Creative development starts with the book’s core idea!

Lisa Sharkey is an American publishing executive, former television producer, and author. She is the Publisher of Harper Influence and Senior Vice President at HarperCollins Publishers. Sharkey has overseen the publication of over 75 New York Times bestsellers, including more than a dozen #1 titles. Before joining HarperCollins in 2007, she was a two-time Emmy Award-winning television producer, also earning Peabody, DuPont, and Freddie awards for her journalism work.

From navigating the industry’s transition to launching bestselling titles and creative initiatives, Lisa Sharkey, SVP, Publisher Harper Influence at HarperCollins Publishers, offers an inside look into her dynamic role and vision for the future of publishing. Excerpts.

AABP: Share your role and any significant incidents or instances you’d like to highlight about your journey at HarperCollins since May 2007.

Lisa: In March 2007, I transitioned from television news journalism to book publishing. I didn’t know much about the book publishing business, but I certainly knew a lot about storytelling. Even before officially signing on, I made one important request: a career coach to help me transition industries. The way people interact in book publishing is vastly different from television news. The deadlines, processes, and communication styles differ.

In television news, conflicts are often addressed directly because the clock is ticking, and the broadcast is live. In publishing, communication tends to be more indirect and intentionally polite, which I appreciate. While the pace is slower, it is by no means slow. Additionally, the level of precision required in book publishing—especially in terms of grammar, punctuation, and storytelling depth—is far greater than in television, where stories are often turned around in minutes or even seconds.

AABP: What partnerships and visibility initiatives have you worked on?

Lisa: I frequently partner with literary agencies—especially major ones like WME, CAA, and UTA—to take ideas from concept to bookstore shelves. I also collaborate with colleagues in our children’s division to create children’s books from authors whose adult books we are publishing.

For example, I published Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen’s memoir, One Jump at a Time. A few months later, our children’s division published his picture book. This kind of cross-division collaboration helps expand an author’s reach to multiple audiences.

AABP: Your team has worked on many bestselling titles. What do you believe makes a bestseller?

Lisa: Several factors must align simultaneously for a book to become a bestseller. In nonfiction—my area of focus—publicity and marketing campaigns need to be planned well in advance. Pre-orders are especially critical to a book’s success since first-week sales numbers include all pre-orders placed in the month leading up to the book’s publication, which always falls on a Tuesday.

The author’s drive is also crucial. Often, high-profile authors already provide free content to audiences via social media. Since books are a significant investment for readers, it’s important for authors to communicate why their book is worth purchasing—why the content on the page is distinct from what’s available for free online.

AABP: Is there a particular author-related incident you’d like to highlight?

Lisa: One fascinating challenge we overcame was publicizing a book where the author was not permitted to do media. The book, The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly, was endorsed by Queen Elizabeth II herself. However, Angela—who was the Queen’s closest confidante and dresser—was unable to promote the book on television.

To navigate this, we partnered with Hello! magazine in the UK for a major multi-page feature and sent the manuscript directly to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her team. They loved it and published a beautiful feature on the book.

Additionally, we enlisted editorial tastemaker Hamish Bowles as a surrogate spokesperson to discuss the book on television. Since Angela had recorded the audiobook in her own voice, we leveraged audio clips in media campaigns, allowing audiences to hear her passion firsthand. The book was a massive success on both sides of the Atlantic.

AABP: What are your views on translations, and what translation projects have you worked on or promoted?

Lisa: On my first day at HarperCollins, the head of our rights department took me to lunch and told me that the three most important words in publishing are buy world rights. Whenever possible, I aim to acquire books where we control the rights globally.

Our rights teams are highly organized, with strong international relationships that help promote books worldwide. We also have a global publishing program that allows us to launch books simultaneously across multiple territories through our various HarperCollins offices.

In some instances, foreign publishers have paid such substantial sums for translation rights that the book is already profitable before it even goes on sale—though this is the exception rather than the rule. One example is Chita by the late Chita Rivera, for which we acquired both Spanish and English rights. The book was released in English as a hardcover and in Spanish as a paperback shortly thereafter.

AABP: As a publisher, what does creative development entail?

Lisa: Creative development starts with the book’s core idea. Even if a proposal arrives with a specific title and structure, we begin the creative process the moment we engage with the author—often even before acquiring the book. Once we acquire it, the process goes into full swing.

Collaboration is key, and the author is always at the center. We pay close attention to what excites them—what sparks passion in their eyes during brainstorming sessions.

For instance, when we met with supermodel Christie Brinkley about publishing her book, she brought in beautifully hand-illustrated journals documenting her life. I knew immediately that if we published her memoir, we had to incorporate her artistic talents into the design. That’s exactly what we did—Uptown Girl features all her own illustrations. This was a perfect full-circle moment since Christie originally moved to Paris to study art before being discovered as a model.

AABP: Tell us about the new imprint, Harper Influence.

Lisa: Harper Influence is a nonfiction-focused imprint dedicated to people and ideas that have influence. This includes journalists who have become experts in specific regions, athletes who have overcome adversity to achieve greatness, and thought leaders with ground-breaking perspectives.

For example, we are publishing Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles’ book, I’m That Girl, as well as a book by a prominent endocrinologist offering a fresh take on hormones.

AABP: Who is the target audience for Harper Influence?

Lisa: Our goal is always to reach the broadest possible audience. Each book is its own brand, and its audience is built through awareness and excitement around its launch.

Women are the primary buyers of books, but men also purchase them. I aim to publish books that engage people who may not frequently visit bookstores—books compelling enough to draw them in for the first time in years. Recognizable figures from popular culture often help achieve this.

AABP: What initiatives at HarperCollins would you like to highlight?

Lisa: HarperCollins is always working to stay ahead of trends. Our research team helps us anticipate what will be exciting a year from now so we can position our books accordingly.

We also have a special markets department that creates unique editions of our books, such as slipcased versions, gold-edged pages, or ribbon bookmarks. Recently, we ran a successful campaign bundling digital audiobooks with hardcover editions to provide added value for readers.

AABP: Your views on AI in book publishing.

Lisa: AI can be incredibly useful for streamlining processes, but I firmly believe that books should always be written by human authors, not robots!

AABP: What major trends do you see in publishing?

Lisa: Publishing remains a robust industry, and readers have more ways than ever to consume books. One emerging trend is the focus on artistic design elements, from floral-detailed page edges to elaborate four-color endpapers.

For I’m That Girl by Jordan Chiles, we printed a hidden poster of her in mid-air on the inside of the dust jacket. Small details like these can excite readers and attract them to a book from across a bookstore.

AABP: How do you view the Indian publishing market?

Lisa: India represents an extraordinarily fertile publishing landscape. With such a vast, engaged, and intelligent readership, I hope to see more of my books published there in the future.

AABP: If you could change or add one thing to the publishing world, what would it be?

Lisa: I’d love to help more authors move beyond their keyboards and connect directly with their audiences. At various literary conferences worldwide, I work with writers on this, but I’d like to see it scaled further. Many incredible books never reach readers simply because the authors lack the tools to build an audience.

AABP: What challenges and disruptions do you foresee for publishing in the next five years?

Lisa: Keeping books affordable is a major challenge due to rising costs of paper, ink, and supply chain disruptions. Although this isn’t my area of the business, I closely follow industry developments to ensure we continue reaching the widest possible audience.

AABP: Your message for publishing professionals.

Lisa: Collaboration is everything. Sharing ideas fosters creativity and innovation. Stay open to global trends, attend international publishing conferences, and engage with industry professionals worldwide to maintain a spirit of mutual learning and respect.