“I think physical books will continue to be very central… In fact, in the past few years, we’ve seen more physical bookstores opening than closing in both the US and UK, which is a really encouraging trend. Interestingly, with Gen Z readers, research shows many of them prefer physical books over ebooks… Physical books seem incredibly resilient… Think about taking a book to the beach — what other product can you take there without worrying? You have to be careful with your phone or your Kindle, but books? They’re reliable, durable, and simple.”
I had the pleasure of talking with David Shelley. David, a British publishing executive, serves as the global CEO of both Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group in the United States, overseeing one of the most influential portfolios in the international publishing landscape. In his dual role, Shelley is responsible for approximately 3,500 employees across both sides of the Atlantic and steers more than half of parent company Lagardère’s publishing revenue. With nearly three decades of experience in the industry, Shelley has emerged as a central figure in shaping English-language publishing, known for his measured leadership, commitment to diversity, and strategic adaptability in an era of technological change.
Born and raised in southern England, Shelley’s connection to books was forged early. He grew up in an apartment above his parents’ second-hand bookstore, surrounded by antiquarian volumes and the rhythms of a small-town literary life. With two sisters and access to both the shop’s offerings and the local library, he developed a deep love for reading. He went on to study English literature at the University of Oxford, driven by a lifelong conviction that publishing was the only industry he wished to work in.
Shelley’s entry into the business side of publishing came soon after graduation, when he joined the independent press Allison and Busby. By age 23, he had been unexpectedly offered the top position at the struggling firm, a decision that reflected more a leap of faith from its Spanish parent company than conventional corporate succession planning. With no formal training in finance or management, Shelley had to learn quickly. Over the next five years, he succeeded in turning the publisher from a loss-making entity into a profitable business. The experience would prove formative, providing him with a practical grounding in business operations that would complement his literary background.
In 2005, Shelley made the move to Little, Brown, then a division of Hachette UK, to work as an editor specializing in crime and thriller fiction. Though initially reluctant to leave his post at Allison and Busby, he accepted the role with an eye toward future growth. His ascent within Hachette was steady. Over the years, he held a series of increasingly senior positions, eventually succeeding his mentors as head of Little, Brown, and later rising to CEO of Hachette UK. In 2023, he expanded his remit further by assuming leadership of Hachette Book Group in the United States, a role that has added both cultural complexity and strategic breadth to his portfolio.
Shelley’s leadership has been marked by an emphasis on inclusion, innovation, and responsiveness to readers. He launched “Changing the Story,” a long-term diversity and inclusion initiative at Hachette US and UK, and has been a vocal supporter of Dialogue Books, an imprint dedicated to publishing underrepresented voices. Under his guidance, Hachette has made efforts to modernize both its workforce and publishing slate, reflecting a broader awareness that the industry must evolve to better reflect the diversity of its readership.
At the same time, Shelley has resisted short-termism, advocating for a publishing ethos that balances innovation with the enduring value of physical books. Despite predictions that digital formats would eclipse print, he remains confident in the future of the traditional book, pointing to the resilience of independent bookstores and a resurgence of interest among younger readers in physical formats. Under his watch, Hachette has also expanded into adjacent product lines — including stationery, puzzles, and greeting cards — positioning the company more broadly within the world of consumer publishing.
Shelley’s leadership style is marked by a calm pragmatism, informed by his early years running a small press and sharpened by the demands of leading large, transatlantic teams. He has spoken candidly about the cultural adjustments required in managing across the UK and U.S., where communication norms and workplace expectations can differ sharply. In interviews, he often references the importance of directness and clarity, particularly in his New York role, contrasting it with the more coded, nuanced forms of professional exchange common in London.
While committed to tradition, Shelley has also been active in confronting challenges posed by new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. He has emphasized the need for strong copyright protections and expressed concern about the unregulated use of copyrighted material in AI training models. In his view, the sustainability of the creative ecosystem depends on compensating human creators for their work. At the same time, he sees potential in AI as a tool for efficiency and support — so long as it remains subordinate to human authorship.
