Inside the Publishing House 2025

Inside the Publishing 2025 Full Day Program

10am – Welcome

Kick off the day with a warm welcome and a bit of housekeeping from the Hachette Publishing Director and EWF Artistic Director, who will outline the program and help get you settled in for the day ahead, before the first session starts.

Joel Naoum, Publishing Director Hachette Australia and Jess Zanoni, Artistic Director & Co-CEO Emerging Writers’ Festival

10.15am – So You Want to be a Published Writer?

So, you have finished your manuscript – what now? Join Hachette authors Alex Sawyer, Mandy Beaumont and Mark Brandi, along with Hachette’s Head of Literary Vanessa Radnidge, to hear all about what comes after you have finished writing and the ways you can connect with a publishing house. From being brave and backing yourself, getting your book in front of the right people, to getting it into the hands of your readers, this session will give you invaluable insight into an otherwise illusive process. Includes 15-minute Q&A.

Vanessa Radnidge, Head of Literary in conversation with Alex Sawyer (Richell Prize winner & upcoming author of Rat Daniels), Mandy Beaumont (Wild, Fearless Chests; The Furies & The Thrill of It) and Mark Brandi (Wimmera, The Rip, The Others, Southern Aurora & upcoming Eden).

11.00am Break

11.15am – Behind the Scenes Discussion

Step foot inside the publishing house and uncover what the people collaborating with writers and illustrators do. Meet members of the Hachette team from across editorial, production, sales, publicity and marketing and find out how they came to work in publishing. In this session, you’ll find out all about what goes into getting a book out there, once you have finished your fabulous manuscript. Hear from the people who make it all happen. Includes 15-minute Q&A at the end.

Joel Naoum, Publishing Director, in discussion with Lillian Kovats, Sales Director; Christiana Perdis, Sales Coordinator: Gift and Specialty Accounts; Emily Lighezzolo, Publicity Manager; Kirstin Corcoran, Senior Campaign Manager; Rebecca Allen, Deputy Managing Editor; Jenny Topham, Deputy Production Manager.

12.00pm Lunch

12.45pm – Pitch Perfect

Ahead of the afternoon’s pitching sessions, learn how to whip your pitch into shape. Hachette Fiction and Non-Fiction Publisher Sophie Hamley will lead this pitching masterclass. Find out the must-haves for a successful pitch and the pitfalls to avoid. In a specially designed workshop, Sophie will run through the mechanics of pitching and pitch documents, with all your questions answered along the way. This masterclass will give you an incredible opportunity to work on your pitch under the guidance of an industry leader, including bespoke advice, instruction and insights. Includes 15-minute Q&A at the end.

Featuring Sophie Hamley, Hachette Publisher

1.30pm Break

1.45pm – What Publishers Want: Q&A

What are the insider tips and tricks that will make it more likely that a publisher will read your manuscript? What little thing might just be what snags you a book deal? What are publishers looking for when they acquire a manuscript? How do you pitch your book and yourself effectively? This session will cover just what these publishers want! Includes Q&A at the end.

Emma Rafferty, Editorial Manager, in discussion with Jeanmarie Morosin, Head of Children’s Publishing; Rebecca Saunders, Head of Fiction; and Sophie Hamley, Publisher  

2.15pm Break

2.45pm – Pitch Time! Sessions with Hachette Publishers

The time has come – this session is your chance to put what you’ve learned into practice and pitch your manuscript to the Hachette team! Publishers are always on the lookout for new and exciting voices, so here’s your chance to show them yours. Members of the Hachette team will be listening to your 5-minute pitches as a professional development exercise for you and with the potential to be much, much more!

Joel Naom, Publishing Director

Chrysoula Aiello, Senior Editor

Vanessa Radnidge, Head of Literary

Sophie Hamley, Publisher

Rebecca Allen, Deputy Managing Editor

Annie Zhang, Editor

Lee Moir, Editor

Emma Rafferty, Managing Editor

Jacquie Brown, Senior Editor

4.30pm – Inside the Publishing House concludes

---

Tickets are now available, with limited spots for Pitch Time! sessions, so book your tickets today!
—
Want to read more about Hachette Australia?

Find out more about getting published with Hachette Australia here.