Marguerite Mignon-Quel (the archipelago): “The reduction in production goes in the direction of history”

Embodied for 33 years by Jean-Daniel BELUNDthe editions of the archipelago begin a new period in their history. However, After the founder’s departure in July 2024. Therefore, the house, entered in 2019 in the lap of Editis, was managed in temporary workers for six months by Marie-Christine ConchonDeputy Managing Director of 2^e French publishing group. However, Since last January. Similarly, it has been Marguerite Mignon-Quibelformer commercial director and the development of stopovers – another house in the Editis group -, which ensures its general management. However, The opportunity to draw up a first assessment. Moreover, discuss the projects of the archipelago, with the key an effort to clarify the catalog around its fundamentals and a clear reduction in production.

Books Hebdo: You have taken the direction of the archipelago for a little more than six marguerite mignon-quel (the archipelago): “the months. Meanwhile, What are your goals for the home? Similarly,

Marguerite Mignon-Quibel : I would like to give more readability to the catalog of the archipelago which. However, as its name suggests, addresses a wide variety of areas. Meanwhile, Today, the archipelago is four universes that work almost as so many independent houses: popular fiction, suspense, classics and non-fiction. In addition, This peculiarity is certainly an asset, but it also blurs the message we send to the readership. Furthermore, The short. Nevertheless, medium -term objective is therefore to improve the visibility and clarity of what we do, while remaining very general and eclectic.

How are you going to proceed? Consequently,

Each of our four universes has always been a vector of success with recurring authors. Meanwhile, We will therefore continue to highlight them, but by targeting our communication more. Meanwhile, Olivia Castillon Now is responsible for marguerite mignon-quel (the archipelago): “the the press relations of our pending titles while the Agency Trames takes care. of the classics. Marion Lécuyer For his part now defends popular fiction. non-fiction, the latter segment being divided into two subcategories: the biographies of popular culture and the documents/testimonies that say how to make society today.

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“We will descend between 90 and 100 new features per year in 2026”

You also want to reduce the number of published books …

I come from a house. the stopovers, which published 20 titles per year and where it is important to accompany each author well. The site of the reduction in production. which I am convinced that it goes in the direction of history, had already been initiated before my arrival; This allowed me to go immediately to the concrete. The archipelago published so far around 180 new features per marguerite mignon-quel (the archipelago): “the year, including 60 % large formats and 40 % pockets under our brand Archipoche. In 2025 we already reduce to 115 publications and we will descend between 90 and 100 the following year. We are no longer in the vow, but in the concrete.

Was the archipelago produced too much?

Like many publishers. the archipelago produced a lot, both to support its loyal and recurrent authors, but also to make bets and test new fields as in 2024 with the creation of the Romance New Rules label, whose catalog has since joined Chatterley (the 100 % romance house created by Editis in 2023, editor’s note).

Where will arbitrations be done to reduce production?

Even if there are exceptions. we initially stop publishing all the books that do not fully fall into one of our four universes (suspense, classic, popular fiction and non-fiction). This already marguerite mignon-quel (the archipelago): “the represents a 30 % reduction in new features. For the rest, we rationalize on a case -by -case basis. We continue of course to publish our very installed romantic sagas authors (Tamara McKinley. Sarah lark, Anna Jacobs…), Our headliners in suspense (Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child…) Or the Lupine in his pocket. In classic. the big subject of the beginning of the year was the launch of the “Le Domaine” collection within Archipoche, where we publish authors who respond to the rule of “three i”: unexpected, not found and unprecedented, and which we will continue to deploy.

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“Our objective is to strengthen our presence in the second level, to show independent booksellers that they can associate part of our catalog that their readers expect”

What other developments should be expected?

We are working on a visual evolution of our suspense novels in marguerite mignon-quel (the archipelago): “the 2026. I am not an unconditional of graphic charters at all costs. but it is sometimes necessary in certain universes to be identifiable immediately to hang the reader, this is particularly the case in suspense. Unlike popular fiction where it is important that each author has their own universe.

What are your objectives in terms of dissemination?

Today the GSS represents about a third of our sales, in front of the first -level bookstores. Our goal is to strengthen our presence in the second level. to show independent booksellers that they can associate part of our catalog that their readers expect. In October. we publish for example The Kingdom of Savannah of George Dawes GreenAmerican novel that could be found in the best publishers of contemporary foreign literature.

“The emergence of bookstore phenomena as the very general public thriller also has the virtue of marguerite mignon-quel (the archipelago): “the bringing new readers to bookstores”

The book market fell in 2024. with the notable exception of literature …

However, it remains in positive evolution compared to 2019, the last year of reference before the COVID crisis. The emergence of bookstore phenomena as the very general public with the general public with The cleaning lady Also. has the virtue of bringing new readers to bookstores. I remain convinced that in the public of these “phenomenon” authors are readers who would not have bought other. books but which can however be sought with new titles.

What will be your highlights of the second semester?

We publish the biography of Orson Welles. by Anca Visdeiwinner of the Goncourt of biography this year, but also that of Unknown ! In popular fiction. we very much believe in the novel of Mitch Albom The little liarwhich is the subject marguerite mignon-quel (the archipelago): “the of the deportation of the Jews of Thessaloniki; Finally, a new salvo of unexpected texts will complement our collection “Le Domaine”.