About
Our Publishing Team
Jenny Geras
Managing Director
I started my career in marketing, and in 2008 moved across to edit and publish commercial fiction, first at Pan Macmillan and then at Penguin Random House, where I ran Arrow, the commercial paperback imprint of the Cornerstone division.
I joined Bookouture in 2017 to recruit and build a new fiction publishing team as Publishing Director. I became Publisher, heading up all of Bookouture’s fiction publishing, in 2019 and stepped up to Managing Director in July 2020.
Ruth Tross
Publisher
Before joining Bookouture in spring 2019 I was the crime and thriller publisher at Hodder, where I worked with authors including Angela Clarke, Jeffery Deaver, Sabine Durrant, Erin Kelly and Vaseem Khan.
I’m always on the hunt for a brilliant twist, an intriguing detective or a standout hook, as well as reading group and women’s fiction that makes you laugh, cry and think. I’m so excited to have the chance to find new authors for Bookouture’s bestselling and market-leading list.
Mark Alder
Data and Insights Director
Having spent almost ten years in traditional publishing – creating bespoke data systems/reports and providing analysis and insight – it was a simple decision in Feb 2016 to take the opportunity of joining the ground-breaking & innovative team at Bookouture. The numbers speak for themselves!
Peta Nightingale
Contracts, Rights and Translations Director
I joined Bookouture in February 2017. By bringing rights-selling in-house in 2021 we have substantially increased our sub-rights revenue by making Bookouture titles the go-to brand in both translation and film and TV market. Alongside this we launched Bookouture Deutschland in 2021, translating and publishing direct to German readers with significant success.
Laura Deacon
Publishing Director
I joined Bookouture in August 2020 and have worked as an editor for 15 years. Prior to joining Bookouture, I managed the editorial team at Amazon Publishing, publishing million copy bestsellers Mark Edwards and Damien Boyd as well as Tina Seskis and Anna Ellory. Before this, I ran the Windmill paperback list at Penguin Random House and started my career at HarperCollins. I am looking for authors across all commercial genre fiction to be the digital bestsellers of tomorrow: from crime thrillers which get under my skin to evocative historical fiction and emotional women’s fiction with relatable characters.
Jessie Botterill
Publishing Director
After seven years working as a literary agent for Janklow & Nesbit UK, I joined the Bookouture team to pursue my passion for commercial fiction with the best of the best in digital publishing.
As an editor, I’m always on the lookout for stand-out voices and original storytelling. The books I love have clever plots, ingenious hooks and always, always, a compelling protagonist with an unforgettable voice. Crime thrillers, psychological suspense, book-club and women’s fiction, for me it’s about smart, commercial ideas with big ambition.
Richard King
Rights Director
I joined Bookouture in 2021 after 10 years in the Rights team at Orion, where I sold a wide variety of rights, including translation and film/TV rights, across the entire Orion list. Now Bookouture are bringing our rights business back in-house, I am the go-to person for translation rights in all territories and film/TV rights across the Bookouture catalogue.
Saidah Graham
Contracts and Rights Executive
After completing an MA in Publishing Media in 2017, I started my publishing career as a Rights Assistant at Bonnier Books in 2018. After 2 years there, I joined the Bookouture team in the autumn of 2020. It’s exciting to be immersed in the innovative world of digital-first publishing and to be part of a team seeking out new roads in translation markets around the world.
Alex Crow
Digital Marketing Director
I joined Bookouture in August 2016, having previously worked in digital marketing and digital project management, both within traditional publishing at Orion and outside the industry. I believe Bookouture is challenging the existing publishing model and the chance to work in such a dynamic and forward-thinking environment was too good to pass up.
Melanie Price
Head of Digital Marketing
Commercial publishing, building communities and connecting with readers is my passion, and after honing my skill set in a breadth of positions across the publishing industry at Head of Zeus, Hodder & Stoughton and HarperCollins, I was thrilled to join the Bookouture team in 2021 as Head of Digital Marketing. I am excited to further develop new strategies and innovations, build international author brands and reach readers all over the world as part of this dynamic team.
Occy Carr
Digital Marketing Manager
The first four and a half years of my career were spent working as an Account Manager at an advertising agency. I joined Bookouture in 2021 as part of the digital marketing team and am really enjoying combining my advertising and marketing knowledge with a life-long love of reading and all things book related.
Ciara Rosney
Digital Marketing Assistant
After working in digital marketing and communications outside of the publishing industry for three years, I was delighted to join Bookouture in 2021. I am excited to use my marketing experience and passion for books of all kinds to help grow our readership and reach audiences all over the world.
Kim Nash
Digital Publicity Director
I joined Bookouture full-time in 2015 blending my love of books and my years of PR, sales and marketing experiencing together. As a blogger at Kim the Bookworm and also an author, I feel like it gives me a great insight into the business from many angles.
