Special Guest Post by Publishing Consultant Natalie Audley

My name is Natalie Audley, and I am a Publishing Consultant who has spent the last six years working across the industry. I have worked with hundreds of authors, from debuts to household names, and I know what makes them sell.

In my work I have managed and marketed a variety of genres and learnt a great deal about how and why something sells. I have a great passion for literature, as well as respect for those who love to write. My abilities at selling books, from being a bookseller to pitching thousands of copies to Amazon, means I know how to communicate great ideas with personable flare. 

The aim of my publishing consultancy is to support new writers in developing their fiction or plays, with a view to what sells. Having worked for some of the major and bestselling independent publishers in London, I have an excellent radar for what will sell, and how to make the most of your writing. In terms of playwriting I have been a reader for the last three years at one of the premier new writing venues in London and have managed my own theatre company, producing eight shows since 2013 and performing at Edinburgh, Camden and Brighton Fringes.

With my insight to the market I can help you establish your ideas, restructure and develop your work, and give you advice on how to approach agents. I can help you to understand the markets you would sell into, and how this would work for you as an author. 

I am happy to assist you from initial idea to final pitch, with the aim of having a novel which could be sold into Waterstones, Amazon and wholesalers as well as independent bookshops. My expertise can help tailor your manuscript into a piece that’s ready for success.

As a Publishing Consultant I am not an editor, but my in-depth experience as a publisher will talk you through the process of building up your story, with a focus on where you need to develop each section of your writing as if it were a business model:

- Initial idea

- Planning

- Drafting

- Editing

- Synopsis/Pitch

My advice will be predicated on advising you how to make your writing as commercially viable as possible. Of course, I am happy to see a range of fiction pitches whether these be literary, genre or YA. My experience in both print and digital publishing will give insight to authors seeking an agent, or those looking to self-publish off their own bat. 

Natalie Audley

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About the Author

Natalie Audley has worked in publishing for the last six years, beginning as a Waterstones Bookseller before working in several independent publishing houses in London.  Natalie has a BA and Masters in English and Creative Writing, and completed a playwriting course at Brighton Theatre Royal Young Writers Scheme. Her playwriting has been shortlisted by The Bruntwood and the Papatango Prizes, and she has been awarded several grants to stage her plays. For more information visit her website and follow her on Twitter @NatalieAudley16