MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Yas Langley

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 

YAS LANGLEY

Intern for Children's Books Department

at
David Hingham Associates

What and when was your first job in publishing? 
This is!

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I started in January, so coming up to four months now. 

Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
I didn’t have that much experience specifically in the publishing industry before this job. However, I do have a great deal of general office/admin/reception/hospitality experience (part of my job is on reception and phones), as well as other internships and work experience placements, which have all been hugely relevant. If I have learnt one thing, it's not to underestimate the usefulness of basic administration and people skills.

How do you relax after a busy working day?
I’m still fairly new to London, so I’m making the most of it by going to the theatre, comedy nights and trying all the bars and restaurants on offer - there’s always something going on in this city.

What was the last book you read for pleasure?
Yesterday I picked up Flour Babies by Anne Fine. Although Anne is technically one of our authors, it’s not anything to do with work and I just love her writing – perhaps even more so as an adult. And as you can probably see on the @DHABooks Twitter, I’m also dipping in and out of the Horrible Geography box set. I probably read as much children’s books as I do adults!

Describe your job in 15 words or less...
Amazing opportunity to learn about all aspects of the publishing industry.

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far

Getting this job in the first place – I know how competitive the industry is, so I’m incredibly grateful to get my foot on the first rung of the ladder. Also, my first signed postcard from Jacqueline Wilson – my favourite author growing up – was a ‘squealing’ moment, and I actually got to meet her at the London Book Fair. Oh and Stephen Fry described my coffee as ‘perfect’ so that was a pretty cool moment and is going straight on my C.V….

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

An astronaut – I’ve done a fair bit of travelling and am slowly ticking off all the countries in the world, but going into space would top it all 

If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
And So It Begins (Rachel Abbott) … nothing to do with the plot (thankfully!!) but the title reflects what I hope is just the beginning of an exciting career in the publishing world.

Thanks so much for taking part, Yas!

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 Louise Walters

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 

LOUISE WALTERS

Publisher

at
Louise Walters Books

What and when was your first job in publishing?

My connection with publishing began in 2014 when my debut novel Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase was published by Hodder. I self-published my second novel A Life Between Us via Troubador Publishing (Matador); for my third novel The Road to California I set up my own imprint, Louise Walters Books.

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

I set up LWB last year, so it’s been a few months. However, I was planning for a year or so before announcing my news in September 2017. 

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

I’ve signed two authors so far. Laura Laakso’s Fallible Justice will be out in November 2018. It’s the first in her paranormal crime series Wilde Investigations. Laura is a fabulous writer and I’ve loved working with her. I’ve also signed poet Helen Kitson for her debut novel, The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson. I describe her novel as a literary thriller. It has more twists than a game of pontoon and is beautifully written. It will be published in March 2019. I can’t wait! 

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

Since a very young age, I’ve been a book lover and avid reader. Being a writer is very helpful; critiquing and reading for competitions is also useful. I can often assess a piece of writing quickly. Less good writing announces itself almost immediately. The more accomplished work can be slippery… it’s not so obvious. When I’m umming and ahhing over something I know it’s probably good! Being a busy mum has helped me learn to juggle time and manage projects. I have occasional blips and panicky moments, but generally I’m organised and on top of tasks. I write up a new To Do list every week. It helps. 

How do you relax after a busy working day?

At the moment my days are long and I’m often still at my desk at 9pm! I do try to switch off at that point, though. I’ll have a hot drink and watch a bit of TV with my husband. Neither of us are big TV watchers so it’s usually something simple like Judge Judy! Or I’ll go to bed and read. Reading for work and pleasure are pretty much one and the same these days. 

What was the last book you read for pleasure?

I’m currently reading The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre; not my usual kind of read but somebody recommended it on Twitter. I like to read outside my preferred genres. 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...

Reader, writer, editor, publisher: doing it all to the best of my ability. 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far

Reading Laura’s Fallible Justice for the second time on my Kindle and realising I had decided to offer her a book deal. It was so exciting and very scary! 

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

I fancy having a go at being a literary agent! 

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

Independent, Always because I love being small, indie and autonomous. 

Thanks so much for taking part, Louise!

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 Emily Burns

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 

EMILY BURNS

Director

at
BrandHive Ltd

What and when was your first job in publishing?
My first job in publishing was with Constable and Robinson, who were still independent when I joined back in 2010. I absolutely loved that job. It was a small, hardworking and passionate team publishing some really exciting fiction and non-fiction authors. I’d been working in consumer PR for 3 years before my first job in publishing and I soon learnt that it really is the nicest industry. 

