Political overtones aside, it’s a gripping story that grips the reader from the first page, with a thrilling depiction of a wolf chasing its prey. Penguin executives made a bid for the book on the spot, offering a US dollar amount that stunned Lusby.
I only take on things if I believe there will be demand for them in the future.
Joe Rusby
This was the launch pad for a career that would see her oversee the publication of former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama’s memoir, classic books from Penguin’s extensive back catalogue, and a variety of best-selling children’s books, including: Peppa Pig, Charlie and Lola, Peter Rabbit and Find a dog.
“Our bosses thought this was a great idea,” Lusby says, “and they said, ‘We have $100,000 to spend right now.'”
“They told the author and agent, ‘If you want more, you’ll have to go back and do a formal appraisal process.’ They all exchanged quick looks, and the author nodded vigorously and said, ‘OK!'”
“As I was leaving the store, one of the managers turned to me and said, ‘I just bought a book.’
“It was very well received internationally. From when it was first published in English in 2008 until 2012, it was the best-selling work of Chinese literature written in English, that’s my guess.”
“It was a New York Times bestseller and did well overseas. Three-Body Problem since then.”
” Midnight in Beijing“When you get to the end, you feel more satisfied than surprised by your success,” Lusby says.
“I only take on things if I’m sure there’s an audience that will like it in the future. It’s an unpredictable curve; a lot can go wrong, but when something resonates, it’s very satisfying.”
[Penguin’s] The US vice president of marketing visited China, Midnight in BeijingOnce he got behind it, it felt like the wheels of momentum started turning.”
Mr. Lusby, 23, got his first job in China in 1998, working as a teacher at Nanjing Foreign Studies University, a job that involved speaking to uniformed soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army to improve their English and give them a broader perspective on the outside world.
Self-taught and fluent in Chinese, with advanced levels of literacy, Lusby was not only a useful tool for managing everyday life, but also an attractive candidate for Penguin.
Subsequent projects included running a bilingual entertainment magazine listing Nanjing’s limited nightlife options, a job that led to an offer from an English-language lifestyle magazine in Beijing in 2000, eventually landing him a job with Penguin before moving to Hong Kong, where he now runs Pixie B, a consultancy for writers.
“My former boss at City Weekend had the philosophy that you could be anything in Beijing at that time, regardless of your background,” she says.
“Beijing is one of those cities that gives up on itself little by little. There are always new demographics, communities, areas to be found.”
“It was rewarding because I felt like I was at the center of something really important. It was hard to separate work from my social life. I was talking to thinkers and writers every day.”
“We didn’t realise then how amazing it was to be there. We didn’t realise how lucky we were.”
Professionally, Mr. Lusby, 49, has been able to capitalize on the rise of China’s affluent middle class, a cosmopolitan, curious consumer base willing to spend money on real books rather than poorly printed imitations.
Since joining Penguin in 2005, she has overseen an increase in the number of titles published annually from zero to 250, including an autobiography by tennis player Li Na, who drew long lines of young men to book signings.
I’ve always loved to read and I have a degree in English literature, but I didn’t know anything about publishing. Penguin said, “You teach us China, and we’ll teach you books.”
Joe Rusby
Another task was to promote the novels of Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan internationally.
“His writing is not negative about China, but it’s not complimentary either,” she says. “It’s an honest portrayal of his own experience.”
“He received criticism from both sides. Because he was not a dissident, because he lived in Beijing and was a member of the China Writers Association, there was a perception in the West that he was a puppet, a scapegoat, that he was not independent of the government and that his work was somehow at risk.”
“When he was asked about censorship in an interview, he replied that censorship isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and that we need a harmonious society. I couldn’t get it across in English, but I have a lot of sympathy for him because you have to be realistic to live in China.”
Lusby’s years working in Beijing gave her a keen awareness of such sensitivities, which was one of the reasons Penguin appointed her general manager for China, and later managing director for North Asia, despite her having no prior bookselling experience.
There was much caustic comment from expatriates in the media and from cynical opponents who thought Mr Lusby was untouchable.
“I’ve always loved reading and have a degree in English literature, but I didn’t know anything about publishing,” Lusby said. “Penguin said, ‘Teach us about China and we’ll teach you about books.'”
Lusby is fast-talking and eloquent, and anecdotes flow.
Some of the most interesting are a little too sensitive to share in public, but the official stories of contemporary Chinese politics and business are likely to appear in a soon-to-be-published memoir by Jörg Wuttke, a straight-talking and well-connected businessman who spent more than 30 years in senior executive roles in China, most recently with the German chemical company BASF and as chairman of the China-European Union Chamber of Commerce, before moving to the U.S. this summer.
The book is part of a diversified portfolio of Pixie B, a Hong Kong company owned by Mr Lusby and his South African wife, Michelle Lombard, who serves as his chief financial officer and strategic adviser.
For me [Lusby] Editors, publishers, lawyers, agents, all in one place
Paul French, author of “Midnight in Beijing”
Pixie B acts as the exclusive distributor for Harry Potter digital products in China, a role focused on ensuring Chinese licensees do not tamper with author JK Rowling’s work.
The rules have changed slightly to allow for multiple narrators in audiobooks, rather than the single voice that is more common in the West.
The seven-book series is now available as audiobooks, with each title available for subscription for around HK$10 (US$1.30) — not a huge sum considering China’s population of 1.4 billion.
Pixie B’s role is: Three-Body ProblemInternational content trading, including audio drama content.
That instinct for unusual projects led to a deal with a young social media influencer based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, whom Lusby met at a book fair.
Thai illustrator Sean B. Hiran has 2.5 million digital followers and is currently working on a book. Three friends in winterIn this book, inspiring life lessons are told through the eyes of three adorable animals.
Pets play an important role in the lives of these entrepreneurs, including two dogs and two cats who live in Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, and hold regular rooftop get-togethers.
French, Midnight in BeijingThe London-based writer sums up Lusby’s professional and social skills succinctly: “For me she was editor, publisher, lawyer and agent,” he says.
His latest work is Her Lotus YearA book about Wallis Simpson due for publication in November is another untold China story, chronicling the time the future Duchess of Windsor spent in China.
“Joe inspired so many people. He always had people sending him manuscripts,” French says.
“Expatriate memoirs aren’t a great genre, but there are always people who want to write them. She’s been so encouraging and giving advice to foreign correspondents who end up writing really good books, to those who are just hanging around.”
“Beijing has a small and vibrant expat community, so it’s always a bit difficult to say no to people as you might bump into them.
“If you ask Jo, she probably had confidence in my research skills and my knowledge of the world I was writing about, but I don’t know if she had confidence in my literary skills, and I especially didn’t. She gave me the space to exercise my literary talents.”
