30 years of Hervé Chopin Editions: “Each title we publish is a potential bestseller for us! »

Livres Hebdo: Hervé Chopin celebrates his 30th birthday this year. Can you go back to the history of the publishing and creation of the house?

Hervé Chopin: To tell the truth, there were two creations: one in 1994, when I created the company (in parallel with independent activity for other houses) and the other in 2004, the more official , when Isabelle joined me and we launched 100%.

Isabelle Chopin : In 2004, we launched our first collection “Images d’Antan” which today has 150 titles, with four to five new releases per year. The principle is to highlight the cities and regions of France and the world through old postcards. We also find transversal themes, around the mountains, the farmers, but also the sea with Olivier de Kersauson or the Tour de France with Jacques Chancel. It’s a pretty magical collection, aimed at everyone and which never goes out of style.

« We enjoy finding slightly innovative concepts »

What are the other collections that highlight the illustrated?

H.C. : We have a collection around historical monuments, in collaboration with the DRACs from different regions. Furthermore, beyond the fact that landscapes have changed, we recently resurrected a “Seen from the sky” collection because our relationship with images and aerial photography has also changed with the arrival of drones.

I.C. : We enjoy finding slightly innovative concepts around regionalism, art, culture and heritage. In 2020, we launched the “Instantanés” collection; books illustrated with photos of cities or regions, selected on Instagram. Indeed, there are a lot of photos circulating on the networks and that’s where people who love their region post the most astonishing things. Each book has an average of 250 photos and is the result of extensive research work. The rendering works very well and Marseille snapshots has sold more than 10,000 copies. The last book published in this collection is Instant Bets published last May, before the Olympic Games.

You are the “first publisher of fine books in the Antilles”. What are your links with the archipelago?

H.C. : My sister is a photographer-graphic designer and settled in Martinique in the 1990s. The first books we published, between 1994 and 2004, were published there. We have taken an increasingly important place there and continue to work with local communities and stakeholders. Recently, we were asked by the Beninese government to publish the exhibition catalog “Revelation! Contemporary Art from Benin” which was presented in Martinique last year and which is now being held at the Conciergerie in Paris, from October 4 to January 5, 2025.

Literature since 2010

In 2010, the house took a completely different turn with the introduction of a literature collection.

I.C. : Literature was a kind of fantasy. At the beginning, we wanted to be consistent by publishing the historical novel with the series Les Borgia.

H.C. : The saga was released six months before the successful Canal + television series. Result: the first title sold 13,000 copies and the second 9,000.

I.C. : In 2012 we published the Portuguese journalist José Rodrigues dos Santos which we had discovered a year earlier in Frankfurt. His book, God’s Formulawas a real bestseller. He propelled us and it was a very intense year. Each title by José always sells very well, between 20,000 and 40,000 copies.

H.C. : Like many authors, José is faithful to us. We have chosen not to publish more than ten titles per year in literature, which allows us to maintain our relationships with each of them. And we continue to follow authors whose sales are still timid because we are convinced that their talent will eventually be recognized. And it’s a luxury! We have never worked in large publishing groups, so we invented our way of working. It is sometimes a little idealistic, but it still works 30 years later!

Over time, you have moved away a little from the original editorial line. How would you define the one that is unfolding today?

I.C. : In reality, with José, we were dealing more with a historical-scientific thriller. Each encounter that followed led us to make convolutions while flirting with the imaginary, the white. But we have still delved into the thriller genre with authors like Paul Colize, Christian Carayon or Michel Moatti. Every title we publish is a potential bestseller for us! Ultimately, you have to be a bit playful.

H.C. : Here again, we have the luxury of operating on impulse. We are fortunate that 90% of our large formats are available in pocket format, many at Pocket for our synergies with Interforum, but also at Point, Folio, J’ai Lu or 10/18.

What can we expect from Éditions Hervé Chopin for the year 2025?

H.C. : In literature, we wish to continue the furrow dug while continuing to control our production. Concerning the illustrated, we are going to develop new collections, but it is a little early to talk about it. We also have works that are a little out of collection. Next year will be that of the painter Paul Cézanne, father of modernity. For the occasion, we have an exciting project around Château Noir, near Aix-en-Provence. A place with a mystical aura that continues to attract great artists and thinkers.