Shelley’s commitment to developing talent mirrors the support he once received from his own mentors. He credits Ursula Mackenzie, his former boss at Little, Brown, with encouraging him to think more ambitiously about his career. He has since sought to play a similar role for others, including Katie Espiner, a rising executive in the UK division whom he backed for a leadership role beyond her previous editorial experience. On the US side, Carrie Bloxson has been elevated to Chief People Officer, as well as a global English language DEI leader, because she had shown such great results in her previous role
Throughout his career, Shelley has consistently emphasized the social and personal value of reading and creativity. He speaks often about the need to carve out time for literature and the arts in a world increasingly dominated by screens. Whether through formal programs or informal advocacy, he remains committed to fostering a culture where books — and those who create them — are given the space and respect they require.
Now splitting his time between New York and London, Shelley continues to lead Hachette at a moment of significant transition for global publishing. He brings to the role not only business acumen and literary sensibility but also a clear-eyed understanding of the pressures and possibilities that lie ahead.
Yitzi: It’s an honor to meet you. Before we dive in deep, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share a bit about your childhood and how you grew up?
David: I suppose my origin story is a little corny in a way, especially in relation to the industry I’m in, because I grew up in an apartment above a bookstore. My parents ran a bookstore in England, about an hour south of London, in a small town. It was a second-hand, antiquarian bookshop. I grew up with two sisters, and we were a very book-loving family. I spent a lot of time reading books from the store and borrowing books from the library. You could check out four books at a time, and I’d do that several times a week.
So I really grew up loving books. When I went to college — well, in the UK, you just major in one subject — I studied English literature at Oxford. Books were always a passion of mine, and I knew they were the only industry I truly wanted to work in. My journey since then has really been about business. The books were always there; the business side came later.
Yitzi: Amazing. Can you tell us a little bit of the story of how you first got started at Hachette? How did that come about?
David: That was about 20 years ago. I had been running a very small company before that — just five people. It was a small publisher called Allison and Busby. Through a series of events in my twenties, I ended up running it. It was a wonderful, though scary, learning experience. I learned a lot about business — how to manage cash flow, make a profit, all of those things.
When I was 29, I was approached by the publisher at Little, Brown in the UK. She invited me to come be a crime editor — specifically in mystery and thrillers. At first, I didn’t want to do it because I was really happy running my small company. I’d gotten over the fear and was enjoying it. But I realized that if I wanted to grow, if I wanted to operate on a bigger stage someday, I had to take the leap — even though the opportunity didn’t seem that big at first.
So I made the jump 20 years ago to become an editor of mystery and thrillers. Since then, my career at Hachette has evolved. I’ve taken on different roles. When my boss retired, I took her position. Then when her boss retired, I was offered his role. I’ve been at Hachette for 20 years, but it feels like I’ve done a different job every three years or so.
Yitzi: You probably have some wonderful and amazing stories from your experiences at Hachette or just being in the publishing industry. Can you share with our readers one or two stories from your professional life that most stand out in your mind?
David: One story that stands out actually happened before Hachette, when I was at Allison and Busby. I joined the company as an assistant straight out of college, and I’d only been there about two years. There had been two bosses — one had to retire due to ill health, and the other wasn’t getting the results they wanted.
The company was owned by a media group in Spain called Editorial Prentice Iberica. One day, the PA to the boss there called me and said, “Come to Barcelona tomorrow.” I had no idea what it was about. I flew out, and the founder and CEO, Javier Mol, sat me down and said, “The results at Allison and Busby have been really poor. We’ve tried different bosses and it hasn’t worked. We can either shut it down, or we can test you out and see how it goes.”
I was just shy of 24 at the time, and I remember thinking, “How is this even going to work?” But he said, “Sometimes when you’re early in your career, you can learn quickly. I think you’re ambitious, and I see something in you.”
I went home and talked to my boyfriend — now my husband — and said, “I can’t do this.” And he said, “If you don’t, you’ll never know. No one gets opportunities like this.” So I called the assistant on Monday and said, “Okay, I’ll do it.” I was absolutely terrified, and probably stayed terrified for two years.