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I decided to form my own PR and Communications company, BrandHive, late last year when I was on honeymoon. It was very much a ‘now or never’ moment ,and I’m so happy I took the leap - I’ve never been happier. I officially left Bonnier Zaffre where I was Head of PR in early February 2018, so I’ve only been in a freelance role for a couple of months so far.

Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?
The book that I’m most proud to have worked on recently has been The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It’s based on the incredible true story of Lale Sokolov, who was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival at Auschwitz.  It’s also the place he met his wife. His story will make you weep, but it is also one of the most uplifting stories you’ll ever read.

In April, I’m working on the last book in the ‘Maestra’ trilogy by LS Hilton, and then in May, for a total change of pace, the last children’s book from lovely Isla Fisher! In the first half of 2018, I’m also working with Tramp Press, a small Irish independent who are bringing some really fresh voices to the market. Look out for Problems by Jade Sharma in May and Notes to Self by Emilie Pine in July!

Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
I knew that if I had a hope of getting a job after graduating (my degree was in marketing), I had to do as many work experience placements as possible. Over the course of three years, I did around 10 work experience placements. I was really lucky that one of those placements led to a job when I graduated. PR is an amazing job but I’ve found you need to be passionate, organised and creative. In any role, you need to be self motivated but to be freelance, more so than anything else.

I was very lucky to have a fantastic boss in my second job in publishing (at Little, Brown) and she taught me more than anyone else has. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am without having had support from great colleagues and the personal drive of knowing that my end goal was creating my own company.

How do you relax after a busy working day?
I usually stop working around 8/9pm then cook something from one of my hundreds of cookbooks (it’s an addiction), pour a glass of wine, take the dog for a walk and catch up with friends and family at the local pub.

What was the last book you read for pleasure?
The last book I read for pleasure was Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. Bonnier Zaffre didn’t publish any non-fiction (which I really missed!) so I would try to read at least one a month in between all the great fiction!

Describe your job in 15 words or less...
In its purest form, PR is the art and science of influencing public opinion through communications.

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far
The one thing I absolutely love is creating brand and media partnerships for both the publishers I’ve worked with and individual authors. A couple of my favourites are:

• A media partnership with Prospect magazine for a series of co-branded events, podcasts, subscription offers and reciprocal benefits
• To launch social talent star, Louise Pentland’s first adult novel, I originated and executed a partnership with Glossybox, who featured a sampler of Wilde Like Me in every subscriber box, and I also devised and developed a partnership with Be At One cocktail bars who created a ‘Wilde Like Me’ cocktail to celebrate publication. It is now a permanent fixture on their menu.

I’m also really proud to have launched Isla Fisher’s series, which began with Marge in Charge two years ago.  We’ve worked together ever since. 

If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?
I would definitely be a movie producer. There are so many books I’d love to see turned into films. Tall Oaks and All the Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker would be the first ones I’d choose. It would be so fun to find the literary property, shape the idea into a viable film, raise the money, hire the director, choose the cast, oversee production and postproduction, mastermind the marketing, negotiate the worldwide rights — basically be a movie’s begetter and first demanding viewer…

If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
Warm wine. It basically sums up every book party ever!

Thanks so much for taking part, Emily!

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 Katherine Armstrong

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 

KATHERINE ARMSTRONG

Editorial Director

at
Bonnier Zaffre

What and when was your first job in publishing?

My first job in publishing was at Faber & Faber, which I joined as a temporary pre-press assistant in January 2005. I then moved to a six-month position as editorial assistant for Poetry. I chained myself to my desk and (as we all know, possession is 9/10ths of the law) was eventually made permanent, working across the poetry, fiction and non-fiction lists before specialising in crime fiction. In 2008, I became a project editor and, in 2011, I started to commission crime and thriller fiction. I left Faber in September 2015 – quite possibly the longest ‘temporary’ contract ever! 

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I moved to Bonnier Zaffre in June 2016 as a Senior Editor for their growing crime and thriller list. In February 2017, I was promoted to Editorial Director. 

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

So many good books!! I’m working on a lot of books at the moment, all of which I’m excited about, but I guess to just mention three that are coming up over the summer months: Kiss Me, Kill Me by J. S. Carol – an incredibly tense psychological thriller; The Old Religion by Martyn Waites, which I’m pitching as ‘Peter May meets The Wicker Man’; Killing It by Asia Mackay – a brilliant book about a female assassin who has just had her first child and is now back at work – she puts the ‘sass’ back in ‘assassin’ (attrib. L. S. Hilton). 

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

Networking is crucial in this industry, so if you’re starting out go to everything you can and meet people. You also need perseverance, patience, a sharp eye for detail and a passion for reading. I also have an MPhil in Publishing Studies from the University of Stirling where my dissertation was on the influence of female crime fiction writers on the publishing industry in the UK and the US. It was called ‘Deadlier than the Male’! 