It’s an absolute joy to be part of Bookouture and watching it continue to thrive, flourish and grow, still generating innovative and exciting plans for the future really does make me super proud. I get to work in the best job I’ve ever had, with the most amazing colleagues and brilliant authors, while connecting with the most supportive readers and influencers around the world. Being a part of making authors’ ambitions come to life is a dream come true for me.
Noelle Holten
Publicity and Social Media Manager
I have run an award-winning book blog, CrimeBookJunkie, for a little over two years now but my passion for reading and reviewing spans decades! I have had freelance experience as a manuscript advisor as well as running my own publicity services company for a time.
I had worked in criminal justice for over 18 years when a dream-come-true opportunity to work in publishing arose and I leapt at the chance. I am thrilled to be working at Bookouture and I am really excited to be able to share all the amazing books and authors and spread the #BookLove everywhere!
Jess Readett
Publicity and Social Media Manager
After two years working in PR and communications for the non-profit sector and blogging for The Huffington Post, I am thrilled to be able to use my skills and experience to promote my favourite thing in life – good books!
A proud Lancashire lass, I love to share work by writers from underrepresented backgrounds on my bookstagram, and it is Bookouture’s shake up of the traditional publishing industry and open submissions process that excites me the most!
Myrto Kalavrezou
Campaigns Manager
I joined Bookouture in 2021 after three years in the Hodder PR team where I worked across a wide range of titles on the list. I am now Campaigns Manager for Thread, leading the campaigns for all our non-fiction titles and working with the fantastic team to help build and shape Thread’s identity.
Alexandra Holmes
Head of Editorial Management
I worked in non-fiction publishing after completing an invaluable MA in Publishing. I joined the Bookouture team in 2018 and love working closely with authors to make their books the best they can be.
Alba Proko
Head of Audio Publishing
I joined the exceptionally talented Bookouture team in September 2020 after five years at Bonnier Books UK, where I handled their non-fiction digital publishing before moving on to focus on audio. I’ve worked on a variety of bestselling audiobooks, from laugh-out-loud celebrity memoirs to chilling true crime stories. The audiobook market is growing rapidly, and I’m excited to work with our brilliant Bookouture authors to bring their books to life in this format. I’m also passionate about audio first publishing and I’m on the lookout for fiction and non-fiction that will captivate listeners.
Natalie Butlin
Head of Commercial Analysis
After an invaluable year in marketing at Bookouture I became a commissioning editor, and published bestsellers such as The Little French Guesthouse, Bad Little Girl and The Summer House. I loved the role, but became the commercial manager as I wanted to use my experience to do what I feel makes Bookouture the best publisher around – optimising live books to give each one the best chance of success.
Previously, I have worked as an assistant agent at Christine Green, and a creative writing tutor and editorial assistant at The Complete Creative Writing Course.
Lauren Morrissette
Digital Sales Manager
The majority of my career has been spent creating bespoke systems, maximising efficiency and using data to drive decision-making. I’m thrilled to join Bookouture where I can combine my love of books and my passion for data to optimise digital sales.
Marina Valles
Digital Operations Manager
I began my career in publishing in Barcelona after graduating with a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Comparative Studies in Arts, Literature and Philosophy. I then went on to complete an Executive Masters in Digital Publishing, before moving to London.
I am absolutely delighted to join Bookouture and much looking forward to contributing to its success. I am so passionate about books and data that in my spare time I enjoy volunteering in a community library, where I am also the Chair of the IT Committee.
Mandy Kullar
Managing Editorial Assistant
Having worked in production and project management in other industries for a number of years, I was incredibly excited to join Bookouture in 2022 and finally combine that experience with a love of books!
Stephanie Straub
Digital Operations Executive
I began my career in publishing in early 2023, after completing my doctorate in English literature and spending three years working in the Operations sector of a machine learning project.
I’m excited by Bookouture’s innovative, data-driven approach to publishing. I look forward to using my unique blend of technical and analytical skills to serve our authors and readers.
Lydia Vassar-Smith
Associate Publisher
After working on a variety of bestselling authors at Transworld, Michael Joseph and Avon, I joined the Bookouture team in 2015 and have never looked back. Patricia Gibney, K.L. Slater and Carol Wyer are just a few of the authors I publish at Bookouture and I’m actively on the lookout for fabulous storytelling with a brilliant hook.
Natasha Harding
Associate Publisher
Prior to joining Bookouture in 2017, I’d been lucky enough to work in commercial fiction publishing for ten years. Previously I’ve commissioned commercial fiction at Avon, HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan, working with bestselling digital and print authors. My role as Associate Publisher really is a dream job. Bookouture are market leaders in commercial fiction – and with such a creative and supportive team it’s not hard to see why.
