Overview
I specialise in developmental editing, manuscript assessing and book coaching, but am also proficient in other editorial services. I love working with authors on their manuscripts, helping them tease out their ideas and realise their publishing dreams.
I was a publisher at Allen & Unwin for many years, and previously worked at Random House, Black Inc. and at HarperCollins in high-level marketing and communications roles.
At Allen & Unwin I commissioned and published a wide range of non-fiction and fiction – hundreds of books in total, including those by Hannah Gadsby, Wil Anderson, Helen Hoang, Kitty Flanagan, Clare Bowditch, Dylin Hardcastle, Paige Clark, Isobel Beech, Emma Carey, Andrew Webster, Jennifer Robinson, Andrew Rule, Charlotte Ree, Bec Judd, Chantelle Otten, Brooke McAlary, Brigid Delaney and Vicky Xu. Flanagan's book 488 Rules for Life was the highest-selling Australian book published in 2019 and took out the non-fiction prize at the Australian Book Industry Awards. Clare Bowditch also won Best New Writer that year. Paige Clarke’s She is Haunted was longlisted for the 2022 Stella Prize and Brigid Delaney’s 2022 book Reasons Not to Worry has been sold into sixteen territories around the world.
I was the series publisher for Anh Do books at Allen & Unwin, managing the creation, marketing and production of seven different series of children’s books, with twelve new titles per year. In 2022 these series combined reached sales of 1 million copies in Australia. I initiated and collaborated with Nakkiah Lui on the creation of Joan Press, Allen & Unwin’s first new adult publishing imprint in 20 years, and sat on the advisory board for OPEN BOOK, the internship aimed at removing barriers from entry-level roles across the publishing industry.
Services
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Languages
Awards
- ABIA winning and shortlisted publisher 2019, 2020, 2022
- Stella Prize longlisted publisher 2022
- ABIA academy member, 2016–2023
- ABIA organising committee member, 2016
- Advisory Board Member, OPEN BOOK internship, 2020–23
- Unwin Fellowship, 2013
Certifications
- Bachelor of Arts (Majoring in English)
- Progress in Editorial Skills, The Publishing Training Centre, UK
- UNCONCIOUS BIAS Training, Centre for Corporate Health workshop and training program
- VICARIOUS TRAUMA Training, Centre for Corporate Health workshop and training program
Work experience
Allen & Unwin
In my many years at Allen & Unwin I published books from a diverse range of authors telling a diverse range of stories – from popular non-fiction to literary fiction to illustrated titles to children’s books. My role involved me building and sustaining deep professional relationships with external stakeholders and clients, including authors and literary agents, commissioning books, and working with the in-house team at Allen & Unwin. I briefed and worked closely with editors on various editorial work required for manuscripts, with designers and photographers on cover design and internal page designs, with the production team and printers on all things tangible about our books, with marketing and publicity colleagues on campaigns, and with lawyers, illustrators, indexers, proofreaders and many other external contract workers when necessary. I managed one direct editorial report.
Portfolio
Kelly has 1 review
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
Ben B.
Aug, 2024
