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In the world of literature, innovation knows no bounds, and Milica Zorić, the founder of the publishing house Huk, is a true testament to that. Established in October 2021, the Huk publishing house quickly became a significant player in the Serbian publishing scene. What sets it apart in the market is its dedication to publishing books written by children and the work "Prince Mihailo Obrenović 1823-1868" by Prof. Dr. Danko Leovac, which represents the first scientific monograph about this ruler.
How and when did you start your publishing house Huk? What was the motivation behind it?
I started the publishing house in October 2021. For years, I had the desire to do so, but I didn't dare until I had a serious personal operation and realized that life passes quickly. We might not be here tomorrow, and we should strive to achieve everything we dream of. My motivation was to be a different publishing house, not focused solely on profit, to have a noble and positive relationship with authors, allowing them to be direct participants in the process of creating their work, with the majority of the earnings going to them.
Every beginning is challenging. What challenges did you face?
There were many challenges. I entered the whole process without sufficient knowledge of business operations, but I was willing to learn. I faced challenges with terminology such as invoices, e-invoices, safes, CRF, etc. As an artist and writer, I had to overcome these challenges, and it was tough initially, but I believe I progressed quickly. Funding and how to obtain it were also significant problems, as well as the struggle to make the projects we wanted to succeed. However, I managed.
What were the first titles you published, and how did the business develop further?
The first title was my novel "Orphan" or "Illegitimate Child" in Vlach. It carried the publishing house initially, and other writers, contracts, and projects came on their own. I don't believe in coincidences, and I think these Huk writers were meant to be with us, and we with them. I'm proud of our small Huk community and the friendly relationships we develop through collaboration. With the manuscript of 11-year-old Vasilisa Pešić from Sombor, "Two Sisters and the Secret Cave," I realized that Serbia needs to know about gifted children, and we must nurture them. This inspired me to start the Children Writers project. Now we have three child writers - Mila Prvanović from Niš, who wrote the novel "The Power of Friendship" at the age of nine, and Nina Ilić from Boljevac, who published the poetry collection "In Your Eyes" at the age of 14. We receive many manuscripts from children, and I have big plans for them.
What makes your publishing house unique?
We stand out, especially for our little ones, our "Hukovci," who are the best ambassadors of our country at the moment. In the midst of negative information, it's nice to know that in children's minds, imagination is alive, and these talented children have realized their dreams, showing their peers that it's possible to publish a book if someone believes in them. The books are genuinely good. Both Vasilisa and Mila chose the novel genre at such a young age and executed it brilliantly with minimal intervention from me. Nina writes mature poetry, so when you read her poems, you forget that a child wrote them. I must also mention the great help from friends for publishing these books - the Orthodox Church in Oslo and Father Aleksandar Zeljković provided financial support, and friends of our writers also donated funds. Without people with good hearts, this project wouldn't have come to life.
Your publishing house has also published a significant work - the monograph "Prince Mihailo Obrenović 1823-1868" by Prof. Dr. Danko Leovac.
This is the first scientific monograph about this ruler, published by our Huk publishing house in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. This significant work of national importance was awarded a Special Recognition for contributions to science at the 66th International Book Fair in Belgrade. Professor Leovac works in the Department of the History of the Serbian People in the New Age and has researched and collected data for over ten years in numerous domestic and foreign archives and libraries. The monograph is rich in relevant data and interesting stories collected during research and grounded in historical sources. The multitude of images and the author's readable and engaging writing style allow you to experience the atmosphere of the 19th century, feel proud of Serbia's glorious tradition, and understand the foundations of modern Serbian statehood. It was a pleasure to collaborate with Danko, and I enjoyed working on the book, as I adore Mihailo Obrenović, and helping him make the book as fitting for this great ruler and man turned out to be a soulful endeavor.
What titles can you highlight and recommend from your book offerings?
I warmly recommend all our titles. This might sound pretentious, but we wouldn't stand behind these writers and works if they weren't genuinely high-quality and meeting the criteria we aim to maintain. We also have one book, the first of its kind on the market, which is the manual "Serbian for Russians" by Tanja Trbojević. She did a wonderful combination of grammar and lessons, vocabulary, and navigating through Serbian, which is not easy for foreigners.
You've opted for an online business model. Besides your website, can books from your edition be found in physical locations?
We plan to open our own retail space, a bookstore, but for now, we operate as an online bookstore and have distribution in 160 stores across the country.
What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to expand the list of authors, and which markets are you focusing on?
I limit my ambitions, believe me. I have many ideas - first to present the monograph as it deserves for such a ruler and plans for two more new monographs, so we'll have a beautiful scientific edition. I also want to strengthen the concept and numbers of "Children Writers" through an idea, but that will happen when it does. Of course, expanding our publishing plan, the number of authors, and some translations for which we are currently making contracts are also in the plans. I've set many goals for myself, so I believe we'll grow and develop within our means.
