Melbourne Launch of Rebellious Daughters

On Thursday 4th August, at The Long Room in Melbourne, family, friends and contributors came together to celebrate the launch of our fantastic anthology, Rebellious Daughters. Introduced and launched by our editors, Maria Katsonis and Lee Kofman, with readings from two of our contributors, Leah Kaminsky and Jamila Rizvi. It was a wonderful evening full of extraordinary women. We are very proud to finally see this beautiful book on the shelves.

Above: Co-editor, Maria proudly introducing Rebellious Daughters.

Above: Co-editor, Lee Kofman, officially launching Rebellious Daughters.

Above: Leah Kaminsky, contributor, reading an extract from her story, 'Pressing the Seams'.

Above: Jamila Rizvi, contributor, reading from her section, 'The Good Girl'.

Some of our wonderful contributors (Left to Right): Jamila Rizvi, Rochelle Siemienowicz, Maria Katsonis, Lee Kofman, Jo Caro, Amra pajalic, Nicola Redhouse, Leah Kaminsky, Silvia Kwon.

Rebellious Daughters is out now, to purchase a copy click here.

Booktopia Podcast with Rebellious Daughters contributers

Today, three of our Rebellious Daughters contributers, Jane Caro, Susan Wyndham and Caroline Baum were interviewed for The Booktopia Podcast. Here are some behind the scenes photos as we watched them record and sign some exclusive copies. Head over to Booktopia's Podcast to listen.

Publishing a Book? How to make your manuscript stand out to a publisher

As one of Australia’s leading independent publishers, Ventura Press are constantly receiving manuscripts from a variety of authors. We thought it would be great to share with you the key factors that make a submission stand out.

We've asked our Publishing Manager, Jasmine Standfield, to tell us what she and the rest of our team look for when they're meeting for the first time with an author.

Below is an example of the kind of emails we receive on a day-to-day basis. It shows how crucial clarity, information and tone are to reaching your audience – both publishers and future readers. This is an example of what NOT to do:

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Hi there,

I would like to talk to a hire-up in regards to a novel I am completing. My name is XXXX XXXXXX, I am located in XXXXXXX, and I would prefer to get in touch with Jane Curry, a chance to give her a brief synopsis of my fiction novel.  I know it is nearly impossible to get in touch with someone that can help you with publishing a novel, however I know I have more to offer than any author, just looking for a chance.

Thank you for your time, please reach by email or phone anytime.

Best Regards,

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The following tips are some of the things we love to see from authors and should help you write an engaging pitch to a prospective publisher:

Begin with the crucial information…

First of all, it is so important to put your name and the title of your manuscript in the very first line of your email. It’s also very important that the document or file you attach is correctly named so we don’t lose it on our database. Other information that is crucial in your email is your point of difference. Don’t just allude to it, tell us what it is.  What makes you stand out from the 5000 other authors writing and submitting content every month? This of course includes your author platform.

Your author platform…

There is a huge difference between a good author who lives in an isolated area with an active blog and presence on Goodreads, and a brilliant author from Sydney who has never heard of Booktopia and doesn’t have time to write a blog or run their social media. Authors, we hope by now, are aware how important their platform is – this is the way that you communicate with your potential buyers. Your main focus is your one book, or your one series of books. A publisher will likely be working on 24 books at once so can’t possibly dedicate the time to, or understand, your audience as well as you can.

Write a Pitch Sentence…

It sounds obvious but please tell us, clearly, what your book is about. Our house has a saying; ‘The pitch starts with you’. If you can’t explain to us what your book is about in a short and clear manner, how will we be able to pitch it to the sales reps, who then pitch it to the book buyers, who then pitch it to their staff, who then pitch it to the potential buyer on the shop floor? A long-winded synopsis gets lost in translation.

Include comparison titles…

Competitor analysis is also crucial. Please try to avoid the words ‘There is no other book like this out there’, because there almost definitely is – and this is a positive. This means that we can link your work to an established genre, tailoring your marketing to the right readers and positioning you in the market correctly. Think ‘The next Arianna Huffington’ or ‘A cross between Hunger Games and Harry Potter’.

Keep a balanced tone…

Be confident, but not arrogant. You are not the only person who has worked with Kerry Packer or met a celebrity.

And above all…

Be specific. Your cover letter is your elevator pitch and your media release. Put your strongest points at the top, best foot forward. Each cover letter or email should also be specifically tailored to the type of book you are pitching. For example, if you are pitching a book about leadership and success or work-life balance, don’t start the letter about where you are located or how many kids you have. Start with ‘As one of the top 100 part-time workers in Australia, I would like to introduce you to my business book about XYZ’.

