As my time at Nosy Crow comes to an end, I thought I would share some of the rare and coveted insights into publishing that is has been my pleasure to acquire over the past two months.
1. It won’t happen overnight… Whilst I didn’t think that books magically appeared in a ready-for-publishing form, I certainly had no idea of the huge efforts the designers and editors put in to create the wonderful children’s books here at Nosy Crow.
2. You can never be too organised. This is perhaps common sense, but a publishing company must tread a very fine line to ensure that every title is released at the optimum time, with no clashes, and in a complimentary season.
3. The printer is god! Whilst at Nosy Crow, it has been my own personal battle to get our lovely, stubborn, petulant Xerox working again. This has meant many phone calls and much hair pulling on my account as we all realised that a printer with off-colour and black that prints nowhere where it should is a curse in any publishing company. Particularly a children’s one.
4. It’s always time for a round of tea – even if someone has just done a round, in a London office you can always have more. I thought I was a tea drinker before I started here – how naïve I was. I feel one step closer to saying ‘I live in London’ now that I have consumed numerous cups of English Breakfast each day.
5. I love picture books! I am a bibliophile. This has been well documented – however, the joy I felt when I first read Elys Dolan’s Weasels (publishing April 2013) is something that comes only rarely in a reader’s life. I feel this same buzz every time I read a Nosy Crow title and wish there were more small children in my family to lavish these upon.
So as I say farewell, what I really want to say is thank you. To all the Crows, you’ve taught me so much and I’ve had such a great time – this Aussie gal will always remember her first month in London’s crows nest with fondness.
Shelly has been with us for two months and will be very sorely missed – if anyone in publishing is looking to hire someone, look no further! Drop us an email and we will put you in touch with her.
