The BookMachine Podcast: Conversations in Publishing

Why book fairs still matter for a global industry and their role in reaching new audiences. In this episode, we sit down with industry powerhouse Jacks Thomas, Guest Director at BolognaBooksPlus, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of international publishing. Drawing on her extensive experience at the helm of major book fairs and work with global brands, Jacks shares her unique perspective...

The realities of analysing book sales and identifying the trends that shape the publishing landscape. In this episode we are joined by Suzy Warnock, Senior Analytics Account Manager at NielsenIQ BookData, to explore how to approach overwhelming datasets, why good metadata underpins every meaningful insight and how much of publishing still relies on intuition and curation. Suzy lifts the lid on how...

Why audio matters for young readers and how it can empower children’s literacy and critical thinking. In this episode, we are joined by Carla Herbertson, former BBC children's radio producer and co-founder of Small Wardour. Carla is a passionate advocate for accessibility, literacy and the power of audio to bring stories to life. She talks about why kids audio is booming, how publishers can b...

Why a career in books has prepared Amelia Fairney to tackle digital misinformation and champion workplace inclusion. In this episode, we follow the inspiring career journey of publishing veteran Amelia Fairney as she pivots to advocate for digital integrity at Shout Out UK. We dive deep into the urgent threat of misinformation and the alarming link between declining children's literacy and vu...

What happens when a love of books meets the power of digital marketing? In this episode, we speak to Kate Molyneux, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Bloomsbury Publishing, whose journey from receptionist to leading award-winning campaigns is as inspiring as it is insightful. Kate shares how she’s helped shape the online presence of bestselling Children’s and YA titles, built a global community...

Commissioning editors for Fiction are typically known for receiving submissions and collaborating with authors and agents to refine existing manuscripts. But there’s another approach. By starting with a synopsis and a clear vision for the type of book they want to publish, some publishers and imprints are commissioning authors to write fiction to brief.  Ed Wood, Agent and Director of Fiction Deve...

Understanding differences and adapting to strengths Leadership isn’t just something you’re good at. You have to work hard to continually evolve and adapt to company, people and place. In this episode, we delve into the leadership journey of Sanphy Thomas, Managing Director at Jessica Kingsley Publishing and Director of Specialist Publishing at John Murray Group . Sanphy shares insights into naviga...

It is well documented that reading for pleasure is the biggest single factor in influencing a child’s future success. Evidence suggests that it feeds into improved vocabulary, enhanced academic performance at school, empathy and wellbeing. Founded thirty years ago in 1995, World Book Day has evolved to become one of the most high profile charities that promotes reading for pleasure, offering the o...

The life of an agent is full of long lunches and torrid tales of schmoozing publishers on behalf of celebrity authors. Or is it? There are many misconceptions around what agents do and, with daily tasks changing significantly from even 10 years ago, we wanted to lift the veil on the role. In this episode, we speak to experienced agents Abi Fellows (DHH Literary Agency) and Julia Silk (Greyhound Li...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that commissioning editors receive submissions and work with authors and agents to finesse an existing manuscript. But there’s another way.  Independent publisher of adult non-fiction illustrated titles, Amber Books, has spent years developing their own content, commissioning authors to a brief and developing a wide range of projects that span topics and cate...

Emma Steel started her career in teaching and went on to be a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (known as a SENCO to those in the know). But how did her journey lead her to award-winning independent children’s publisher Sweet Cherry, and how did her experiences feed into the founding of their Every Cherry, their innovative imprint that focuses on bringing high quality reading material to peop...

Remember those memorable campaigns for non-fiction books that took to the streets to gain maximum impact? Akua Boateng, Senior Marketing Manager for non-fiction at Bloomsbury, does. She has worked on a range of events, marketing stunts and other “out-of-home” promotions to make a splash, build awareness, entertain and capture the imagination and attention of audiences.  We were thrilled to speak t...

