The Innovators
Despite not having deep roots in the book publishing industry, Restivo-Alessi has a diverse media background. She's had stints in advertising, consulting, and investment banking, where she worked extensively with media companies. But it was Restivo-Alessi's experience in the music industry that has been the most instructive for her current role. Joining HarperCollins in May of 2012, Restivo-Alessi recognized disturbing parallels between the music and publishing industries—mainly a reticence toward new distribution platforms and technologies. In spite of this wariness, Restivo-Alessi helped orchestrate HarperCollins' partnership with three ebook subscription sites: Scribd, Oyster, and Entitle. HarperCollins was the first of the Big Five to make its backlist available on these platforms and its titles are enjoying increased visibility as a result.
Ellen Harvey is a freelance writer and editor who covers the latest technologies and strategies reshaping the publishing landscape. She previously served as the Senior Editor at Publishing Executive and Book Business.