But they taught me everything about business — what cash flow is, what EBIT is. The basics. And in many industries, it comes down to the same thing: the more you sell, the more money you make. At the time, the company was losing quite a bit of money, around £200,000 to £300,000 a year. One of my proudest achievements was turning that around. By the time I left, five years later, the company was making a profit of around £400,000 a year. Taking it from a loss into profit remains the achievement I’m most proud of in my career.
Yitzi: It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake that you made when you were first starting and the lesson that you learned from it?
David: I’ve made so many mistakes. Honestly, so many.
A big one that stands out is about not trusting my gut. I think I’m quite instinctual, and sometimes I’ve made decisions where I ignored that instinct. It’s always tricky — you need to know how much to listen to other people. But I can think of a few instances where I didn’t acquire certain books, not because my instinct said no, but because I let other people influence me, or I got too caught up in the data.
What I’ve learned is that, right or wrong, I always feel better when I trust my gut. Even if I make the wrong call, I know I gave it everything. But when I go against my instincts, I feel like I’m acting in bad faith, like I’m not bringing my full self to the decision. And that’s a worse feeling than simply being wrong.
Yitzi: That’s great. We love hearing stories where somebody who’s a bit further ahead opens up a door or creates an opportunity that changes someone’s career trajectory. You shared a bit about that yourself. Can you share another story where that happened in your life, or where you did that for someone else?
David: I’ll share two stories, actually. My boss at Little, Brown was a very inspiring person called Ursula Mackenzie. I remember she had a conversation with me when she was planning to retire and said, “I’m planning to retire, and you’re the person I would like to be my successor.” Then she said something that really surprised me — she said, “And I think if you do well, you could even get the job above mine.” That was something I’d never considered before. I’d never thought I was capable of it. I suppose at that point, I hadn’t seen myself as a businessperson or a corporate person. Her belief in me — that I could do that — opened a door in my mind and made me think, wow, could I actually do that? And eventually, I did get that job. But I don’t think I ever would have thought it possible if she hadn’t had that belief in me or that confidence.
So that’s one story. Another is about someone I employed — a very talented publisher and businessperson named Katie Espiner in the UK. In publishing, you have these different layers of roles. She’d essentially been an editor, working directly with authors and books. I brought her in at the next level, managing a large team — about 130 people. At that point, I think she’d never really thought about taking on that kind of role. And I suppose, like my boss Ursula, I saw something in Katie that made me think, you’re going to be amazing at this. There was something in her — her strength of personality, vision, hutzpah — that was really striking and strong. I thought, I think she can really do this. One of the great pleasures of my career has been seeing Katie thrive. She’s now leading a very large section of our business in the UK and is ascending rapidly. So yeah, those are two very similar examples.
Yitzi: You have a very demanding position. Within your role, what’s been the most challenging project you’ve taken on, and why?
David: It would have to be — and I wanted a challenge — but it would have to be moving over here to New York and taking on this dual role, leading both the US and the UK. It’s challenging in a really great way, and also a demanding and even scary way, because it’s meant learning a different culture. There’s that cliché about two countries divided by the same language, and there’s definitely truth in that. Someone in the UK and someone in France or Germany or Italy might be more culturally similar than someone from the UK and someone from the US.
There are very different ways of communicating, different norms. And then there’s New York, which is different again. I like it, but people here are very direct and straightforward. They don’t have a lot of time for chit-chat or nonsense. In London, a lot is couched in subtext. You can say, “Oh, I like that idea,” and people will understand from your intonation that you don’t like it. You can trust that the meaning will be read. I made the mistake here of saying, “I like that idea,” and people just believed me. So I’ve had to learn — and I’ve been here about 18 months now — to say, “I don’t like that.” Just say it. And that’s fine. The nice thing here is you don’t cause offense in the same way. People aren’t offended in the same way. I don’t think people in New York have time to be offended.