Shalini Boland, Sarah A. Denzil and Jenny Hale are just a few of the bestselling authors I publish at Bookouture. I’m actively acquiring standout, gripping commercial fiction, books with an unforgettable hook and stories that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
Helen Jenner
Associate Publisher
Before joining Bookouture in 2017, I worked as Digital Publishing Manager at Penguin Random House, working with bestselling authors and launching new digital products under the Penguin brand. I came to Bookouture with a passion for digital publishing that has grown and grown and I am privileged to work with a team of brilliantly talented people in a job that fuels both my creative side and my rather nerdy love of data.
I have built a list of brilliant commercial fiction authors, all bringing their own passion to their books, which I am truly proud to publish. I’m always looking for new voices – gripping crime thrillers, psychological thrillers that knock my socks off with a killer twist or a women’s fiction title that warms the cockles or has me weeping as I turn the pages.
Ellen Gleeson
Associate Publisher
Before joining Bookouture in 2017, I worked in educational publishing and at a university. Now, it’s a pleasure and a privilege to work with our authors to bring their stories to a huge audience. I will forever be passionate about commercial fiction of all genres that stirs big emotions in readers, and I love helping authors craft the most tantalising hooks possible.
Jess Whitlum-Cooper
Associate Publisher
Throughout my publishing career, I have collaborated with the very best commercial storytellers in the business, and my passion has always been to bring their voices to the widest possible audience. Before joining Bookouture, I worked as a Commissioning Editor at Headline, where I published authors including Victoria Hislop, Janet Evanovich and Therese Anne Fowler. Prior to that, I started my career at Curtis Brown, working with authors including Jilly Cooper, Jeffery Deaver and Tammy Cohen.
At Bookouture, I am actively acquiring fiction across the commercial spectrum, and I love stories with memorable characters, an incredibly strong sense of place, and a standout hook that will have me gripped from page one.
Jennifer Hunt
Associate Publisher
I worked at Lucas Alexander Whitley Literary Agency for three years before joining Bookouture in 2017. Now as Associate Publisher I can’t wait to add more bestsellers to our list.
I’m passionate about twisty commercial fiction, the biggest hooks and the best new writing.
Claire Simmonds
Associate Publisher
Prior to joining Bookouture in 2023, I worked at Penguin Random House for over a decade. Throughout my publishing career I’ve had the privilege of working on some of the bestselling authors in commercial fiction, including Lisa Jewell and James Patterson.
Before pivoting to editorial, I started my career in sales, so I’m always on the hunt for the next bestseller! I’m passionate about discovering commercial voices of the future, whether that’s in a gorgeous rom-com that will leave me swooning, or a psychological suspense that will keep me guessing until the very last page.
Louisa Pagel
Publishing Manager
I joined Bookouture in 2022 after working for many years at Ullstein Buchverlage, where I was Editorial Director with a major focus on commercial fiction and also strongly involved in building the digital imprints Midnight and Forever. As an editor I published across almost all commercial genres but have a soft spot for all things romance.
Working at Bookouture allows me to combine my passion for commercial fiction and digital publishing and I am excited to bring our fantastic books to Germany with Bookouture Deutschland.
Kelsie Marsden
Commissioning Editor
I joined Bookouture in summer 2019 after previously working in lifestyle publishing and then fashion. I am passionate about stories of all kinds and I look for books that make me feel something, whether that’s a nail-biting crime thriller or a heart-warming rom-com. I am excited to grow my career within such an innovative and talented team!
Susannah Hamilton
Commissioning Editor
I joined Bookouture in 2021 after 7 years at a traditional, independent publisher. Previously an editor across literary fiction, non-fiction and latterly commercial fiction, publishing authors such as Catherine Ryan Howard, Uzma Jalaluddin and S W Perry, it was a delight to join Bookouture and focus on purely commercial fiction, where my passion truly lies. I love helping authors shape ideas and hone plots, and I’m looking for atmospheric, unusual crime and thriller novels, and historical fiction from all eras and settings.
Rhianna Louise
Commissioning Editor
I began my publishing career in publicity after completing an MA in literary translation and creative writing, and after spending some time in the charity sector, I am so thrilled to be growing my editorial career in commercial fiction as part of the trailblazing Bookouture team. I absolutely love writing with a strong sense of place, memorable characters and a tightly driven plot – and I am always on the look-out for heart-pounding, twisty crime and thrillers.
Maisie Lawrence
Commissioning Editor
After working with a variety of bestselling authors at Simon & Schuster, Little, Brown and Canelo, I was thrilled to join the Bookouture team. I am a Bookseller Rising Star and a co-founder of Pride in Publishing.
