Episode 298 – The commissioning editor’s view with Eloise Cook

Episode 298 - The commissioning editor's view with Eloise Cook

What DO commissioning editors look for in business book proposals? Eloise Cook is the publisher responsible for Pearson’s business list, and in this conversation she reveals what makes a proposal worth pursuing (and also what makes her quietly file it under B for Bin). We also talk about the future…

Continue reading

Episode 278 – Boring2Brave with Mark Choueke

‘Be a bit braver with what you define to be a business book, you don’t need to follow a template.’ Why is B2B marketing typically so dull? Whereas consumer marketing is focused on creativity, engagement and originality, B2B marketing all too often consists of a features list. Mark Choueke is…

Continue reading

Episode 223 – Smoke and Mirrors with Gemma Milne

Episode 223 - Smoke and Mirrors with Gemma Milne

‘Writing the book was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life… There’s no quick fix. Everybody finds it hard. What differentiates people who have written books from those that haven’t is the ones who wrote the books dealt with the fact that it was really hard.’…

Continue reading

Episode 216 – Step Up Step Back with Elsbeth Johnson

‘In leadership communication, and indeed in the process of writing a business book, the more and better the quality and time spent on the thinking, the less time and the more effective the actual production of the communication or the book.’ Dr Elsbeth Johnson certainly put the time into creating…

Continue reading

Episode 196 – Finding what works with Helen Winter

Episode 196 - Finding what works with Helen Winter

Writing a book is hard work. One of the best things about this podcast is that so many guests reveal the brilliant, extraordinary, sometimes hilarious strategies that got them through the hard yards of planning and writing and out the other side. This is one of those podcasts. From smart…

Continue reading

Episode 85 – The Publisher’s View with Donya Dickerson

Episode 85 - The Publisher's View with Donya Dickerson

Donya Dickerson is Editorial Director with responsibility for business books for McGraw Hill in New York. So what does she look for when a proposal crosses her desk? And what kind of authors is she keen to get onto the list? A fascinating insight into the publisher’s perspective of the…

Continue reading