French and American publishing professionals gathered at Villa Albertine in New York City on May 6 to examine the market dynamics for art books across both countries, with a focus on differences in distribution channels and consumer behavior that impact international rights sales.

The roundtable discussion—sponsored by the Bureau international de l'édition française (BIEF), the Cultural Services Department of the French Embassy, and Books From France—brought together industry veterans to analyze how publishers can better navigate transatlantic partnerships. It preceded two days of meet-and-greet sessions between U.S. and French publishers to discuss rights deals. Among those attending the sessions from the U.S. were representatives from Princeton University Press, Schiffer Publishing, Tannenbaum Literary Agency, and Yale University Press, among others. A total of eight publishers traveled from France, representing several major publishing houses, including Flammarion, Gallimard, Mango, and Solar.

Nicolas Roche, managing director of BIEF, who moderated the discussion, began by pointing out that French and American publishers face dramatically different retail landscapes, with traditional bookstores maintaining dominance in France while online platforms and specialty retailers drive American sales growth.

Charlotte Lassansàa, head of rights at the museum and publisher Centre Pompidou, reported that 77% of French book sales occur through traditional channels, with only 10 percent of art books purchased online. The contrast with American buying patterns could hardly be starker.

"Amazon does an amazing job selling books," said Sharon Gallagher, president and executive director of Artbook | D.A.P., acknowledging the once-contentious relationship between independent bookstores and the e-commerce giant. "There was a time in the past when people thought, Well, we need to hold off and push against Amazon. I think those days are behind us."

Gallagher highlighted the growing importance of non-traditional sales channels in the American market, with furniture and lifestyle stores like Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, and West Elm becoming increasingly significant for illustrated book sales. Her company now maintains separate sales teams specifically targeting these non-traditional outlets.

"We are opening more new gift accounts than we open accounts in any other sector," Gallagher noted, though she added that these retailers often have shorter life cycles, purchasing for just two seasons before disappearing.

France's fixed price law, established in 1982, creates another fundamental market difference. This regulation, which prevents discounting, has encountered challenges from Amazon but remains broadly effective in protecting French booksellers. Gallagher acknowledged that despite European publishers' wishes, similar legislation remains politically impossible in the United States.

Museum publishing's evolution

Mark Polizzotti, publisher and editor-in-chief at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, detailed a significant shift in museum publishing philosophy. The days of creating exhibition catalogs merely as scholarly records have given way to a more commercially minded approach.

"There's been quite an evolution from where things used to be," Polizzotti explained. "The traditional model was a much more mission-driven, mission-oriented type of publishing. You can't do that anymore."

This transformation reflects a new economic reality: museums now sell more books through trade channels than through their own shops. Polizzotti revealed that for many titles, including exhibition catalogs, the Met sells twice as many copies through bookstores as through its museum store.

The exhibition catalog Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton exemplifies this trend. Published in 2011, it continues selling approximately 1,000 copies monthly after about 20 printings and 400,000 copies sold—extraordinary longevity for a museum publication. “Every time I think it’s done selling, I have to order a reprint,” Polizzotti said.

Centre Pompidou faces similar pressures as it prepares for a five-year closure for renovations. Lassansàa described her efforts to convince colleagues of the importance of maintaining backlist titles during this period, and challenged the traditional focus on exhibition-specific budgeting.

Gallagher pointed to successful examples of museum catalogs developing extended commercial lives, citing Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting, published by MoMA in 2002, and the Walker Art Center's In the Spirit of Fluxus, which was published in 1993, as titles that transcended their exhibitions to become definitive references.

The content of museum publications has undergone a parallel transformation. Traditional exhibition catalogs often mirrored gallery layouts, with exhaustive documentation and specialized academic writing. Polizzotti has pushed for more accessible approaches.

"When I got to the Met, it was not unheard of for a book to be 800 pages long," he said. "Now we try to keep at 300 or less if we can."

This shift prioritizes readability and broader appeal, with books structured more like trade publications than academic documentation. Rather than merely documenting exhibitions, these publications now aim to stand alone as independent reading experiences, reaching audiences who may never visit the physical exhibitions.

Polizzotti acknowledged the tension this creates with curators, whose scholarly instincts often favor comprehensive inclusion of research. "A lot of it is just negotiating back and forth between the curator's desire to throw all of this knowledge into the book—the 'more is more' approach—and mine to say, 'Yes, but it has to be a commercial, reliable product,'" he explained.

The goal, he emphasized, is creating books that appeal not just to exhibition visitors but to readers worldwide who might discover them years after shows conclude.

Facing uncertainty

Publishers on both sides of the Atlantic described navigating volatile production costs and uncertain trade policies. Marion Girona, foreign rights manager at the French publisher Fleurus, explained that pricing for international co-editions has become increasingly provisional, with adjustments for paper and transport fluctuations now standard practice.

"When we agree on the price, we are not sure that it will be the real price," Girona said. "I think it's more common now to agree on a rough price, but then it can be a bit more."

This uncertainty affects publication decisions, particularly for reprints. Polizzotti described the Met's two-tier economic model, where initial printings come from editorial budgets but reprints must demonstrate commercial viability to retail departments. This structure sometimes prevents smaller reprints that might otherwise satisfy market demand.

The incoming Trump administration has heightened concerns about potential trade disruptions. Gallagher, noting that 95% of the books Artbook | D.A.P. distributes are printed abroad, described the current environment as “the most volatile” she has experienced in her career.

Another unknown what impact artificial intelligence might have on the market. As a translator himself, Polizzotti expressed skepticism about AI replacing human translation work. "To me, translation was not about the product, it's about the process," he said, though he acknowledged using machine translation for a nine-page legal contract where expediency outweighed nuance.

Lassansàa voiced concerns about copyright protection in an AI era, particularly regarding scholarly content. "There is no application of copyright laws with AI," she said. "It's just like self-publication, and I never know how it will end up."

The Met has established strict guidelines prohibiting AI-generated scholarly content, though Polizzotti worried about enforcement. "As a publisher, I am concerned that some creator who's running really late on their deadline might just say, 'Okay, ChatGPT, write me a couple of entries,'" he admitted.

Beyond content creation, Gallagher highlighted AI's potential erosion of institutional culture and voice. She described relying on AI to generate job description that she said failed to capture her company's distinct tone and culture. “What gets lost is the tone that makes you you,” she said.

Looking ahead

The French art book market represents approximately 3% of the country's publishing industry, according to Lassansàa, with health and wellness, cooking, tourism guides, and sports dominating the illustrated book sector. She noted that recent market growth figures might be misleading, as they reflect inflation rather than increased unit sales.

For publishers seeking to build success across markets, publicity remains crucial. Gallagher emphasized that independent publishers, whether American or European, often benefit from dedicated publicity support. "That is what is going to make the difference between two like books and which one is going to succeed," she said.

As the discussion concluded, Roche asked whether museum publishers had essentially become indistinguishable from trade publishers. Polizzotti acknowledged the convergence while noting important differences: "In a lot of ways, yes, with the difference being that I don't have the range and variety that I had when I was in trade publishing."

In conclusion, it became clear that the boundaries of mission and marketplace continue to define the art publishing world, with French and American publishers navigating similar challenges through different cultural and commercial lenses. As digital transformation, economic uncertainty, and AI reshape the landscape, publishers on both sides of the Atlantic find themselves balancing tradition and innovation, scholarly integrity and, as always, commercial viability.