MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Hannah Sheppard

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 

HANNAH SHEPPARD

Literary Agent

at
DHH Literary Agency

What and when was your first job in publishing?

My first job was a six-month placement on a poetry website that Macmillan Children’s Books were launching – it was very varied; from clearing the permissions for the use of the poetry to liaising with teaching experts about lesson plans and on to website testing (which I seem to remember involved endless games of hangman while we tried to get that working). I was very lucky that towards the end of my six months, a permanent Editorial Secretary (which I don’t think is a title that’s used any more – this was back in 2002) job came up and I started working my way up through the editorial ranks. 

Before that, I’d worked in a bookshop one afternoon a week while I was at university and also did two stints of work experience in publishing – one adult, one children’s.

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

I’ve been an agent for five years. And spent 10 years in house before that. 

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

I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredible authors. At Macmillan, I was Marion Lloyd’s assistant, which meant I got to work with Eva Ibbotson and later I was working with another editor who worked with both Chris Riddell and Frank Cottrell Boyce. When I moved to Headline to run their YA list, I published Tanya Byrne’s HEART-SHAPED BRUISE, which I’m very proud of. 

As an agent, I work with lots of incredibly talented authors, such as Abi Elphinstone, Keris Stainton, Adam Hamdy and Chris McGeorge – and there are a few names to watch out for – Amy Beashel and Kate Mallinder for instance. 

Most of my current editorial work is on exciting books that I can’t talk about yet…but I am working on some wonderful debuts at the moment and I can’t wait for other people to start reading! You can find a full list of my current authors here: http://www.dhhliteraryagency.com/hannah-sheppard.html

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

Being a reader is the biggest one. You have to read widely to get a good sense of what works and what doesn’t – and what you like and don’t – because so much of being both an agent and an editor is instinct and gut feeling. And you have to trust your instincts and not second guess because other people don’t feel the same. 

Maybe also single-mindedness. I knew this was what I wanted to do so I didn’t listen to the careers advisors who sucked in their breath and told me publishing was very difficult to get into and maybe I should think about teaching (because that really isthe only option open to English graduates). That same single-mindedness and unshaking belief in something helps when you’re trying to sell a book too. 

How do you relax after a busy working day?

There’s a lot of work reading that goes on in the evenings and at weekends (my submission inbox and any manuscripts I’ve called in are mostly tackled outside of office hours). But I like to try to have a just for fun book on the go too. And I’m really enjoying binging TV series that have a really good story at their heart – recent favourites include This Is Us from the US and Unforgotten from ITV (I’m very excited that new series of both are imminent!). I also love the theatre – It’s definitely all about story. I’m trying to do more knitting so that my hands are busy with something other than my phone. 

When I’m working from home I try to go for a lunchtime swim to break up the day and as much as I hated exercise as a kid I now realise it’s very important for my mental health. 

What was the last book you read for pleasure?

I read Home by Amanda Berriman and I thought it was a brilliant example of voice done well – it also managed to make me feel physically anxious at times. My TBR pile is humungous. There are books everywhere. Including in my bed. 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...

Oooh, my favourite description was given to me by an author, Natalie Flynn…

I re-habilitate my client’s wayward imaginary friends before finding them forever homes.

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far

There are too many to choose from really…

I love this industry – it’s full of supportive and talented people who are passionate about what they do and working with them is a real highlight. 

And each and every one of my authors’ successes is a joy – I love to champion them and celebrate each victory (big or small). 

I do remember the first time I walked out of Macmillan Children’s Books with a manuscript in my canvas bag (pre-eReaders, I always had both a handbag and a canvas bag full of manuscripts – I don’t miss that) having just started as an editorial secretary. It was one of those clear, crisp nights in the run up to Christmas when all the lights are starting to go on and everything looks pretty and I couldn’t have been happier to have that manuscript to read. It felt like such a moment of achievement…there have been bigger achievements since (a Waterstones Book of the Month with Abi Elphinstone’s SKY SONG earlier this year for instance was a real joy), but that is one where the feeling has really stuck with me.   

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

I’d love to be a pilot. Early on in my career I considered quitting publishing to go and retrain…but even with the backing of a commercial airline it’s horrifically expensive. I love the idea of having that freedom though. One day, when I’m super rich (cough), I’ll get my pilot’s licence. 

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

Thank You For Your Patience… I feel like I’m saying this all the time – to clients waiting for edits and to authors who have submitted. An agent’s job is a busy one and there’s never enough time to fit everything in. It’s also fitting for publishing in general, which often feels incredibly slow…the whole process of getting a book out can take far longer than anyone outside of the industry realises. 

