Jeppe Markers has worked for Lindhardt og Ringhof, former Aschehoug, since the beginning of 2005. As a member of the editorial team for culture, he is responsible for biographies and “conversations with” books.
“As an editor, I concentrate primarily on developing new books and making sure they are successfully promoted on the market. It may sound banal, but the most rewarding and inspiring aspect of my job is the partnership I enjoy with authors, colleagues and all the other people who help me do my job – telling a good story – in the best possible way. By a good story I mean one that is relevant and well told, one that can teach us something. When a book succeeds, I know it’s because the teamwork between everyone in the process succeeded. That gives me a feeling of pride.
“Obviously I don’t single-handedly do all the practical work of developing a book; I’m surrounded by skilful colleagues who step in at various stages of the book’s production. Although I spend most of my time developing ideas and doing tasks directly related to the manuscript, it’s also my job to follow each of ‘my’ books and make sure they are properly nursed throughout the process.
“Bestsellers sell themselves, and the art of bookselling is precisely that: being able to sell all the books we publish. For my colleagues and me, this means being on the constant look-out for what it takes to get the best out of each and every book. Undeniably, the biggest challenge – but what is also the most fun – is developing an off-the-cuff idea into an established book concept. I do this together with my closest colleagues and the authors. For me, turning an intangible concept into a physical object represents the height of creativity. It means my colleagues have to be open to my zaniest ideas and notions, while also daring to challenge them.”
