Talking Through My Hat

Suzanne Collier (@suzannecollier) of BookCareers entered publishing at 16 from school and has since then chaired the Society for Young Publishers and worked for a range of publishers in a range of jobs. Some changes in personal circumstance led to her setting up her own business, and over the past 20 years, Suzanne's been instrumental in making the publishing industry a bit more open and honest through exercises like her annual pay survey. And along the way, she's helped a lot of people with their careers! In this interview, we look at her history and discuss some of the systemic issues that still afflict the publishing industry, as well as the effects of physical and mental changes - and some of the ways in which people still succeed. If you'd like to donate to the Book Trade Charity and support Suzanne's epic 140-mile bike ride this coming May, please do so here. Warning: contains a brief reference to suicide.