Supadu interviewed Lisa Sharkey, SVP, Publisher Harper Influence at HarperCollins Publishers, on her journey into publishing at London Book Fair 2025.

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Your career spans multiple different media platforms. Could you tell us a bit about your early career and what inspired you to move into the world of books?

My earliest career was actually in public television, then in local news, network news, and syndicated news. I really loved being in news, but there was something about books that just drew me in. Every time books would come into the newsroom, I would think, "Aha, let me do something special with this book." Eventually, it caught the attention of Jane Friedman, who was the CEO of HarperCollins, and she summoned me and said, "What are you doing for no money? Why are you working in books without pay, but getting paid to work in TV?" I said, "I need you to hire me. I want to do the same thing for books that I do for TV — find amazing stories and tell them in books." Five years later, it happened.

Before entering publishing, as you mentioned, you had a successful career in television. How has your television career influenced how you deal with the world of books?

Well, I have a lot of journalistic experience. I used to run an investigative unit: medical news, family news, gardening news. I even put weddings on TV. I also chased big stories. It’s really about storytelling, and what I've done is train people who have worked with me to think like a journalist. You don't have to wait for an agent's proposal to always land on your desk. If you see something out there, you can learn to figure out how to get in touch with the person, write them a letter, and encourage them to write a book — even if they haven’t thought of becoming an author. You can convince them, and I've done that many times.

Television and publishing are often seen as parallel industries. In your experience, what are the biggest similarities and the biggest differences?

Well, the biggest difference is the time. In a daily television program — let’s say it’s Good Morning America, that I worked on — that’s a two-hour chunk, and you’ve got to turn it around every single day. Your desk piles up, and at the end of the day, you can actually throw your whole desk into the garbage. In book publishing, the projects are deeper, longer, and more thoughtful.

You’re a role model for so many women within the publishing industry who are just starting out or are well into their careers. What advice would you give to women aspiring to do great things within the publishing industry or creative industries in general?

Well, the first thing I would say is try not to be afraid. I know it’s scary. I get scared too sometimes, if I have to send an email that might have a little bit of vinegar in it, so to speak. First, I write something with some honey, and then I put in the vinegar, and then I end with the honey. Then I hit send and go, “You know, I’ve sent the email, and now let’s see what happens.” Also, know that the universe will take care of you. Make sure to be kind to others, and make sure to manage up, down, and sideways. You have to realize that the CEO of your company is a person too. The senior vice president is a person too. We all have insecurities, we all have frailties, and we all have vulnerabilities. If you put yourself in a different class or a different category than other people, you won’t be able to get ahead. So, you can really think about yourself down the road and realize that every day is an opportunity to accomplish something great and enjoy.

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