We’ve been busy publishing lots of books in June and July to get ready for summer reading – August in particular tends to be one of our highest sales months. We’ve published the first two books in a brand new Tudor series by David Field. We released ANOTHER YOU by Frost’s own Jane Cable! This week we also released the first novel in a Victorian crime series featuring a feisty female photographer – SNAP SHOT by Marilyn Todd. We have also managed to sign up quite a few classic military thrillers, in the genres we were searching for, and we have published our first few – some Cold War espionage thrillers by Geoffrey Davison. We are excited to see how those sell on Kindle, especially as Caoimhe is specifically growing our list of readers interested in the ‘action & adventure’ genres.

We have signed another new authors to our books – the lovely Ros Rendle. We have signed a six book contract with Ros – five of which are backlist titles we are reissuing, and one which is a brand new contemporary romance, due for release in 2020.

For the rest of the post, I’ll let our new Editorial Assistant take the reins to let you all know what she’s been learning so far!

Amy

Here are Natalie’s thoughts on her first couple of months:

Since joining Sapere Books, I have learned a lot about the careful work that goes into publishing commercial genre fiction. My role is very hands-on, and involves formatting and proofreading manuscripts, as well as reading new submissions. I love the level of engagement that I have with the books, and the fact that I’m working with stories that will appeal to a wider audience. My duties at my previous jobs in publishing were largely admin and project management-based, so it’s great to have the chance to do some more detailed editing! It’s also great to be part of the decision-making process with regards to the books that are signed up, and I’m still developing my eye for what makes the ideal Sapere submission.

I’m a big fan of historical fiction, so I’ve had a lot of fun working on Elizabeth Bailey’s Regency romances, as well as the first instalment of Marilyn Todd’s Victorian mystery series! But working on genres that I’ve had less experience with — e.g. crime fiction and political thrillers — has also been a welcome and rewarding challenge. I’m very grateful for the breadth of Sapere’s publishing; this has allowed me to expand my horizons both as a reader and as a young publishing professional.

I’ve never worked from home full-time before, but I’ve found that this suits me well. I’m good at setting boundaries in terms of space and working hours, which helps me maintain a productive, energised and disciplined mindset. Amy is always on hand to help with any queries I have, and the training and support that I’ve received has been fantastic. There are plenty of opportunities to meet up with the rest of the team for catch-ups and industry events, and they’ve all made me feel very valued and welcome! To summarise, this is my dream job and I’m looking forward to continuing to assist with Sapere’s exciting projects!