In 1986, recognizing the opportunity, he and his wife, Lilia Moritz, established a publishing house that combined literary, commercial, and progressive marketing techniques.
Consequently, Companhia das Letras gained in reputation and signed a well-known Brazilian contemporary writer, Rubem Fonseca.
Luis Schwarcz said the transaction "gave us great learning opportunities and the ability to share their experience with fellow publishers worldwide".
[8] Management remained in the hands of the Shoji sisters due to their experience with the manga and licensing area, and the purchase was announced in the week that Editora JBC celebrated its 27th anniversary.
A Brazilian Publishing Association survey found only 1/3 of the educated population reads more than one book a year, with adult readers account for only 33% of all sales.
It is an essential milestone in the development of the publishing industry in Brazil, as books are recognized by law as an "irreplaceable medium for the dissemination of culture and the transmission of knowledge".
In August, Editora Abril,[14] one of Brazil's largest publishing houses, announced a massive layoff plan, with 10 of its magazines ceasing publication and some 550 employees, including some 150 journalists, being laid off.
[15] In his blog, Cartas de Amor aos livros (Love Letters to Books), Luiz Schwarcz, wrote: "It's impossible to predict how big the impact of this crisis will be, but it's frightening enough ...
Many towns will not have a single bookstore left, and publishers are now facing the challenge of getting their books to consumers and having to deal with losses that have accumulated over time".
Whether it's a work by your favourite author or a new one you've always wanted to try," Schwarcz writes in the article, "there are bookstores that have persevered in the face of adversity, and you can go there to pay tribute to them in a tangible way, or to help those that have fallen on hard times.
[17] In response to Schwarcz's call, the hashtag "DêLivrosDePresente" (which means "books are gifts") quickly spread on Brazilian social media.
Schwarcz told Publishing Perspectives that he found the response generous and surprising but also said, "Unfortunately, current politics is always about creating divided groups, and people are always against things rather than accepting them.
[16] Companhia das Letras has launched a service to help consumers track book information via cell phone and email and has built a home delivery sales team.
Schwarcz's blog, which has received an overwhelming response on Brazilian social media, urges people to buy more books during the Christmas season to help bookstores weather the crisis.
In the same pioneering spirit, they were also an early adopter of Amazon's self-service advertising product immediately after the solution was first launched in Brazil in December 2020.
By exploring different techniques and experimenting with alternative budgets, our ability to test and learn has helped our valued readers find their ideal book.