Today I'm delighted to welcome
KESHINI NAIDOO
Associate Publisher
at
Bookouture
Bookouture
What and when was your first job in publishing?
My first job in publishing was actually on the retail side.
Once I had completed my degree, I first worked at Waterstones in Leeds, then
moved to London in the early 2000s to work at BCA, the mail order book club, as
a buying assistant. I quickly moved to be the buyer for crime and thriller as
well as literary fiction (and erotica!) and running The Mystery and Thriller
Guild.
How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I have been working at Bookouture since 2014.
Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?
Recently, I have been working on Angela Marsons’ latest
instalment in the bestselling D.I. Kim Stone series, Broken Bones, as well as complex, gripping and page-turning
psychological thrillers from Barbara Copperthwaite (Her Last Secret), Kathryn
Croft (Silent Lies) and Sarah Wray (Her Best Friend). I’m very excited to be
publishing Helen Phifer’s authentic, terrifying, police procedural, Dying Breath. It’s been a busy autumn…!
Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
It’s somewhat of a cliché for people in publishing, but
being a heavy book junkie since childhood has really helped my career. I’m glad
that all the time I spent reading instead of climbing trees paid off! I always
cite my time as a bookseller as shaping my knowledge of what real people
actually choose to pick up – which is often quite at odds with what is given
newspaper coverage.
How do you relax after a busy working day?
I’m a horror movie addict, so I spend my downtime watching
scary films and reading horror movie blogs! I love seeing live music and have
been lucky enough to see Steely Dan and Robert Glasper (a jazz musician)
recently. I also have two children and two kittens, so they definitely keep me
busy when I’m not working…
What was the last book you read for pleasure?
It’s not the last book I read, but I absolutely loved You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott. Her characterisation is just outstanding and
always sucks me in wholly.
Describe your job in 15 words or less...
I help authors get their books out to as wide a readership
as possible.
What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far
I’ve been fortunate enough to work at two publishing juggernauts
in their early days – I started at Avon (HarperCollins) before it launched in
2007, which gave me a huge grounding in what it takes to launch a successful
commercial book and Bookouture, which has grown into the leader in digital
publishing in the last three years. I love the challenges of growing a company
and the satisfaction of seeing its successes.
I’d also have to say that seeing Angela Marsons’ D.I. Kim
Stone series go on to sell millions of copies has been another huge highlight
of my career. And I was delighted to be named on the Bookseller Rising Star
list in 2017 (I feel a bit old to still be ‘rising’, but I’ll take that
accolade!).
If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?
Anyone who has seen me at karaoke will know this, but I’d
love to be a rapper for a day! Although I’m not sure my Northern tones would
really be suited to it… sadly!
If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
Lucky Girl. I feel really privileged every day to
work at a job I love, with dynamic, creative, colleagues and fantastically
inventive (and lovely!) authors. I get to discover new voices, and bring them
to the reading public. And I get to read books! As part of my job! If you had
told 8-year-old me that one day I would be involved in actually creating books,
I don’t think I would have believed you…
Thanks so much for taking part, Keshini!
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.
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