Thanks so much for taking part, Hannah!

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.

MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Josephine Hayes

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 

JOSEPHINE HAYES

Literary Agent

at
The Blair Partnership

What and when was your first job in publishing?
I started out as Editorial Assistant in the editorial department at the British Medical Journal in 2009. Having studied history at university and been very much a humanities student throughout my school years, it was a new dive into the science/medical world for me where I learnt a great deal about proofreading, copyediting and the fast pace of weekly journal publishing.

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I've been at The Blair Partnership for about two years and am looking forward to returning from maternity leave to pick up my role as Agent in early 2018. 

Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?
Before going off to have my first baby in spring 2017, I worked on a number of exciting projects, including the hugely inspiring and uplifting memoir The Little Big Things by quadriplegic mouth artist and motivational speaker Henry Fraser, published by Seven Dials in September 2017. The book combines Henry's wisdom and insight into finding the gifts in life's challenges, and his belief that every day is a good day. I also oversaw the exciting publication of a brilliant children's adventure fiction series by Kieran Larwood. The first book in the series 'The Legend of Podkin One-Ear' won the 2017 Blue Peter Book Award. As well as also working on lots of exciting YA and adult commercial fiction with new and existing clients, I also negotiated a deal with Orion for a fantastic debut author, Niki Mackay, for the first books in her crime fiction series featuring a compelling female Private Investigator.

Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
I enjoy meeting people and forming the close working relationships that agenting requires. I'm a 'glass half-full' type of person, and combined with passion, perseverance and belief in a project, I hope that I provide clients with a high level of support and encouragement through the highs and lows of getting published and the entire publishing process. I am extremely passionate about reading and love to keep an eye on what's hot in the market - I constantly try and race through books while the baby is sleeping! - and enjoy scrutinising new fiction to spot things that work and those that haven't quite met the mark. I have a perfectionist's eye for detail and the proofreading and editing skills I gained at the BMJ and since then have set me in good stead for analysing unsolicited submissions in the slush pile and preparing work to send to publishers. 

How do you relax after a busy working day?
I enjoy a nice glass of wine and catching up with friends after work, and where possible try and make time for yoga and watching great TV dramas and documentaries in the evening. I always have my nose in a book on the train (if no pressing work manuscript is currently commanding my attention) and also love winding down by listening to podcasts, particularly Desert Island Discs - each episode is such an inspiring glimpse into the interviewee's life.

What was the last book you read for pleasure?
I read Francis Spufford's Golden Hill which is fantastically clever and extremely well-written. It kept me totally engrossed from start to finish and I couldn't see where the story was going until the end, which I love, as I'm always trying to guess the direction of a plot as I read. I also recently read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr which I thought was beautifully written and very moving.

Describe your job in 15 words or less...
Creative management, champion of ideas, avid reader, negotiator, counsellor and friend. 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far
Highlights of my publishing career so far have to be negotiating deals for authors' first works, such as The It Girl series by debut children's fiction author Katy Birchall at my last agency (Katy is now successfully published around the world and has many brilliant books under her belt) and I, Witness - the first books in the Madison Attalee Private Investigator series by debut crime fiction author Niki Mackay. It gives you such a massive sense of pride working with talented authors, and the process of negotiating a good deal and letting the author know the good news, and that all their hard work has culminated in a well-deserved publishing deal, is massively rewarding.

If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?
I'd love to be a Red Arrows pilot - seeing them flying in formation blows my mind. It requires so much skill, intense concentration, nerve and precision - it is such an unknown entity to me, where the most dangerous thing that could happen in my working day is getting a paper cut!

If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
That's a tough one. I really like the quote 'Comparison is the Thief of Joy', by Teddy Roosevelt. There are so many people trying to make it as writers in the world, and so it's important to remember that not only what individuals write varies so much, but what people want to read is totally different too. There is always space in the market for new well-written, creative work, so have the strength and self-belief to stay focused on your goal and respect others' work, without comparing your experiences too closely to the successes and near-misses of those around you.

Thanks so much for taking part, Josephine!

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.

MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Jemima Forrester

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 

JEMIMA FORRESTER

Literary Agent

at
David Higham Associates

What and when was your first job in publishing?
My first job in publishing was straight out of uni (about seven or eight years ago) when I did a stint of work experience with a freelance publicist. Aside from not being paid, it was a fantastic first job. I worked with some big-name authors, got to go to lots of publishing parties (where you can network like mad) and, while it was hard work, I did get to do at least 50% at home in my PJs! My first paid job in publishing was as an editorial assistant at Headline assisting three senior editors. I loved it, though as an editorial assistant I was rarely invited to the parties anymore!