So I think this has been the most demanding thing I’ve done. I understand book publishing quite well — I’ve been in it 28 years — and while there are some differences between the US and UK markets, the main challenge has been cultural: how you operate, how you interact with people. That’s been a massive challenge, but an exciting one.
Yitzi: That’s an amazing answer. You have so much impressive work — can you share with our readers some of the exciting new projects you’re working on now?
David: I’m always biased toward new ventures and exciting things, so it’s a real pleasure to share. What we’ve been doing in the U.S. is opening up some new avenues. One thing is launching new imprints specializing in different areas. We’ve got an exciting new imprint launching soon called Run for It — I love the name. It’s focused on horror books. Horror has had a real resurgence here in the U.S., and readers are loving it. There’s maybe a new generation of horror that’s a bit more edgy and a bit more literary in tone, and it’s really resonating.
This new imprint, Run for It, I’m really excited about. We’ve also got another imprint I’m excited about that’s focused on romance. There’s a younger generation of readers getting into different kinds of romance — romance fantasy, for example. Again, it’s more edgy, Gen Z-type romance. That new imprint is called Requited — again, I love the name — and it’s launching soon. We’ve already made some really exciting acquisitions for that line.
Another thing I’m excited about is what I’d call adjunct areas to books. Books are our heartland, but we also publish jigsaw puzzles, stationery, washi tape, gifts, games, board games, tarot decks — all sorts of things. We’re seeing really strong sales in those areas. We recently acquired a terrific company called Union Square, and they’ve got a great line. I’ve just been using them — I went to dinner with someone and used one of their lovely thank-you greeting cards. I love that. I’m really excited by the potential of publishing that thinks of itself more broadly than just books.
Books are our core, but we’re also really good at stationery, really good at greeting cards. There’s so much potential there. In an increasingly digital age, people are gravitating toward more traditional, analog products — things you can actually have and hold. Our stationery is printed on beautiful paper, and the greeting cards are really lovely. There’s something wonderful about that — something human — and I think that’s a trend that’s only going to grow. So we’re putting a lot of investment into that. It’s a bit counterintuitive, as everyone talks about AI and digital, which are significant, but analog things are increasingly treasured, especially by younger generations.
Yitzi: I read a great quote from you: “If you don’t change, you’re moving backward.” Based on what you just said, what’s the most radical change you believe the publishing industry needs to embrace in the next few years?
David: That’s a great question. I think there are two things.
The first is AI. I don’t necessarily think the publishing industry needs to embrace it wholesale, but we do need to reckon with it and be proactive in public affairs. Copyright is the legal foundation of our entire industry. It gives authors and publishers the right to financially benefit from their work and prevents others from plagiarizing it. There’s a lot of disturbing stuff going on — Meta, for example, has allegedly ingested a lot of copyrighted content illegally. As publishers, we can’t be afraid to take a strong stance on this. There’s already legal action underway, but we need to lobby and be very present in the conversation. All creative industries do. AI might appear to be creating things, but really it’s using work that was created by humans — talented humans who make music, art, film, books. They deserve to be paid for that work.
We need legislation to protect that. If the right legal frameworks are in place, and if authors and other creators’ copyrights are protected, then we can begin to embrace AI in operational ways that help get their work to more people. But it’s crucial that humans are still compensated for their work. Otherwise, it will discourage people from creating and disincentivize the very talent we depend on. We need to encourage and support creative people — they make our world better.
The second thing I’d add is that our industry still doesn’t fully reflect the readers we serve. In terms of ethnicity, disability, age — we’re skewed in particular directions. To reach the widest possible readership, we need to be more representative. It’s not just the right thing to do — it’s also good business sense. So I think that’s another area the industry is reckoning with at the same time.
Yitzi: That’s great. There’s a question I often struggle with. It’s become part of my daily routine now. It’s about people submitting AI-created work. What are your thoughts on that? Where’s the line? Using AI to edit something might be no different than spell check, but what’s the approach your company takes when it comes to using AI in creating creative works?
David: That’s a great question, and very timely. I’ve heard some people say, “Well, it’s impossible to draw a line, so you may as well not have one.” I disagree with that. There are already good lines that exist in copyright law — standards around plagiarism, for example. We’ve had multiple court cases over songs and books that deal with that exact question.
