The Book Depository: What/who do you see as your primary market?

Clare Smith (Harper Press Fiction): Broadly defined as commercial literary fiction, I am looking for novels that appeal to the kind of reader epitomised by the book club market - interested and enthusiastic readers who want good writing and a strong narrative drive to their fiction. Each of the HarperPress novels include a reading group guide to emphasize our focus on this readership and to highlight the combination of excellent writing, strong storytelling and thematic relevance that Harper Press novels embody. We publish historical fiction, love stories, 'big' stories, novels about women's issues and the family and coming-of-age stories.

BD: What are the principal challenges/opportunities you see at the moment in the business of publishing books?

CS: I love the fact that it is possible to launch a new author with passion and conviction and that the trade responds so brilliantly to that - for example Jenni Mills' Crow Stone publishes this May and has had wonderful support and feedback already from bookbuyers.

BD: What brings you to the decision to publish a particular title/author?

CS: There's no mistaking the thrill you feel when you finish readinga new manuscript which has absorbed and enthralled you. It's crucial to have this feeling and from there, all the other decisions unfold such as the best format to publish in, price, readership, cover approach and so on.

BD: What books are you most proud of having published?

CS: All of them!

BD: What books are you working on right now?

CS: A wonderful new novel from Roma Tearne, publishing in 2008, which is the story of a Sri Lankan family, filled with vitality and exuberance.

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These are The Book Depository's favourite Harper Press titles: