MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Aimee Coveney

Welcome to my latest MY PUBLISHING LIFE feature, an interview with a literary agent, publisher, publicist or editor about their publishing career to date. Some serious questions, and some just for fun!

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

AIMEE COVENEY

Co-founder and
Head of Design and Digital Marketing

at
Bookollective

What and when was your first job in publishing?

I always say that I fell into publishing. I originally worked as a website designer for a self-publishing company, working on designing author websites.  After some training and experimentation in another role, I started book design and fell in love with the process. It’s still the favourite part of my job. Taking the written word and successfully creating a visual representation, much to an author’s delight, is very rewarding. 

How long have you been working in your current job/role?

Bookollective is heading for its second birthday and continues to thrive. We’re consistently building on our goals and adding to our extensive service expertise. 

Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?

Some of my favourite recent cover designs have included Nice Guys Finish Lonely by Rachel Dove (Manatee Books), Broken Ponies by Sophie Jonas-Hill (Urbane Publications) and two new sets of series covers for Hannah Ellis and Emma Salisbury. 

Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?

Spending years in the industry within different roles has given me invaluable insight into author’s gripes around different aspects of publishing and enabled me to explore avenues to help make their journey a smooth and exciting one! 

How do you relax after a busy working day?

Having a young baby means relaxing is a little scarce these days(!), but I genuinely enjoy reading whilst doing the evening feeds. When I have time to myself, I love to cook, experimenting with recipes and creating flavours is my therapy. 

What was the last book you read for pleasure?

I recently finished Between You and Me by Lisa Hall, which was incredibly gripping! It certainly kept me up past my bedtime! Without a doubt, I’ll be reading more of Lisa’s books in the near future! 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...

Creative services for authors and publishers. Bringing an ease and personal edge to publishing! 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far

Last year I (and the rest of the Bookollective team) were chosen as The Bookseller’s Rising Stars. It was an incredible surprise and an amazing accolade from the industry. 

If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?

Given my love of books and cooking, I think combining the two to be a cookery writer would be a fantastic experience and one I’d love to try given the chance, and heaps of luck! 

If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?

Oh that’s a tricky one! Life on Planet Publishing could be good, as I’ve had a hand in so many different aspects of the publishing journey and could reveal some strange but true happenings behind the scenes! 

Thanks so much for taking part, Aimee!

Look out for more MY PUBLISHING LIFE features coming soon.

Click here to read more MY PUBLISHING LIFE features.

If any literary agents, publishers, publicists or editors would like to take part, please contact me through my blog or Twitter for the full list of questions.