We're delighted to welcome Hazel Cushion
back to the blog. It’s been a busy eighteen months for the Managing Director of
Accent Press/Octavo Publishing/Octavo’s Book Café & Wine Bar
Accent Press seems to have grown by
leaps and bounds. Did you always have an ultimate goal or has the company grown
its own legs and run?
To
be honest I had no idea that the company would grow to this size when I first
started it. It all began in my front bedroom when my triplets were seven. They
turn 21 next month and my business seems to have come of age too!
It says on your website
“Always go to bed with a good book – or someone who’s read one”. Sounds like
great advice. Do you have time to read for leisure or is it all work work work?
I
tend to listen for leisure as I adore audio books. I listen while driving or
travelling and love how a good narrator can really bring a book to life. As I’m
dyslexic I also find it a very relaxing way to enjoy books and it has all the
pleasure of being read to as a child too.
What is a typical day like – if there
is such a thing as a typical day?
There
isn’t! Now we have Octavo’s Book shop and Café too my day usually starts there
as it’s five minutes from my flat. Then I drive 40 miles north of Cardiff to
our Accent Press publishing offices. Here I will be in meetings with marketing
or production planning events, campaigns and our publishing schedule. At the
end of the day I drive back to the café where we may have an event or book club
happening. I have learnt so much by having a book shop and really enjoy meeting
customers there – it has helped to shape our own publishing programme.
What are you looking for at present?
At
the moment we are looking for series especially historical ones.
Does your company accept un-agented
submissions?
Yes
– although we are currently closed for general submissions as we have such a
backlog.
Your new venture sounds very exciting. Our readers will be interested to hear how that’s going. What writer doesn’t like a bookshop/café/wine bar? So, news about Octavo’s please.
Octavo’s
is going really well – we’ve won Book Shop of the Month already and been
shortlisted for a Cardiff Life award. It’s a really vibrant, fun and quirky
place and makes great use of a beautiful old listed pub. As you say, books,
coffee and wine – what’s not to like!
Do you have a crystal ball? What do you
feel will be then next ‘big thing’?
I
wish! Our big success is Jodi Taylor who has produced the Chronicles of St
Mary’s series that seems to appeal to men and women, young and old. That is a
very rare and joyous thing to have that sort of reach,
If you have one piece of advice to give
to anyone submitting a manuscript, what would it be?
Make
sure it’s a genre we publish. If people send us poetry or children’s books they
are wasting our time and theirs. Nobody likes rejection so check that the
company are really looking for that genre first. Also make sure it’s a
publishable length – that’s another main reason for rejection.
Nowadays
it isn’t just a case of writing a book. Authors have to be media aware and it’s something that doesn’t come easily to many. Does Accent have a role
in this aspect during and after publication?
Very much so. We have grown authors by building
their profiles on social media platforms with paid advertising. Our authors are
also connected through a closed Facebook group where we share marketing ideas
and organise blog tours etc.
Is
there one question you would love to be asked but that never has been?
Do you love what you do? And the answer is YES! I
feel like I’ve finally grown-up and found out what I want to be when I’m older!
I feel incredibly privileged because I help authors bring their books to
market. Publishing is an amazing industry and a very exciting one too. I adore
being part of it because it is so varied and constantly evolving.
Thank
you for joining us today, Hazel. There’s a saying ‘If you want something done,
ask a busy person’. It seems you fulfil the criteria admirably.
Natalie
Kleinman writes contemporary and historical romantic novels and has thrown a
bit of a mystery into the mix in one of her current projects. She has just
completed a Regency and is now working on a new contemporary novel. You
can follow her blog at http://nataliekleinman.blogspot.co.uk/
If you would like to write for the RNA blog
please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com