The good thing about AI is that the better it gets, the better it gets at detecting its own use. We’re experimenting right now with software that can detect how much of something was created by a human and how much by AI. I think standards will eventually come into play, hopefully defining acceptable percentages of AI involvement. For example, if someone goes through their manuscript and uses spell check, or a tool like Grammarly to fix grammar, or makes small tweaks to clean up repeated phrases — those are probably acceptable.
But if AI came up with the concept of the book and wrote it? That, to me, crosses the line. The overarching question is: is AI helping talented humans refine their work? If so, that’s probably okay. But if it’s being used to churn out books in labs, which is already happening, that’s not a good thing for our ecosystem or the creative world.
So I’d say minimal AI intervention is probably healthy, but once AI starts driving the creative process, that’s where it becomes problematic.
Yitzi: That’s great. Where do you see the future going in terms of the centrality of physical books you can hold in your hands versus audiobooks or other visual formats? How central do you think books will be to your business model in the short and medium term?
David: Excellent question. I think physical books will continue to be very central. I’ve lived through the digital revolution with ebooks. People once thought ebooks would take over, but we found there’s a subset of people who love ebooks and find them useful, and an equally large group who prefer physical books. Many people enjoy both.
Ebooks have settled at around 20 to 25% of the total, which is fine. We didn’t see the full takeover of physical books that many expected. In fact, in the past few years, we’ve seen more physical bookstores opening than closing in both the US and UK, which is a really encouraging trend.
Interestingly, with Gen Z readers, research shows many of them prefer physical books over ebooks. Some still like digital, but a lot of them are going back to print. Physical books seem incredibly resilient.
At the same time, audio is on the rise. Audiobooks are now on Spotify and other platforms, and people are discovering them there. What’s interesting is that we’re seeing more men gravitating toward audio, while physical books, especially fiction, have always had a female bias and that’s becoming even more pronounced.
So I can see a bit of a reshaping of the business. Maybe physical books will decline slightly while audio grows. Some men — and some women too — might migrate toward audio. But I still see physical books as the backbone of our business in the years to come. They’re just so fit for purpose. Think about taking a book to the beach — what other product can you take there without worrying? You have to be careful with your phone or your Kindle, but books? They’re reliable, durable, and simple.
Yitzi: I’ve noticed from my interviews the rise of audio dramas. They take an audiobook and make it almost cinematic. Do you see that taking on a bigger role — where they use actors, voice actors, dialogue, music, and sound effects?
David: Yeah, we’re definitely experimenting with that. There are a lot of things audiences enjoy. But I’d also say there’s something powerful — and there’s a lot of neuroscience and research behind it — about being read a story. Single-voice narration still has a deep effect. Adults actually respond to being read a story in much the same way children do.
There’s a lot of evidence showing that kids who are read to when they’re young have better outcomes — academically, emotionally, even neurologically. And the same holds true for adults. So yes, there will be more audio dramas and other creative formats, and that’s exciting. But I still believe there’s something very basic and human about sitting down and having someone read you a story. A great storyteller can completely draw you in, and with a great narrator, you feel like you’re in safe, expert hands.
So I think the backbone of the audio publishing industry will always be strong narration, because as humans, we’re hardwired to love that experience.
Yitzi: That’s great. Let’s pretend you were an aspiring writer submitting your manuscript to a big publishing house — maybe one of the Big Five. Based on your inside knowledge, what are five things editors are looking for that could help get your manuscript accepted?
David:
- Great. First, I’d say that when I started in publishing, there weren’t as many literary agents, and we received thousands of direct submissions from the public every week — it was almost unmanageable. These days, the industry really relies on literary agents as a sort of filter for what might become a successful book. That said, there are still times during the year — or special programs — when different imprints accept direct submissions. For example, we have an imprint called Bookouture that always accepts them. But generally, things go through agents. So if you’re an aspiring writer, do your research on literary agents. That’s probably your best route. Or look at publishers like Bookouture who do take direct submissions. That’s the first thing.