Below is an example we have created of how to professionally pitch a fiction title:

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Dear Ventura Press,

My name is Sarah Morton and I would like to pitch, Strangers Passing By, a contemporary fiction novel set in the beautiful landscape of the iconic Blue Mountains.

The book explores the romance and tragedy of Julie Graham, who works at a Post Office following the death of her father in WWI. It is based on the true story of my great Aunt, whose letters and diary entries were discovered when she passed away five years ago.

Strangers Passing By would suit the Australian Literature or Historical Fiction genre and stands out from other titles as it includes original photographs of handwritten letters within the pages acting as points of departure for each chapter.

The book also explores themes of feminism, marriage, Indigenous culture and religion in ways that could be compared to My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin and The Getting of Wisdom by Handle Richardson.

I have been published with literary journals A, B and C as well as online publication D. My author platform includes my blog which has a following of X, and my Facebook and Twitter accounts have Y followers. I have media contacts at Z, who would be happy to help me promote my novel. I also have a friend, X, who is a published author who said he would be happy to write a forward.

Please see attached the Synopsis, a Sample Chapter, Author Platform details and Competitor Analysis.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you.

Sarah Morton

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Listen to Marina Go on So You Want To Be A Writer, the Australian Writer's Centre podcast

The Australian Writer's Centre podcast, So You Want To Be A Writer, hosted by Valerie Khoo and Alison Tate, have just released their latest podcast featuring an interview with Marina Go, author of Break Through: 20 Success Strategies for Female Leaders and General Manager of ELLE, Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar. The podcast is a vital resource for all writers, discussing writing tips, publishing and careers. 

In Episode 108, Marina talks to Valerie about the writing process behind Break Through, the moments that lead to her decisions on the genre and structure, the plans she set out for herself and the challenges she faced when including other people’s personal lives in her story.

Valerie Khoo gave a wonderful review of Break Through, saying 'I read it in one sitting … I was eating my dinner as I was turning the pages…I couldn't put it down.'

Marina spoke about why she was so passionate about writing the book 'aimed at the next generation of female leaders'. She wanted to give these young women advice on how to tackle adversity and give them confidence to face the roadblocks in their career. Marina said she kept asking herself, 'how am I going to keep young women, millennials, entertained?' and came to the decision that ‘they will enjoy the tales and anecdotes of my career', which include run-ins with Kerry Packer, the glamorous trials and tribulations editing Dolly magazine at 23 years old, and plenty more stories that could be straight from the set of ABC's Paper Giants.

You can listen to the whole So You Want To Be A Writer podcast here - Marina's interview can be found at 23.00. Find out more about Break Through here, and read an excerpt of the book on our blog.

Break Through: 20 Success Strategies for Female Leaders is published by Ventura Press. RRP $32.99.

REBELLIOUS DAUGHTERS receives four star review from Books+Publishing

A recent write-up in Books+Publishing has awarded our Rebellious Daughters a four star rating, citing among the reasons; the books’ stellar line-up of Australian female writers, the considered editing by Maria Katsonis and Lee Kofman and the sheer range of featured works - from comical tales and essays to intimate and powerful memoirs.

A powerful, funny and poignant work, we couldn’t agree with them more. Rebellious Daughters explores everything from getting caught in seedy nightclubs to lifelong family conflicts and marrying too young, all told from the perspective of some of Australia’s most talented female writers. Read below for the full write-up from Books+Publishing.

Rebellious Daughters features a stellar line-up of Australian female writers sharing touching stories of rebellion, family life, coming of age and motherhood. Edited by Maria Katsonis and Lee Kofman, this is a well-balanced collection of memoirs that charts the ‘complicated map of parent-daughter relationships’: from funny tales of youthful rebellion to traumatic estrangements and lasting wounds, the thrill of independence to unbreakable bonds and family loyalty. Rochelle Siemienowicz carves out a Self in a strict but loving Seventh-day Adventist household, and later fights against ‘the disappearing act’ women perform when they are consumed by motherhood. Rebecca Starford examines the risky business of memoir writing, questions of ownership and the idea of writing as rebellion. Susan Wyndham and Nicola Redhouse struggle to adjust to step-parents, while Krissy Kneen, the rebellious granddaughter, escapes her fairytale-obsessed grandmother to create her own tale of metamorphosis, sexual desire and freedom. One of the most poignant essays is Eliza-Jane Henry-Jones’ account of growing up in an atmosphere of decline, fighting against Alzheimer’s as she watches her grandmother and then her father forget themselves and their family. These intimate stories will appeal to readers of family memoir and essay collections such as Mothermorphosis.

