The Editorial team seek out, acquire and drive the publication of every book we publish and are the first port of call for our authors and their agents. We edit and oversee the project management of all titles, working closely with our authors, their agents and all other teams within Canongate. This ranges from working with authors on the book’s structure and style, to page layout and checking, to working with the art and production teams to make sure the look and feel of the jacket is right and that the book is on time and to budget. We also collaborate with campaigns, rights and sales teams on the best approach of the marketing and publicity campaign, the licensing of foreign editions and where the book is best suited to be sold.
Working with retailers across the UK and internationally, the Sales team spend their time ensuring that our books are bought and read by as many people as possible. From supermarkets to bookshops to wholesalers, we pitch our titles to buyers and booksellers for consideration for inclusion in promotions and availability in stores. We have brilliant relationships with our retailers, ensuring that they trust our recommendations as our pitches are tailored to the needs and tastes of their specific customers. We are hugely passionate about our books finding their way into the hands of eager readers, and proud to work with so many fantastic booksellers across the UK and globally.
Working closely with Marketing, the Publicity team run campaigns to ensure our books are as visible as possible to readers. We work with print, broadcast and online media to set up coverage for our authors, from reviews to interviews, written pieces and extracts. We also arrange events in bookshops and at literary festivals, as well as a wide variety of other venues. After Editorial, Publicity is usually the team working most closely with the authors – sometimes going on tour with them for days at a time – so being able to establish a strong, collaborative and above all supportive relationship with the writers we publish is vital. We pride ourselves on our author care, our organisational skills – and our ability to keep a cool head when things go awry.
The Marketing department is involved at all stages in the publishing process. We work with Editorial and Design to tailor the perfectly tempting copy and cover to help your book find its readers. We create promotional materials for use online and off – these vary from campaign to campaign but can include advance proofs, samplers, book photography, social media graphics, ad campaigns and more. We’re happy to help with advice on an author's online presence and we always keep an eye on how to build their brand from book to book. We also organise our regular catalogues and sales conferences, keeping everyone up-to-date on our forthcoming titles, ensure the Sales team have everything they need to present our books to retailers, and manage Canongate’s own website and social media presence.
Production is the link between the publisher and the printer and we focus mainly on how much a book costs to make and when it will be available to sell. Internally we work closely with Editorial and Design but always have an eye on what Marketing, Publicity and Sales need for each title. We place the print of each book and make sure it looks good in terms of print quality, paper, binding and finishes. We also co-ordinate the creation and distribution of ebooks and oversee all aspects of stock control and keeping books in print. We are passionate about how a book looks and feels and we are especially proud when a beautiful book comes in on schedule and within budget.
The Design Department are burdened with having the best job in the world. We serve as messengers of the text inside each book, faithfully visualising its tone, themes, symbolism and narrative. We produce market-aware and aesthetically conscious covers both in-house and in collaboration with many external practitioners such as photographers, artists, illustrators and designers, while always striving to create versatile and excitingly beautiful objects. Taking into consideration the design, budget and print materials of each book, we work closely with Editorial, Marketing and Production to make sure every title is carefully crafted and pushes the industry standard.
The Rights & Contracts department work with publishers across the world to find the perfect international partners for our books. We pitch our books, build relationships with editors, attend book fairs and negotiate deals, so that our books can be translated into languages as varied as French, German, Uzbek, Sinhalese and Welsh. And it’s not just translation – we sell the rights for our books to be published in English by partners in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and India, as well as in audio, eBooks and Large Print formats – and our department drafts and negotiates all of our contracts with the authors, agents and publishers we work with. It’s fast-paced and not short of admin, but we are proud that the words our authors write can find readers of all countries and languages.