Lise Nerlov has worked for the Egmont publishing company Alinea for nearly 10 years. As editor-in-chief, she has responsibility for the company’s foreign language publications.
“Above all, educational materials have to be usable in practice. Teachers who feel a teaching aid is successful are our best ‘branding’ ambassadors, and they come back for more. There are examples of materials in the market that sell well initially but whose sales soon decline because the products haven’t been properly thought through. Often it’s because the level of difficulty is too high. Timing is also critical. We were the first to launch a book about how to incorporate the fantasy genre into English teaching – it was a tremendous success!
“The best thing about my job is being part of a good team of authors, where everything runs smoothly, and I can see the product flourishing and getting better and better. This teamwork peaks when we reach a ‘state of flow’ where we feel we know each other and can continually bat ideas back and forth – even outside the normal nine-to-five working day. When we work together as a team, when people put their whole hearts into a project and I can sense they really enjoy it – and when everyone pulls together. When an author sends me an enthusiastic SMS on a Sunday afternoon because she can’t wait to tell me something … that makes me happy!
“I find my inspiration in people who are passionate about something, like the dedicated teachers who are keenly committed to their profession and working with children. Or equally dedicated researchers who tell us with fervor and conviction about developments in teaching theories. I also get ideas from contemporary books for children and young people, as well as art and movies – they tell us what’s hot right now.
“Creativity is about developing practical, easy-to-understand solutions to complex issues – without over-simplifying them. We have to preserve complexity but teach it by taking users by the hand. My proudest moments come when I am able to make the complicated look simple – that’s a real art.”
