by Ned Hoste | 29, 05 2023 | How to Design a Book and Other Stories
Working with Ann Suster and Tony Whittome, my name soon got passed round to other editors in the Hutchinson and Century fiction departments. Eventually, I started working with one of Century Books’ co-founders Rosie De Courcy, who also handled some of the big name non-fiction titles. Quietly spoken, immaculately well dressed and precise in her choice of words, Rosie was very influential in 1980s and 90s publishing. More importantly, she was a lovely person to work with and made you feel like you were part of the most important meeting of her day.
by Ned Hoste | 29, 05 2023 | How to Design a Book and Other Stories
Towards the end of 1988 the announcement was made that Chatto, Jonathan Cape, Chatto Poetry and The Hogarth Press were to become part of Random House Group. This would also mean a move from Chatto’s lovely Georgian offices in Bedford Square to Random House HQ that occupied a modern building in Chandos Place, Covent Garden. The ground was shifting under my feet and as publishing world began to change it was a worrying time.
by Ned Hoste | 26, 05 2023 | How to Design a Book and Other Stories
Seven months in to my fledgling freelance career a wide variety of covers and publicity campaigns kept flowing in from Chatto & Windus. The Royal Horticultural Society’s book on companion planting; anthologies of poetry by Norman MacCaig and Carol Ann Duffy; Farmwork a photographic book capturing agricultural life, The Pitman Painters by William Feaver and the cover design for her first book that set the seal on an enduring professional relationship with much loved novelist, Ann Victoria Roberts.
by Ned Hoste | 26, 05 2023 | Big Ideas Blog
Of course, there are far more than 15 steps to making all this work and each indie author will need to make their own path to publication. There is a huge amount of professional help available and often the whole process is easier when you have someone project managing the production process so it takes the pressure of the writer.
by Ned Hoste | 26, 05 2023 | Big Ideas Blog
On average four-year-olds ask over 300 questions every day. By the time they leave school, those same four-year-olds will be asking less than 10. It’s sad to reflect that it appears more emphasis is placed on reinforcing known theory than creative exploration in our education system, yet, in order to climb, build, fly, swim, cook, write, dance, snorkel or take a selfie, someone, somewhere paused and asked themselves a question.