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I’m now a literary agent at David Higham Associates and I’ve been here since September 2016. Between Headline and here, I spent five years working my way up the ladder at Orion Books where I was commissioning crime and thriller and reading group fiction.

Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?
As an agent, I have a much broader list than I had as an editor. I’m currently working on a historical novel about Heathcliff, a Swedish-set thriller, a really exciting commercial fantasy novel and a non-fiction book about fashion and feminism. One of the first books I sold as an agent, a quirky upmarket mystery called The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder by Sarah J. Harris, is coming out in May this year and it’s getting so much great attention. I can’t wait to see it published and will probably be pressing it into people’s hands all year!  

Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
Being passionate about reading and reading really widely across multiple genres is probably the key qualification you need to work in publishing. You won’t get far in this industry if books aren’t your bag! The other quality I think really helps is being a people person and getting on well with people. Publishing thrives on personal connections and it’s crucial to have good working relationships with your authors and colleagues if you want to succeed. 

How do you relax after a busy working day?
I am very fond of relaxing! I like to keep fit so I run and go to the gym. I also make clothes and love losing myself in a sewing project for hours at a time. And I’m a huge bubble bath addict. If I could have one every day I would!

What was the last book you read for pleasure?
I actually reread (what an indulgence) Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I read it a few years ago and remembered how much I loved it. She’s such a wonderful writer. It was most definitely a pleasure.

Describe your job in 15 words or less...
Finding and developing talented writers and helping them to get their books published.

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far?
There have been lots. Probably signing up my first author when I was at Orion and selling my first book as an agent were key highlights. I also had an author who, having struggled with relatively small advances for several years, got a bit of a windfall last year and bought her dream house. Knowing I’d helped make that happen felt really special. Finally, it hasn’t happened yet, but when I have an author who hits number one on the charts, that will be a really big moment.

If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?
No one has asked me this question before! I feel like I want more time to ponder… But off the cuff I think being a seamstress would be amazing because I love sewing so I don’t think it would feel like work (I bet that’s what book lovers say about publishing!). And I always harboured a strange desire to be a florist.

If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
Ha! I’d like more time with this one too, but given I’m writing this last thing on a Friday I’m going to plump for Nevertheless She Persisted. People outside the industry think publishing is glamorous and all we do all day is read books. Actually it’s tough, it can be very stressful and high-pressure and you deal with a lot of rejection, especially on the agenting side. I’ve considered giving up in the past (before I was an agent), but I’ve persisted and it’s been worth it for the successes when they come, the wonderful authors I work with and my love of working on books.

Thanks so much for taking part, Jemima!

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.

MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Jonathan Ruppin

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 

JONATHAN RUPPIN

Founder (& Literary Agent)

of
The Ruppin Agency

What and when was your first job in publishing?

A Christmas temp at Dillons – a chain swallowed by Waterstones at the end of the 90s, for those too young to remember it. I got called up for jury service the week I was supposed to start, but the manager was patient enough to let me start a few days late, and I loved it. I was running the Fiction section by New Year.

Booksellers are wonderful people. It’s the only job – apart from perhaps librarian or primary school teacher – where people can ask you a question about literally anything and expect you to know what they’re talking about.

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

The agency launched at the beginning of September although it was in the works for a long time before. 

I am sure your inbox is overflowing with submissions. What is most likely to grab your attention at present?
The submissions that have stood out for me so far have had scope, ambition, boldness of imagination. I want something that resonates, that lives beyond the page. I don’t just want novels with plot and character or non-fiction that’s well-informed – I want a perspective on life, on the world around us.

I’d really like to find fiction that has something to say about the state of society today. British fiction can be very stuck in the past, and at a time when Brexit has shown many of us that we live alongside people whose lives we know little about, there’s an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that people do explore the world vicariously through fiction. Non-fiction projects that put their topic in the context of the human experience would be very welcome too.

I’m building contacts to try to find more writing from underrepresented voices – working-class, BAME, LGBT, writers with disabilities, writers from beyond the book world’s south-east bubble – many of whom can offer new perspectives, although I certainly wouldn’t turn down a talented writer who happened to come from a background similar to my own. 