The fantasy genre is an exciting place to be right now – with portmanteaus like ‘Romantasy’ entering common industry parlance, and new instalments of beloved series creating new levels of buzz. In the latest episode of The BookMachine Podcast, we were overjoyed to speak with Anissa de Gomery, Founder of FairyLoot, one of the biggest book subscription boxes on the planet. Learn more about Anissa’s...

Will AI only cause disruption to the publishing industry or can it be used as a tool to empower and pilot our way through increasingly complex markets? In Episode 17 of The BookMachine Podcast, we’re thrilled to speak to leading digital publishing analyst Thad McIlroy and publishing software expert Sebastian Mayeres about how they see AI impacting on publishing processes, jobs and sales. They disc...

Languages publishing is a unique niche of the industry – calling for specific skills and eagle-eyed market observations to successfully reach language learners on the lookout for books and materials. In Episode 16 of The BookMachine Podcast, we sit down with Emma Green, Editorial Director, Languages at John Murray Press to zoom in on what’s changed, what’s trending and what’s next for this area of...

Building a career in publishing – whether in a large or small company – requires a great amount of self awareness. Key to this is understanding how you have to be, and what you have to do, to be successful. We were delighted to speak with Rebecca Smart, about her role as Leadership and Talent Coach at Penguin Random House as well as an accomplished career leading teams at publishers large and smal...

We were delighted to speak with Olivia Tanner, Digital Marketing Strategist at BookMachine Creative Agency and experienced education marketer about the importance of marketing to schools in the right way. We asked her about what techniques and approaches she uses to get busy teachers on board and why teacher case studies and hearing directly from their peers is so powerful. She also shared insight...

With spiralling costs and huge disruption to the supply chain, publishing production departments have had it tough of late. We speak with award-winning production professional Srishti Kadu to get her take on the recent changes and challenges that production colleagues are responding to. We discuss her thoughts on production careers, global impacts on the industry, diversity and inclusion, and deve...

Managing teams across generations and departments can call for a variety of approaches and working styles, which is why hearing from experts on the topic is key. We were delighted to speak with Shannon Cullen, Group Publishing Director of Quarto Kids, about her career and journey to her role where she is now. We ask about her experience moving from Editorial Manager all the way up to Publishing Di...

The publishing industry has changed a lot in the past few years, how are industry leaders changing with it? We were thrilled to speak with Emma House, Founder and Managing Consultant of the Oreham Group, about her approach to leadership and what lights her up when managing teams and company strategies. We talk about the challenges posed by the pandemic, Brexit and cost of living crisis on motivati...

People in leadership roles in the publishing industry have a lot of responsibility to lead the way with diversity and inclusion in the front of their minds. They are responsible for opening doorways and creating space in an industry that’s often been described as opaque or tight-knit. But how can publishers do this the right way, from hiring, in their campaigns and beyond? We spoke with Jaini and...

Whether it's paperback, hardback, colour books, journals or directories, the book production industry grows more complex by the day. Businesses in this field (and professionals heading them) need to acquire a specific toolkit to stay afloat during these changes. So, we were delighted to talk with Jonathan Huddart, Head of Sales, Books and Journals at CPI Books, about his career in sales of pr...

Are you a creative and a little bit frightened of our new AI overlords like ChatGPT and Mid Journey? In this episode, we talk to Micaela Alcaino, award-winning Designer and Illustrator, and Rebecca Blake, (Advocacy Liaison at The Graphic Artists Guild) about their insights on the current AI boom in the design sector. We’ll be discussing how AI feeds into different parts of the creative process, su...

In this episode, we have two guests from Boldwood Books, Claire Fenby and Marcela Torres. Get ready as they share their journey in transforming a small publishing press into a resounding success, with their recent win of “Small Press of the Year” at the British Book Awards 2023. Claire, Head of Marketing, had a pivotal role in the founding of One More Chapter division at HarperCollins, as well as...

In this episode we are joined by Dr. David Barker, Senior Lecturer in Publishing at the University of Derby. With years of experience in commissioning editorial, including founding Continuum’s unique “33 ⅓” series, David offers valuable insights into skills needed in commissioning, including fine-tuning your editorial eye. We ask David about his experience as Editorial Director at Continuum in New...