Tales Post – Inside Stripes – Jane Harris

by Chelley Toy · January 21, 2016

As part of my prize for winning the UKYABA for Champion Newcomer in March 2015 I was offered exclusivity on all Stripes titles and content as well as a wonderful book voucher and of course a beautiful award!

I thought to coincide with this it would be nice to gain an insight into the team at Stripes and get to know them and their department a little better.

To do this I tasked the lovely people at Stripes with a gruelling questionnaire…..okay maybe it wasn’t gruelling and kind of fun …. *evil laugh*

And Inside Stripes was born….

Over the course of the month Inside Stripes will aim to give people a look into the Stripes world, the team, their departments and more.

Here’s a little sneak peak at the Stripes Publishing office!

Who are you?

Jane Harris

Which department do you work in?

Across departments, but primarily Editorial. The editorial and design teams share an office – here is the view from my desk:

What is the departments function at Stripes?

Primarily to commission and publish the Stripes list, working on a range of titles from initial manuscript to publication in close consultation with the author, illustrator and designer

What is your job title?

Publisher

Tell us a little about what you do or things you work on in your department.

As Publisher, my job is to oversee the running of the department, making sure books are published on schedule and to budget (as far as possible). The editorial and design teams work very collaboratively, so we all get involved in looking at new submissions and making decisions about what to publish. My role requires me to keep abreast of current trends and to oversee the direction of the list in conjunction with the sales and management team. I also work closely with the sales and marketing team and our foreign rights manager to ensure that we have a shared vision for each book in order to maximise its potential both here and abroad.

What are you currently working on whilst you are answering this questionnaire…if you are allowed to share?

Dirty Bertie Aliens! by Alan MacDonald and David Roberts (out in October 2015)

The sixth Stitch Head novel by Guy Bass, The Monster Hunter (out in February 2016)

The next Angela Nicely book by Alan MacDonald and David Roberts (out in January 2016)

And some fantastic new series which are still under wraps…

What is the favourite part of your job?

Experiencing each book’s journey, from initial manuscript to published book – every one is unique – and reading fantastic reviews, especially those from children

Now it’s time for…..Quick-Fire Questions!

Describe yourself in 3 words

Over-excitable (as in Tigger), determined, untidy

Favourite book?

To Kill A Mockingbird

What’s your favourite place on earth?

For the memories – Mullion Cove in Cornwall and San Francisco – sorry I know that’s two places, but they’re equal favourite, promise!

What’s your favourite food?

At the moment … salted caramel ice cream (it’s very hot today)

Favourite word?

Discombobulated

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

Family

If you could time warp yourself to any point in history when would it be, who would you hang out with?

I’d love to be transported back to the early 1800s and to have known Jane Austen and her family – to be honest, I’d love to have hung out with Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy although I realise they’re not real…!

If you had a super power what would it be?

Teleportation – being on time is a challenge!

What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?

Mistakenly put my underwear in someone else’s wash at the laundrette when I was a student