Releasing 1 August 2016, click here to read more about 'Rebellious Daughters' as well as our other great titles.

A wonderful night at the book launch of Break Through by Marina Go

The launch of Marina Go’s debut title, Break Through, was met with resounding success. Last night, 130 guests gathered upstairs at Dymocks Bookshop on George Street to pick up their signed copy, mingle and have a drink.

Break Through was launched by Wendy McCarthy, who has been a strong supporter of Marina’s career for many years. Wendy opened the event by talking about her passion for Australian women and how important it is for women to maintain the drive to succeed and achieve positions of leadership. She congratulated Marina on producing such a unique and motivating page turner and read to us one of her favourite extracts from the book which you can read here.

Marina shared her secrets on the book-writing process, the deadlines that were required to pump out two chapters a day and the reasons behind her unique style and structure. Break Through is part memoir and part guide to success for business women. Marina confided that she never wanted to follow a traditional approach, but rather, she wrote a book for herself, including stories and advice that she would have wanted earlier in her career. In Break Through, she reveals her experience growing up surrounded by strong women, progressive attitudes and influential people that led to where she is today. Her gratitude to her parents was touching, she thanked them for their help during the writing process.

It was a thrilling to be in a room with so many successful, inspiring women including Ann Sherry, Helen McCabe and Tracey Spicer. It’s nights like these that make us all refreshed and motivated to keep on working hard back at the office—knowing the end result can be so spectacular and rewarding.

A huge thanks to Marina Go’s team from Bauer who brought beautiful finishing touches to decorate the bookstore and the team at Dymocks Sydney for having us.

You can read an extract of Break Through here, or purchase the book online here.

A mother lode of brilliant books to gift this Mother's Day

Mother's Day is fast approaching! And to celebrate, here are some of our staff's top picks that we know our Mums will love. Whether she's a business woman, stay at home mum, an empty nester, a grandma or the motherly figure in your life--there's something for all Mums on this lovely list...

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Break Through by Marina Go

Six Degrees by Honey Brown

The Art of Tidying Up by Kim Carruthers

Between the Dances by Jacqueline Dinan

Heart Hungers by Winsome Thomas

Midlife Manifesto by Jane Mathews

The Little Book of Mum's Wisdom by Denis and Ian Baker

The Magic of Tea by Alice Parsons

AN ODE TO OUR FEMALE AUTHORS

It's International Women's Day and there's no better time to celebrate all of our incredible, talented and inspirational female authors, of which we are lucky to have so many. These women never stop fighting for the causes they believe in and are continually pushing the boundaries of society and gender to make positive changes for all. They are the reason we do and love our job, and in honour of IWD we've shined a spotlight on a select few.

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Maria Katsonis, mental health advocate

It takes courage to bare all in a memoir, let alone a memoir that details the backlash you received coming out to your strict Greek parents and the subsequent depression in the years that followed. But that's Maria, she wrote her book The Good Greek Girl to de-stigmatise mental illness and continues to do so through numerous speaking events. She holds the first public service role in Australia exclusively focused on LGBTI reform, is a beyondblue ambassador and will publish the anthology Rebellious Daughters with Lee Kofman in August this year.

Connect with Maria on Twitter at @mariakatsonis, Facebook or her website.

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Winsome Thomas, lifelong learner

Proving that age really is just a number, Winsome Thomas prides herself in being a lifelong learner and practitioner. At 71 she has had more careers than most of us have had in a lifetime - she became a psychologist in her fifties and recently became a Licensed Lay Minister in the Anglican Church. We first read about Winsome in Madness, a memoir, a searing account of mental illness written by her most recognisable client, Kate Richards, where she details Winsome's warm and intelligent client-central approach to therapy in the book. Kate openly credits Winsome with saving her life. Now adding 'published author' to her list of achievements, we are releasing Winsome's first book Heart Hungers in April. 

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Jacqueline Dinan, female history advocate

It's not many women who could set themselves the task of interviewing over 300 women who served Australia in WW2, but Jacqueline Dinan's passion and persistance has ensured this time period for women has been preserved forever in Between the Dances. Spending countless hours travelling across Australia to share these stories and connect with women from this generation, Jacqueline is back writing her next book, a novel based on the true story of 'Granny' McDonald, the first woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner.

Connect with Jacqueline on Facebook or her website. 

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Christine Durham, brain injury advocate

In 1992 the life of gifted teacher Christine Durham was turned upside down after she sustained a severe brain injury in a horrific car accident. Determind to return to teaching, after much perseverance and determination Christine was able to rebuild her life, becoming the inspirational leader she is today. Named 2014 Victorian Senior Australian of the Year, she continues to advocate for and empower people with brain injury.

Christine published Unlocking my Brain: Through the Labyrinth of Acquired Brain Injury in February 2014.

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Angela Priestley, career motivator

The founding editor of Women's Agenda, the power-packed website for professionally-focused women, Angela spends her days empowering women by writing about careers, gender equality and leadership. She interviewed some of Australia's most successful women in her first book Women who Seize the Moment, and is a strong advocate for career opportunities for all women and men - no matter their life choices.

Connect with Angela on Twitter @angelapriestley

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Benison O'Reilly, autism commentator

The go-to commentator on autism in Australia, Benison is a medical writer, pharmacist and autism mum who staunchly defends evidence-based therapy surrounding autism at every turn. Just read this intelligent takedown of a book providing misinformation to parents on The Guardian, impressed yet? Benison is the co-author of The Complete Autism Handbook and Beyond the Baby Blues, both books responsible for helping parents through some of their most tough and confusing times.

Connect with Benison on Twitter @BenisonAnne or her website.

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Take a sneak peak at the Ventura Press 2016 List

Well 2015 was quite a year. It was the year we came of age.

On the business front, JCP was rebranded as Ventura Press as we celebrated our new distribution alliance with Simon & Schuster Australia.  We published the fabulous Maria Katsonis, Honey Brown, Jacqueline Dinan and Harrison Young.

It was the year I became an AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence, was elected as a director of the Australian Publishers Association and joined the board of Copyright Agency. I am thrilled to able to represent our industry at this level.

Where to from here? Next year only gets better.

The 2016 list is an eclectic mix of everything we feel is important to life. Books that impart knowledge, fiction that transports, memoirs that will inspire and lived experiences that will motivate us all to achieve our very best.

We have ex-policeman Trent Southworth’s Wasted in March – a book about alcohol and drugs every parent of a modern teenager needs to read. Believe me. In May, Marina Go’s Breakthrough recounts the remarkable story of her Chinese Italian heritage and her rise from editor of Dolly to the very top of Australia’s media ranks. In April, Winsome Thomas release her poignant and inspiring guide to fulfilment, Heart Hungers. You may recognise Winsome as the psychologist who treated Kate Richards in her book Madness, a Memoir. On to the second half of the year, we cannot wait to show you Rebellious Daughters in August, an anthology where Australia’s most talented female writers share their stories of rebellion and defiance. Edited by Maria Katsonis and Lee Kofman, contributors include Jane Caro, Jamila Rizvi and Susan Wyndham.

In fiction, we will publish the debut Australian novel Black British by Hebe de Souza, a sharply funny yet poignant coming of age story of life in post-colonial India. Next up is Katherine Johnson's story of family secrets, survival and second chances set in the gothic landscape of northern Tasmania’s caves in 1952. Wrapping up the year we have Director of The Ethics Centre, Simon Longstaff’s stunning children’s picture book Poppy and the Spider’s Song, to be released in October.

I am heading back ‘home’ to England for Christmas with my family. After all these years in Sydney, I only feel it is truly Christmas when it is freezing cold and dark at 3pm. No wonder I read so many books in my childhood.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and New Year. We are looking forward to next year more than ever before.  

Jane Curry

The Women Who Influenced Me by Jane Curry

To celebrate being named a 100 Women of Influence by Westpac and Financial Review, and the solidarity of all women in business, Jane has written the below article to pay tribute to all the women who influenced her along the course of her career and gave her a leg up the ladder of success.

The place I call home is the picturesque cathedral city of Ripon in North Yorkshire. But thanks to a potent reading mix of Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch and my monthly delivery of Cosmopolitan which was full of glamorous women striding forth with their briefcases and high heels, I knew my life would only really start when I escaped and got myself to London.

And it did.  

First stop was university at the red brick red flag-flying Manchester. We raged against Thatcher’s Britain, staged sit-downs, held vigils for Nelson Mandela and supported the striking miners. We were engaged and passionate for a better world. I also realised that embracing feminism was the only logical way to live, which meant the obligatory Virginia Woolf poster, a full collection of Carmen Callil’s Virago paperbacks and a subscription to Spare Rib. 

