The book of an institution, a fund, an agency.
Institutions, funds, agencies, banks: SMK Éditions tells the story of institutions with rigour and without jargon.
Who it is for
Public and semi-public institutions, funds, agencies, banks, ports and network operators: organisations with a mission to explain, a history to set down and varied audiences, from the supervising ministry to the new recruit.
What the book contains
The mission, stated simply. The history, dated and sourced. The men and women, in portraits and in their own words. The places and the professions, photographed for the book. Thematic booklets when a subject deserves it: a reform, a major project, a decade. All in a restrained design that will age well.
How we work
We work with a steering committee appointed by senior management, which approves each stage: synopsis, table of contents, manuscript, layout, final sign-off. Interviews are recorded and transcribed; quotations are checked by those who said them. Archives are consulted on site when they cannot leave the premises.
Timeline and budget
Between five and fourteen months depending on the state of the archives and the number of interviews. The book can be bilingual from the outset. Around the book, when it makes sense: an exhibition of prints, short videos for the launch, a gift box for guests.
The budget is quoted once the project has been framed. It depends on the format, the number of pages, the imagery to be produced and the print run. We always propose two options, so that the decision rests on figures rather than impressions.
What you keep
The rights to the texts, photographs and illustrations produced for the book are assigned to you by contract, with the permitted uses specified. The sorted archives, recorded interviews and documented imagery stay with you, and can be reused in other media.
Frequently asked questions
How do we avoid a promotional book that nobody reads?
By telling rather than declaring. Facts, dates, people speaking in the first person. The framing document sets this principle before the writing starts, and the committee holds to it.
Who writes?
A writer chosen for the project, supervised by our editorial management. They are named in the book. You meet them before the work begins.
Can the text be approved by several departments?
Yes, it is built into the schedule. We organise reviews in batches, with a return date for each batch, so that the book does not stall.
Is your company turning 25, 50 or 100?
An anniversary book is prepared twelve to eighteen months before the date. Tell us the year and we will tell you what is still possible.