dog’s a Runner
• 20 – Showing What Others Only Tell
• 21 – Publishing Fundamentals
• 22 – Click and Point
• 23 – The Nun’s Tale
• 24 – Gandhi in Las Vegas
• 25 – 95 Madison Avenue
• 26 – Complexity and Commitment
• 27 – A Lifetime of Learning
• 28 – Enter the Marketing Man
• 29 – Bring on the Men in White Coats
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgements