Is there a reason the music publishing company published an instrument instruction book instead of a general trade book as its first book?
Looking through the published books of Franz, an instrument performance instruction book stands out among the art books. It raises curiosity about the background behind choosing an instrument practice method book as the publisher's first output.
It is because the CEO, who was teaching violin, began publishing by personally creating an etude collection to address the unmet needs felt with existing materials.
Although the first trade book was a book by Pascal Quignard, the first book that opened the publishing company's doors was a violin instruction book[1][2]. Franz began publishing in 2017 with the release of the instruction book 'Night Songs for Violin'[3]. It was a departure quite distinct from typical art publishers that begin making their name known with reading books.
In the background, there were pedagogical concerns in the field. Franz's CEO Kim Dong-yeon majored in violin and taught students for a long time[4]. While teaching students, she acutely felt a shortcoming that could not be satisfied by existing textbooks alone[5][6]. The desire to quench this thirst felt in the field became the starting point for compiling the book herself[7].
Afterward, she broadened the publishing scope by releasing 'La Haine de la musique' as the first trade book, but the very first step was a practical instruction book to be placed on a music stand[8]. hmmm, it means she addressed the utility directly reaching the performer's fingertips before the discourses surrounding music.
It has not yet been confirmed which specific aspects of the existing textbooks' structure were found lacking.