Nicola Robinson

This role involved the exceptional challenge of maintaining a community-led approach to book publishing (which allowed remote Indigenous communities to develop and approve book materials in a self-selected time frame) while also publishing and marketing the eventual books within a commercial framework, whilst working with multiple stakeholders. Nonetheless, in three years I built an enthusiastic and capable publishing team, doubled the yearly output of books, represented the ILF at the Bologna Children's Book Fair (2024, 2025) and Gothenburg Book Fair (2024) and guided the ILF's ALMA campaign, leading to the awarding of this A$725,000 prize to the organisation in 2024.

Commissioning romance, crime and historical fiction for a commercial list. Working with Alison Stuart, Sarah Barrie, Pamela Hart and many more.

Project management and a wide range of editorial tasks, working on both fiction and non-fiction. Highlights include editing Jimmy Barnes' 'Working Class Boy' and 'Working Class Man', Stan Grant's 'Talking to My Country' and 'Australia Day', Dervla McTiernan's 'The Ruin' and 'The Scholar' and Holly Ringland's 'The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart'.

I worked on books (children and adults, fiction and non-fiction, with education titles being a speciality), reports (plain English editing skills a speciality), theses and, generally, any piece of writing that needs clarity, cohesion and a little finesse. Clients included The School Magazine (NSW), Penguin Random Australia, Pan Macmillan Australia, Allen&Unwin Australia and Ventura Publishing. I am also venturing into ghostwriting, both fiction and non-fiction, and commercial writing, for businesses whose marketing materials and blogging need a little more finesse.

In this role I was responsible for allocated picture books, junior and young adult fiction, and illustrated non-fiction, from acceptance of manuscript to finished book, ensuring each title met all scheduled deadlines and specifications, and striving to make each the very best it could be. These titles included high profile/key titles by major Australian and New Zealand authors and illustrators, and some of which I brought to Walker from my previous one-on-one work with authors. The role included public speaking at both children’s book community events and in-house conferences, both of which I relished.

Providing feedback on student assignments in developing character, dialogue and narrative structure, as well as general advice about the children’s publishing industry.

I returned to Laguna Bay Publish to commission a follow-up series to Yarning Strong, our Indigenous education series that was joint overall winner in the 2011 Australian Educational Publishing Awards. The new series will be published by Oxford University Press in 2013.

As commissioning editor I oversaw the acquisition and editorial process of new titles, and also provided any editorial support needed on Koala Books' many co-editions. I also handled contracts, royalty payments and so on.

Laguna Bay Publishing is a packager, creating series of primary educational material for publishers in Australia and overseas. As managing editor I commissioned and edited more than 125 books, as well as digital material. My role included working directly with authors, illustrators and designers, ensuring that the projects were run to schedule and budget. I was also involved in scoping out new projects, and trialling them in the classroom.

Media relations, event management.