This year’s PW Star Watch program honoring emerging leadership in the North American publishing markets will contribute some if its sponsorship revenues to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation’s pandemic-related efforts.

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

Deadline for Submissions: May 31

Tne annual PW Star Watch partnership competition from Publishers Weekly and Frankfurter Buchmesse will this year donate 10 percent of its sponsorship proceeds to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, called Binc. It benefits booksellers and retailers of comics.

The foundation this year is focused on assistance for booksellers during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, working to provide financial support with serious medical expenses, eviction prevention, funeral expenses, disaster assistance, domestic violence survival, utility shut-off prevention, and loss of household income.

Now in its seventh year, the Star Watch program is again expected to identify and honor publishing professionals who are relatively new to the industry and working, especially in innovative ways, in the North American markets.

With a deadline of May 31 for submissions, a large cohort of 40 longlisted candidates will first be selected by Publishers Weekly staffers and their counterparts in Frankfurt, and then a shortlist of five will be announced in September, along with a sixth person who’ll be identified as the year’s “superstar.

The superstar will be given a trip to Frankfurter Buchmesse—still on-track for October 14 to 18—and a program there of networking, particularly with others in the trade show’s several Young Talent programs. Together, those programs feature regional winners from Brazil, China, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In prepared comments, Publishers Weekly editorial director Jim Milliot is quoted, saying, “PW Star Watch is a valuable launchpad for creative individuals who will continue to support and advance the publishing industry.”

Matthäus Cygan, director of business development in international trade with Frankfurter Buchmesse, is also quoted, saying, “Over the past six years, it has been fantastic to watch the PW Star Watch program grow and get to know these innovative members of the United States’ and Canadian publishing community, particularly this year with Canada being the book fair’s guest of honor.

“We’ve been pleased to help the Star Watch nominees build global networks and share their ideas with peers around the world in Frankfurt.”

In terms of the donation being made to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, the program’s executive director Pam French is quoted, saying, “We continue to be humbled by the generosity of the publishing industry. Together we can move forward to thrive.”

Nominees for the Star Watch program can come from any part of book publishing in the States and Canada. Those eligible are making an impact in their work but not as yet in an executive role. Candidates can nominate themselves.

To make a nomination, see the page with the program’s submission form here.

Last year’s superstar winner was Jennifer Baker, the writer and editor behind the long-running Minorities in Publishing podcast series.

Prior to Baker’s win, the superstar honorees have included:

• Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli, the “Rebel Girls”
• Gabriella Page-Fort, editorial director, Amazon Crossing (2017)
• Andrew Eliopulos, MG and YA fiction editor, HarperCollins Children’s Books (2016)
• Helen Yentus, art director, Riverhead Books (2015)

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More from Publishing Perspectives on PW Star Watch is here, and on Frankfurter Buchmesse is here. More from us on the Book Industry Charitable Foundation is here, and more on the coronavirus pandemic is here.

In our Spring 2020 Magazine, Publishing Perspectives has interviewed publishers, industry experts, entrepreneurs, and authors to present a look at the book business for the coming year. 

Inside this issue of Publishing Perspectives Magazine, you’ll find articles and resources including coverage from China, Belgium, Russia, the Latin American markets, Norway, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, the international copyright community and world market data sources.

Download ‘Publishing in Times of Crisis’ free of charge here.