Ella Carey, Georgina Cross and Alison Ragsdale are just a few of the bestselling authors I love publishing here. I very much enjoy helping authors absolutely nail a killer hook and am always looking for sweeping historical novels, unputdownable crime and thrillers and emotional women’s fiction.
Nina Winters
Commissioning Editor
Before joining Bookouture in 2020, I spent three years working for Ebury, Penguin Random House’s leading non-fiction division, and as a freelance editor. I have worked across marketing and editorial, with a focus on audience insights and trends in non-fiction. I’m delighted to now be working across Bookouture’s fiction and Thread’s non-fiction lists. I’m always looking for crime and psychological thrillers with mind-blowing twists that keep me turning the pages late into the night, gripping cozy crime and evocative historical fiction with standout characters and compelling storytelling.
Lucy Frederick
Commissioning Editor
I joined Bookouture in 2022 after commissioning a wide range of commercial fiction and working with some brilliant bestselling authors at Avon, Orion and Penguin Random House Children’s. I am always looking for exciting new voices and to be hit over the head with a good hook, whether that’s in a gorgeous rom com, a twisty thriller or an emotional historical story – basically, anything that will make me laugh, cry and keep turning the pages.
Sarah Gunton
Commissioning Editor
Before joining Bookouture as a Publishing Executive in 2021, I worked in educational marketing for a year. Prior to this, I studied English at university and interned at several publishing houses to build my experience. I am hugely passionate about commercial fiction – I love a wide range of genres and am always on the look-out for unputdownable books with killer hooks.
Natalie Edwards
Commissioning Editor
After working in trade and academic publishing and marketing, I was thrilled to join Bookouture in 2021. I am drawn to strong characters, compelling ideas and immersive storytelling across a variety of genres and, as a fine art graduate, I love an attention-grabbing cover. I am excited to continue my career within such a creative and dynamic team.
Harriet Wade
Commissioning Editor
After six years at traditional literary indie publishers (most recently heading up a crime fiction imprint) I joined Bookouture in 2023. Before my career in publishing I was a TV producer, which helped shape my love of grabby hooks and atmospheric storytelling. I’m an avid reader of commercial fiction, so I am delighted to make this the focus at Bookouture. I look for voice-driven and twisty crime thrillers and heartwarming and page-turning rom-coms.
Billi Jones
Publishing Executive
After completing a degree in Painting where I focussed on insectionality in educational institutions, I became interested in publishing and became a volunteer editor. From volunteering, I transitioned into my publishing career where I am part of Bookouture’s editorial team. I have a love for a wide range of commercial fiction but in my free time I always have my eye out for hilarious, escapist rom-coms.
Lizzie Brien
Publishing Executive
Prior to joining the editorial team at Bookouture in 2021, I worked in a variety of different roles and sectors (including as a PA, a freelance proofreader, a nanny and a cheese seller) and completed an MA in Publishing in 2019. I am passionate about compelling storytelling across a range of genres including crime, historical and romance, and am always looking for that elusive book that prompts me to cancel all plans and stay in bed reading!
Imogen Allport
Publishing Executive
Prior to joining Bookouture in 2022, for three years I worked in marketing at Publishers Group UK where I gained invaluable experience through the title management of a wide range of UK and US-based publishers.
I am absolutely delighted to be working in the editorial team at Bookouture. As an avid reader of psychological thrillers, rom-coms and historical fiction, I am so excited to bring my enthusiasm for these genres to such a dynamic and innovative digital publisher.
Jen Shannon
Publishing Executive
Before joining Bookouture in 2023, I ran a successful copywriting and calligraphy business while wrangling my small children. Prior to that, I enjoyed a colourful career translating, writing, editing and marketing for renowned arts organisations.
I’ve loved stories since childhood so I jumped at the chance to pivot my career via an editorial internship to publishing. My passion for crime thrillers, psychological suspense, women’s and bookclub fiction, coupled with my extensive digital marketing and production experience, make Bookouture a dream publisher to work for.
Sinead O’Connor
Publishing Executive
Before joining Bookouture in 2023, I worked in academic publishing at Bloomsbury for two and a half years. I started my publishing career in fiction, however, with internships at Penguin and RCW Literary Agency, so I am delighted to be returning to where my passion lies!
I love psychological thrillers as much as heart-warming rom-coms, so I am excited to work on the breadth of excellent titles at Bookouture.
Levke Kluge
Editorial Assistant
I’ve worked several years as a freelance musician, but literature and language have always had a place in my heart. In 2021, I put my passion to work by diving into writing and proofreading, and in April 2022, I joined Bookouture as an Editorial Assistant for the Deutschland team.
Being able to work with books is an absolute privilege. I’m particularly excited to bring our rich catalogue of commercial fiction to German readers.