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

I’ve done a lot of different things in the book world. My retail experience covers the shopfloor, head office and online for indies and chains. I’ve bought for just about every adult trade category and I’ve done events and marketing and social media. I’ve worked for agents and a publisher and a digital publishing start-up. I’ve interviewed authors on the stage and the page, stood on committees for a whole range of literary organisations, written and edited, judged awards, consulted hither and yon, popped up all over the trade and national press.

But most of all, I’ve spent over two decades reading new titles constantly and watching the way every category of trade publishing had ebbed and flowed, flourished, folded and reinvented itself anew. That and the inspiration of working with and learning from so many other passionate book-lovers who’ve managed to turn their passion into a career, especially my partner, Emma. 

How do you relax after a busy working day?
Music. I don’t stream – I still believe in albums and I seem to buy as many as ever. My taste is pretty catholic, but the 70s is the decade I couldn’t do without; David Bowie is my guiding star.

What was the last book you read for pleasure?

Croatian War Nocturnal by Spomenka Štimec, translated by Sebastian Schulman. Its Croatian author is a major figure in Esperanto literature and the novella consists of poignant fictional sketches of the devastation and trauma caused by the Balkan Wars.

I’m also making my way through Know Your Place, a crowdfunded anthology of essays on British working-class life and identity by working-class writers, including Kit de Waal, Catherine O’Flynn and Andrew McMillan. 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...

Reading, networking, research, editing, email, communication, negotiation, pedantry, tea and more reading. 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far

The best part of my job at Foyles was looking after all the authors who came into sign their books, so I met thousands of them. I’ve also had the chance to interview a few of my favourites on stage: talking with David Mitchell about The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet was about as much fun as I’ve ever had at work. Being a literary prize judge has also always been fun: it’s a chance to read dozens of new books and recommend the best to loads of people at once. 

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

This question seems to have brought out my inner five-year-old: a train driver. Looking out of the front window while the train races past goods yards, through valleys and over bridges would be a thrill. 

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

Have You Read This? I’m always interested in what people are reading and which books they especially love, and it always gets me wondering what I can recommend. Once a bookseller, always a bookseller.

Thanks so much for taking part, Jonathan!

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.

MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Jamie Cowen

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 

JAMIE COWEN

Director

of
The Ampersand Agency

What and when was your first job in publishing?

My first role in publishing was as a Contracts Assistant at HarperCollins, which I started during 2002. It was the only interview I got from around a dozen applications for entry-level positions, and I got the job! Mum was so proud. 

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I’ve been an agent with Ampersand for just over four years.

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

In the last few months I’ve been working on It Was Her, Mark Hill’s terrific follow-up to Two O’Clock Boy; a wonderful and yet-to-be-submitted real-world YA novel called Dealer No. 1, which is Billy Elliot crossed with Breaking Bad; and an upcoming sci-fi thriller called  Steel Frame featuring a conscripted convict flying her artificially intelligent mech into a black hole. This last is written by a frighteningly talented South African writer called Andrew Skinner. Keep an eye out for him… 

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

My work in contracts gave me plenty: negotiation skills, attention to detail and a total absence of fear when dealing with the legal aspects of publishing. Latterly, my time as an editor confirmed what I already suspected: that working with authors to make their books better, then selling them to the wider world, is my dream job. But really, my family’s obsession with reading books then discussing them endlessly is arguably the most applicable life skill to my current role as an agent. It’s pretty much what we get paid for, which really isn’t work when you think about it. In terms of life skills, I think that resilience and determination are crucial in our job as agents. We face rejection on a regular basis, and the ability to think clearly through adversity then learn from any mistakes is hugely important. 

How do you relax after a busy working day?

In my rare moments of downtime I play amateur football (for north London’s finest, Alexandra Park FC). Although you’re never truly off the clock as an agent; there’s always another intriguing submission to read, or an editor to berate… 

What was the last book you read for pleasure?

I read Nicholas Eames’ Kings of the Wyld whilst on holiday in France this summer. It’s a brilliant fantasy novel that balances tongue-in-cheek humour with sharp, heart-melting pathos. I loved it. 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...

I help talented writers become published authors. 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far

The real highlights of being an agent are the simple things: hearing the excitement in an author’s voice when you tell them of an offer, finally getting the chance to pitch a spectacular new book to publishers, reading the first few lines of a submission and knowing it’s going to blow your socks off, and – best of all – holding a finished book in your hand. Those are the really good bits. 

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

Astronaut. Is there any other answer? 

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

That’s really hard! Ok, let’s go with Tell It Like It Is. I’ve always tried to be honest and direct in my career, so that’ll do.

Thanks so much for taking part, Jamie!

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.