- Second, you need to have read a lot. Almost every successful writer I know is also a huge reader. There’s just this wide breadth of knowledge they have from reading, and it shows in their writing. It’s very rare for someone to succeed without being a serious reader. So if you want to be a great writer, be a great reader.
- Third, focus on storytelling. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, the ability to hook a reader and take them on a journey is key. Storytelling is at the heart of almost every successful book.
- Fourth, I always ask writers: can you pitch your novel or nonfiction idea in two sentences? If you can’t, that’s probably a problem. Successful books rely on word of mouth — people telling their friends, “I read this great book,” and being able to explain what it’s about. If your idea isn’t easy to convey, it’s harder to get that momentum going.
- Fifth, think about your characters. In fiction, great books often rely on unique, memorable characters — people we haven’t met before. Avoid clichés. Characters that feel fresh and different can really help a book stand out and improve your chances of getting picked up.
There’s a lot more, of course, but those are five key things.
Yitzi: David, because of your great work and the platform that you’ve built and exhibit, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could put out an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
David: I think, through the lens of what we’ve been talking about — this technological revolution and AI — I think it’s about creativity. Just the value and joy of human creativity in all sorts of forms. I feel books, as creative products, bring so much joy and meaning to people’s lives.
We did something during COVID in the UK where we gave free ebooks to people in the medical system — nurses and doctors who were working — and we got some of the most moving responses. People saying things like, “My life has been so hard as a nurse during the COVID epidemic, but reading has been my one joy, my one solace.”
Books — and that kind of creativity — bring so much to people. I think it’s enriching for all of us to be creators in whatever way. Whether we’re writing a story for ourselves or doing an art project. I play the guitar for fun — just strumming and playing songs. I think human creativity is hugely important.
We’re all spending so much time on our phones, constantly on devices. It’s so easy now to not be creative. I think being an advocate for creativity is more important than ever. So if there were one thing I could do, it would be to continue to advocate for creativity — how joyful it is, how much it brings to our lives, and how we sometimes need to push ourselves to engage with it.
I come across a lot of people who say they don’t have time to read. And I kind of want to say, not to be too aggressive, but you do have time to spend nine hours a day on your phone, which is the average. You have time to scroll through social media, but you don’t have 20 minutes a day to read?
I think sometimes we need to force ourselves a bit. Say, “I’m going to turn off the phone. I’m going to make some time.” There’s research showing the importance of parents reading to their kids — just making that time.
So, I would challenge everyone: can you find more time daily for creativity? Whether it’s being creative or engaging with someone else’s creative work. Either way, it will benefit you. And there’s a lot of science to back that up. So that would be the one big thing I’d do.
Yitzi: Amazing answer. David, how can our readers continue to follow your work online? How can they purchase Hachette books? How could they support you and your work in any possible way?
David: That’s a very nice question. Hachette Book Group is on all the social media platforms, so just look us up. If you’re interested in the publishing industry or the business, we’re easy to find. I’d also say, we’re often in the background, to some extent. So think about your favorite authors — we’re proud to publish such a wide range.
Some of the authors doing well for us at the moment include backlist authors like Octavia E. Butler — she’s doing incredibly well. Look her up. Look up Abby Jimenez, James Patterson — one of the biggest authors in the world, who we’re proud to publish. Also Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, Elin Hilderbrand. Engage with our authors. Read their books.
And visit bookstores. I have to say it — independent bookstores really depend on people visiting them to stay afloat. It’s not an easy business to run. So visit an independent bookstore. Personally, I don’t mind if you buy one of our books or a competitor’s. If you’re getting into books and buying more books, that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned.
Yitzi: David, I’m so grateful for your time. This has been an amazing interview and conversation. I wish you continued success, good health, and blessings. I hope we can do this again next year.
David: Thank you. It’s been a joy for me too, Yitzi. I really enjoyed it.
David Shelley on Leading Hachette, Navigating AI, and Why Physical Books Still Matter was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.