Naomi Colthurst

Experience

• 

  Bonnier Books UK

  Nov 2011 - Dec 2015

  Part of the Hot Key Book/Piccadilly Press editorial team. Was responsible for 51 authors and over 100 titles, both front and backlist. Large increase in editorial responsibilities, including author and agent management. Addition of further responsibilities, including financial. One of the original members of the team. Responsible for all administrative editorial support, first reader for manuscripts, organised travel etc.

  • Editor

    Jun 2015 - Dec 2015

  • Junior Editor

    May 2014 - Jun 2015

  • Assistant Editor

    Jan 2014 - May 2014

  • Editorial Assistant

    Nov 2011 - Jan 2014
• 

  Faber and Faber

  Jan 2016 - Dec 2016

  Commissioning Editor (Maternity Cover)

  Have editorial responsibility for half of the titles on the Faber Children’s list, working across picture books, illustrated fiction, non-fiction and fiction aged from 5+ up to Young Adult. I particularly enjoyed working on full-colour texts – a completely new skill-set. • Joint commissioning responsibility with Publisher: I’ve been delighted to bring a number of new authors to the Faber list, including 2016 Printz Award-winner Laura Ruby, comedian Harry Heape (@trouteyes) and American novelist/poet Jason Reynolds. • Keen eye for acquiring rights: I negotiate all my own contract terms, and am confident thrashing out tough deals. I understand the importance of acquiring World rights (where appropriate) and enjoy working with the Rights team to maximise a book’s profitability. • Working closely with Design team: Brief all my own covers, research potential illustrators for illustrated titles, and work closely with our Designer to make sure all full-colour titles are running to schedule.• Highly confident presentation skills: Responsible for presenting all my titles – including Leads and Superleads – at sales conferences and launch meetings. • Thrilled to work closely with top authors and illustrators, including: John Agard, David Litchfield, Kate Saunders, Louise Pentland (Sprinkle of Glitter), Alwyn Hamilton, Laure Eve, Ross Montgomery, Emma Carroll, Sophie Thompson and Natasha Farrant. Show less

• 

  Penguin Random House UK

  Feb 2017 - now

  As Editorial Director, I am focused on shaping and invigorating the Puffin 6+ team's acquisitions strategy for illustrated young fiction series. I also have shared responsibility for the frontlist strategy for our Puffin Classics list. My key focus is on growth, as well as looking at how we publish into this space with a keen eye on diversity and inclusion.Commissioning new voices is my passion, and I commission across a broad range of titles, from highly commercial young fiction and accessible, quality middle-grade, to emotionally powerful YA, and a very select number of non-fiction titles which can tap into a clear market-need. I enjoy looking at market trends and actively acquiring, as well as building on the strong relationships I have with literary agents to secure exciting manuscripts from new and established talent.Some of my recent highlights include Frostheart by Jamie Littler (the bestselling MG debut of 2019), The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke (one of the bestselling MG HBs of 2020), The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton (shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize 2020) and Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World by Burhana Islam.I believe I have a keen eye for spotting and developing debut talent, but I am also delighted to work with established, world-renowned authors such as Cerrie Burnell (Wilder than Midnight), Jonathan Stroud (Lockwood & Co), Chris Riddell & Paul Stewart (The Edge Chronicles), Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and Joseph Delaney's estate (The Spook's Apprentice). Show less

  • Editorial Director

    Nov 2022 - now

  • Senior Commissioning Editor

    Jun 2021 - Nov 2022

  • Commissioning Editor

    Jun 2018 - Jun 2021

  • Editor, Children's Fiction

    Feb 2017 - Jun 2018