Bookouture promotes 10 to reflect imprint's 'rapid' growth

Bookouture has made 10 promotions to reflect the "rapid development" of its team and the growth of its sales and publishing.

Since January 2017, the digital publisher has hired 14 extra staff bringing its total to 25, and has increased the number of titles it has published from 104 to 171. The firm was acquired by Hachette in early 2017 and chief executive Oliver Rhodes said the publisher's new home as part of a large corporate "simply put...gives us and our authors the best of both worlds".

To reflect its growth, the publisher has promoted several of its staff. Jenny Geras (pictured) takes up the position of publisher from publishing director and will report directly to Oliver Rhodes, chief executive. Since joining Bookouture 18 months ago, Geras has built a second publishing team within Bookouture, and her own list of authors includes Louise Jensen, S.E. Lynes, Kerry Fisher and Tracy Bloom.

Jessie Botterill rises to associate publisher from commissioning editor, having been responsible for acquiring a string of bestsellers including Samantha Hayes, Lisa Regan and Clare Boyd. Botterill will report into publisher Claire Bord, and replace Keshini Naidoo, who is leaving Bookouture to join a small digital publisher.

Meanwhile, Peta Nightingale has been promoted to head of talent, contracts and rights from her former position as head of talent, reflecting the expansion of her role, and will also be part of the Bookouture executive team.

Alexandra Holmes will be joining Bookouture as managing editor from Jessica Kingsley Publishers where she has been senior production editor for the past three years. Holmes will replace Lauren Finger, who is returning to Australia with her family. Alex Crow, meanwhile, has been promoted to head of digital marketing having "brilliantly expanded" and improved Bookouture’s marketing campaigns and systems, according to the publisher. Working alongside Crow, Jules Macadam has risen to marketing executive from marketing assistant.

Supporting the editorial team, publishing assistants Jennifer Hunt, Ellen Gleeson, Leodora Darlington and Maisie Lawrence have all been promoted to the position of publishing executive, a reflection of their "rapid development and take up of additional responsibilities", said the publisher.

Rhodes said of the changes: "I feel extremely lucky to work with such a talented and forward-thinking team at Bookouture. It’s exciting to be able to recognise some massively impressive personal achievements and progression with these very well-deserved promotions. We’re also delighted to be welcoming Alex Holmes to the team and I’m sure she’ll make a real impact as we continue to grow our publishing.

"I am incredibly grateful to Keshini, one of our very first hires, and Lauren for their brilliant contributions to Bookouture.  They will be missed and we wish them the best for their future endeavours."

Rhodes said that the divisional structure at Hachette had been important in "allowing [Bookouture] the freedom to maintain our business culture and ways of publishing – as well as benefiting from the support and experience of the centralised group functions". 

The acquisition has enabled the imprint to grow quickly in terms of its team and digital output, and the company has also diversified by adding paperback publication for a number of its authors through its partnerships with Sphere in the UK and Grand Central in the US. 

"Simply put, it’s a model that gives us and our authors the best of both worlds," said Rhodes.

The imprint declined to reveal its year-on-year turnover and profit figures.