So armed with an honours degree, a suitcase and an education in life, I set off to London and started my first job in publishing with Time-Life Books on Bond Street. My boss was the uber-stylish and inspirational Editor in Chief, Kit van Tulleken. Kit was Canadian, powerful, clever and awe inspiring to my 21 year old self. As a first boss I could not have asked for a better role model. Her two boys often came in after school so before the phrase ‘having it all’ was coined, she did indeed have it all.

Time-Life sent me on a placement to Sydney to work for dynamic American, Bonnie Boezeman, who headed up their Asia Pacific division. Bonnie was a whirlwind of energy and professionalism and ran the company with utmost flair and dedication.  

It is only writing this now I realise that my first two bosses were such influential women. They inspired me from the start to love the numbers side as much as the creative. Power always resides where the money is made and so I have been fortunate to be mentored into financial literacy very early in my career. 

Book publishing is a wonderful convergence of my love of the political and cultural together with my passion for business. So thank you Germaine, Carmen, Kit and Bonnie for all your influence on my formative years. And of course thank you to Cosmo for showing me the world beyond Ripon. 

If you would like to congratulate Jane, share tales from your own rebellious university years or tell us about the people who influenced you, come and have a chat on Facebook and Twitter.

Photos from Writers in the Park Festival at Centennial Park, Sydney

Rainy morning weather couldn't stop our local writer's festival, Writers in the Park, from launching with a bang at Centennial Park in Sydney this past Sunday 27 September.

Ventura authors were there in force, including The Good Greek Girl's Maria Katsonis, Icing on the Cake's Annabel Morley and Talk with your Kid's Michael Parker. Our managing director Jane Curry even shared her book tips on a killer publishing panel. 

You can read an in depth recap of the event from the wonderful Nicole Melanson, editor of WordMothers.

Annabel Morley and Maria Katsonis enjoying their memoir panel. Photo by John Grant.

Annabel Morley, author of Icing on the Cake. Photo by John Grant.

Publisher Jane Curry with Annabel Morley and Maria Katsonis. Photo by John Grant.

Maria Katsonis, author of The Good Greek Girl. Photo by John Grant.

Jane Curry named 100 Women of Influence by Westpac and Financial Review

Ventura Press founder and managing director Jane Curry has been named a Westpac and Financial Review 100 Women of Influence in the Business Enterprise category. Congratulations Jane! We couldn't be more thrilled and proud at Ventura HQ.

A big congratulations to all the winners. Read more about the 100 Women of Influence here.

Between the Dances launches in Sydney with Fran Kelly and Imogen Clark

Between the Dances, a collection of stories from WW2 women, was launched to great success in Sydney on 14 August - a day before the 70th anniversary of VP Day.

RN Breakfast's Fran Kelly officially launched the book, while folk singer Imogen Clark rounded out the event by singing her beautifully poignant song about women in war, While Women Wait.

Author Jacqueline Dinan has been travelling across Australia since the launch of the book in March sharing the stories of these women - two of whom were in attendance to celebrate their contributions to the book.

Peggy Williams was working at a citrus farm in Leeton, Victoria when the war ended. She was interviewed by Fran for RN Breakfast to share her memories from that joyous day. Listen to the audio here.

Imogen Clark, Fran Kelly, Jacqueline Dinan and Publisher Jane Curry

Jacqueline Dinan, City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Robyn Kemmis, Jane Curry

Jacqueline Dinan signs books at the Sydney launch of Between the Dances

Meg Green, State President of the War Widows Guild assisting one of her widows, Peggy Williams, while also meeting Edna Petfield and Fran Kelly

Honey Brown goes to Byron Bay Writers Festival

Beautiful Byron Bay with the host to the Byron Bay Writers Festival on 7 - 9 August and author of Six Degrees Honey Brown was thrilled to be speaking on two panels.

The Green Room was buzzing, and charismatic attendees and authors were in abundance, says Honey.

Her first time at the festival, Honey spoke at Romance: Escapism or Relationship Hotline with fellow authors Krissy Kneen and Jennifer St George, and Crime Scene with Mathew Condon and Michael Robotham.

Here's cheers to a wonderful festival, and to an even better 2016!

COVER REVEAL: Pocket Paleo by Catherine Proctor, released in September

The next book in our powerhouse pocket range is here with Pocket Paleo! To be released on 1 September 2015, Pocket Paleo is the easiest and most effective introduction to the paleo diet. Brought to you in a handy pocket-size at an incredible price point, the book outlines the philosophy of paleo with over 50 delicious recipes.