How do you relax after a busy working day?

Gym, walking, pub quiz, dinner with friends, movies, rioja, prosecco  . . . 

What was the last book you read for pleasure?

I’m currently enjoying Star of the North by D. B. John. I know the editor and was lucky enough to beg a proof copy. 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...

Wrangler of words, curator of stories and sounding board for writers. 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far

It’s genuinely a wonderful industry to be in and I’ve loved every minute so far – from working with amazing authors to amazing colleagues – but if I had to pick specific highlights then:

• My first acquisition – the fantastic Safe House by Chris Ewan – went on to sell over 500,000 copies in all editions and was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award.
• When I did a maternity cover at Sphere (Little, Brown), I was lucky enough to work with a whole host of fantastic authors, but I also found and published a classic crime title, Another Little Christmas Murder (originally published as Another Little Murder) by Lorna Nicholl Morgan – whose identity remains a mystery (in case anyone has info)!
• At Bonnier Zaffre: I edited and published the fantastic Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear, which was our Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller competition winner and has sold over 200,000 copies across all editions to date.

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

Got to be a spy! I love to travel and am quite nosy – I want to know the ‘why’ of everything – so would love to know what’s really happening behind the scenes, not just what the government chooses to tell us.  Plus, I want the gadgets . . . 

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

This job requires a lot of juggling of your time, from edits to submissions reading to author events to networking, so I guess if my publishing life was a book it’d be:

Sleep is for the weak 

Thanks so much for taking part, Katherine!

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 Sam Humphreys

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 

SAM HUMPHREYS

Associate Publisher

at
Mantle (imprint of Pan Macmillan)

What and when was your first job in publishing?
I actually started as a temporary editorial secretary, at Pan Macmillan, in 2002. I’d done a couple of weeks’ work experience and an editorial assistant left. There was a recruitment freeze at the time, so I was taken on as a temp, working across the commercial fiction and Picador lists, and, at some point, made permanent. When my original boss left, my new boss changed my job title to editorial assistant, as that was essentially the job I’d been doing anyway. 

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I’ve been at Mantle, with Maria (Rejt, Publisher) and Josie (Humber, Assistant Editor) since September 2014, and have been gradually building my list since then. I now have about 15 authors. 

Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?
I only publish fiction, and have mainly acquired debuts. Last year, I published the paperback of a book called Miss You by Kate Eberlen, which was a Richard & Judy pick. I seem to be publishing lots of books this year, including Only Child by Rhiannon Navin (March) and The Man Who Didn’t Call by Rosie Walsh (June), to name but two (which feels a bit like only mentioning two children when you’ve got a whole houseful!)…  

Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
I was a primary school teacher before I worked in publishing and I definitely think the skills I acquired as a teacher have stood me in good stead. I also firmly believe that the only real experience you need to become an editor is being a(n avid) reader: if you read, you can pick the good stories (and story tellers!) and you can edit. I don’t have an English literature degree and I don’t think it’s ever held me back.

How do you relax after a busy working day?
Probably a nice meal and a glass of wine – or two… I tend to spend my evenings reading submissions, but that’s not exactly strenuous. 

What was the last book you read for pleasure?
Joanna Cannon’s THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE; I loved THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP, so was really looking forward to this – and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...
I actually have no idea what I do! I publish books – whatever that means – and champion them where-ever and however possible. 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far
I was lucky enough to publish Emma Donoghue’s Room, which was an amazing experience, from winning the auction for it, to meeting and working with Emma, to the media response to the book, to the Booker dinner and beyond. It was especially lovely because it wasn’t Emma’s first novel, and it’s always heartening to be reminded that authors can become hugely successful (Emma had been critically successful previously, but not commercially so – or at least, not in comparison to Room) at any stage of their career. But there are many other highlights too. When I was first working at Pan Macmillan (possibly while I was still a temp), I can remember coming into the office one morning, and I had a voicemail message from Don DeLillo, saying he liked the cover for his latest book, which I’d just sent him… That was definitely a high point. As was getting to travel to both India and China for work. (I looked after both Picador India and Picador Asia for a while.) And there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you read a submission and you absolutely love it… 

If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?
I always used to say that my plan b, if ever publishing failed, would be dog walking – but perhaps somewhere warm and sunny rather than the UK. Or else teaching in a commune in San Francisco. Failing that, I think I’d make a great receptionist in a GP surgery. 

If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
The Never-Ending Story – because it’s not over yet, and also, because I’m a fiction editor, my publishing life has been all about stories… 

Thanks so much for taking part, Sam!

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.