VOL.69/2024.04

 

Human Cube

From an Imprint to a Publisher, and Finally, a Publishing Group

 

2023.06.05

 

An imprint refers to a system where a publisher gives an independent brand or affiliate to an editor or others and entrusts them with the entire management of it. Many big publishing houses have several imprints in operation as it is like killing two birds with one stone – skillful editors can receive the capital and know-how from the parent company, and the parent company can keep diversity in publications. Human Cube, which began as an imprint of a large publishing house Munhakdongne in 2012, gained independence in 2018. Since then, it has been growing at a fast pace, publishing various books based on the experiences cumulated during the years run as an imprint. Today, Human Cube has become a publishing group with three affiliates, cultivating competent publishers. Following is an interview with Hwang Sang-Wook, head of the publishing house Human Cube, which has become a byword for a successful imprint.

 

 

It’s an honor to have you on K-Book Trends. Please introduce Human Cube to our overseas readers along with the meaning of its name.

 

Human Cube was established in January 2012 under the slogan, “We pursue books that fuse warm sensibility and precise intelligence.” Since its establishment, Human Cube has always focused on “people.” Writing and editing texts, and designing and producing books, are all done by people. And the readers are people, too. So, as there are “people” in the entire course of making, advertising, and reading books, we have been, and will continue to focus on “people.” It’s also why we put “human” in the company’s name.

 

The phrase “We pursue books that feel humane” from the introduction of Human Cube is quite impressive. What kind of books are “humane” to Human Cube?

 

While the demand for books is on the decline these days, Human Cube thinks that humane books are those that are helpful to readers. So, books that provide information, give enlightenment, console, or entertain, or even those that can “heal” readers as they read books, can be “humane” books. We aim to make books through which readers can feel the clear difference before and after reading them.

 

 

Establishing a publishing ecosystem alone is the biggest accomplishment and change of Human Cube.

 

 

Please tell us about the process of gaining independence from being an imprint and establishing a separate publishing house.

 

When I was in the planning department at Munhakdongne, I set up “Human Cube,” an imprint, with investment from Munhakdongne, to be a publisher that I wanted and dreamed of. I fueled the growth of Human Cube little by little, by taking charge of planning and editing myself, and receiving help from Munhakdongne regarding marketing, production, and accounting, for some expenses. I built up the identity of Human Cube by publishing books that I wanted to make one by one in cooperation with the authors, and it continues today.

 

Even though you have experienced publishing during the imprint years, many things must have been new after establishing an Independent publishing house. What was the biggest change after standing on your own feet?

 

If Human Cube were within the boundary of Munhakdongne before independence, now we have truly settled as a publishing house by newly establishing the entire book publishing process. Setting up the publishing ecosystem on our own is the biggest accomplishment and change. Now we are a family. Now there are three corporate affiliates under Human Cube – Murly Books, Sustain, and Pencil Cholla.

 

Please tell us about the characteristics and representative books of Human Cube and its affiliates.

 

Human Cube is the leading brand of the Human Cube publishing group. The best book is Planning is Two Codes. I think it is the book that most perfectly represents the “book that I want to make the most” as the head of a publishing house, growing from an editor. It’s the most Human-Cube-like book in terms of content, style, and structure.
Murly Books mainly produces non-fiction that arouses profound thinking and humanities books that stimulate resolution. It pursues books that go far with the readers. Murly Books’ The Paradox of Press Freedom and the Dilemma of Journalism is a book that highlights the dilemma of press freedom that Korea, a country that boasts the most powerful soft power in the world, is experiencing today. In the book, five representative media scholars sharply criticize and review the dilemma where the press with greater freedom ironically threatens the freedom of the public. The book has been a hot issue after it was recommended by former president Moon Jae-In.
Meanwhile, Sustain makes content that resonates over a long time in readers’ lives. For example, I’m Cooking Preferences Today is a non-fiction title by “It’s Michelle,” a YouTube that delivers the happiness of a nice meal. It joyfully shares the delightful sense of accomplishment and positive energy that a meal of one’s own style presents.
Lastly, Pencil Cholla has been making books that are based on characters that are accepted across a wide age range, including infants, under the slogan “A garden of happy books.” Among its books, Cinnamoroll Coloring Book is a coloring book of Cinnamoroll, one of the popular characters of Sanrio. It has been popular with people of all ages.

 

 

Each affiliate’s steady publishing of books reminds us of Human Cube in the past, where it grew as an imprint. Is there a particular reason for having affiliates?

 

Well, obviously, I can’t do things entirely by myself. We have to join hands to do sustainable publishing in this era where fewer people are reading books. Being an imprint in a large publisher, which is like a corporate venture or start-up, has both bright and dark sides. The affiliate system of Human Cube is the same. I felt the limitations while being an imprint and an affiliate at Munhakdongne for six years, and I have always dreamed of establishing an independent publishing house.
So, the crux of Human Cube’s affiliate system is autonomy and responsibility. I believed that if I set up affiliates and gave autonomy and responsibility to junior publishers with mutual trust, and added Human Cube’s experience, I would have a more complemented system. This is still an ongoing topic that I’m mulling over, and we’re all trying our best to make a better tomorrow.

 

 

In this era of fewer readers, we must join hands to continue our type of sustainable publishing.

 

 

Human Cube has published books in various fields, such as business, self-help, politics, social science, humanities, young adults, and children. Is there a particular reason for planning and publishing books of various genres?

 

The core keywords are “sustainability” and “survival.” The diversity is the result of serious thoughts about how to draw and connect readers’ demands and the capacity of the authors we are working with. Of course, it’s not for making the company a general store that sells everything to fill our greed. I think diversity was an inevitable choice as we observed our surroundings and focused on “people.” It is our goal to do sustainable publishing by making books one after another based on our own viewpoint.

 

It seems that you need a wide range of interests and insights as you are planning books in various fields. What areas are you particularly paying attention to, to keep Human Cube competitive?

 

I don’t think that Human Cube is the best publisher, nor that our books are special. It’s not about being humble, but as there are just so many publishing houses that make good books and work hard, we try to experience as many books or content as possible and find our own color. Of course, in areas that seem impossible, we try to find the best solution or give up considering the reality. I believe that fiercely pondering over ways to find the best solution is our competitiveness as Human Cube is yet the best publisher.

 

We look forward to Human Cube’s bright future. What are your next plans or goals?

 

In the meantime, Human Cube has been playing an important role in cooperating with writers that are not well known or have potential, to make them widely known to the public. The best example was the cooperation with Korean history teacher Seol Min-Seok. And since late 2022, we have consecutively published Korean folktales in 50 volumes with writer Hwang Sok-Yong, one of the representative storytellers of our generation in Korea. Also, with K-content drawing massive popularity around the world in each field, we are preparing to make content (books, webtoons, videos, etc.) that transcend generations and borders based on Korean stories.
The next goal is to produce our content in diverse forms along with our affiliates, while not losing the mindset we had at the beginning of Human Cube 11 years ago. Thank you.

 

 

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