Careers in Publishing: Bristol

Inspired are a premier publishing recruitment agency and executive search firm dedicated to connecting talented individuals with the right opportunities in the dynamic world of publishing. With our expertise and passion for the written word, we strive to make meaningful connections between professionals and the companies that value their unique skills.

At Inspired, we understand that publishing is not just an industry; it's a community of visionaries, storytellers, and innovators. We recognise the power of words to shape culture, inspire change, and ignite imaginations. That's why we are committed to finding exceptional talent who share this passion and are eager to make their mark in the publishing realm.

Our team is comprised of experienced recruiters with extensive knowledge of the publishing landscape. We have built strong relationships with top publishing houses, independent presses, educational institutions, and digital media platforms, giving us unparalleled access to a wide range of exciting career opportunities.

We take pride in our personalised approach to recruitment. We believe that every candidate is unique, and their individual strengths and aspirations deserve careful consideration. By getting to know our candidates on a personal level, we can match them with positions that align with their skills, interests, and long-term goals. Our goal is to foster successful, long-term partnerships that benefit both the candidates and the organisations we work with.

Whether you are an experienced publishing professional looking for a new challenge or a fresh graduate eager to embark on a publishing career, Inspired is here to guide you on your journey. We offer comprehensive services to both our candidates and clients that include career coaching, succession planning, interview preparation and valuable industry insights. Our support doesn't end once you secure a position; we continue to provide guidance and assistance to ensure your ongoing success.

At Inspired, we firmly believe that a thriving publishing industry relies on diverse voices and perspectives. We are committed to promoting inclusivity and actively seek out opportunities to connect underrepresented individuals with positions where their voices can shine.

Let Inspired be your guiding light as you navigate the vast opportunities this industry has to offer. Together, we can shape the future of publishing, one inspiring connection at a time.

Alice says, "I’m a Senior Consultant working on the client side of the Academic desk and am responsible for managing my clients’ requirements for all permanent, contract and temporary assignments. I moved to London to complete a Masters in Publishing at UCL, after studying English Literature and Media Studies in Rome. Before joining Inspired in 2019, I interned with the Welbeck Group and Simon & Schuster, and then worked in an account management role for a digital B2B publication. At Inspired, I specialise in partnering with  clients within the scholarly, scientific and academic publishing sectors,  working with the world’s leading university presses, academic book and journal publishers, publishers of digital archives and courseware, learned and scientific societies and institutions. "

I am proud to represent a list of intriguing, clever, conversation-starting writers, across both fiction and non-fiction. Most of my authors write contemporary stories, often led by themes of love, identity, and coming-of-age; for me, vital qualities to a great story include emotional depth, authenticity, a warm, engaging voice and irrepressible energy. I want to be surprised, and to read everyday experiences and relationships told with nuance and colour. Our lives are rich and varied, and I like my books to reflect that too.

Favourite authors include Kate Atkinson, Claire Keegan, Curtis Sittenfeld, Elizabeth Strout, Shirley Jackson, Zora Neale Hurston, and Nora Ephron. I’m drawn to rich and multi-layered stories of women, families, friendships and relationships, and love small communities with lots going on beneath the surface; I prefer the small and intimate to the epic and world-affecting. 

I want to bring under-published experiences to both editors and readers, and to broaden the books we’re publishing to include everyone. I’m a feminist and celebrate books that empower us, or that make us feel recognised and heard. 

Alongside literary, book club and commercial fiction, I represent non-fiction writers including narrative writing on relationships, pop culture, social history and food, and a small number of cookery and other illustrated books. Please note that I am not currently considering memoir; I love memoir writing but unfortunately it’s a very difficult time to find space for new voices, and I’m working with enough memoir for now.

In case it’s helpful to know what I don’t represent, I do not work with the following genres: poetry, Young Adult or children’s, fantasy, supernatural, dystopian, sci-fi, thriller, horror or crime fiction, business, diet or health books. 

I worked for Waterstones before joining the agency A P Watt in 2003. I moved to Blake Friedmann in 2013, becoming Vice Head of the Book Department and a Bookseller ‘Rising Star’ in 2017, and a Director in 2020. In 2021, I was delighted to win the Romantic Novelists’ Association Agent of the Year Award. I regularly visit literary festivals, courses and events, and enjoy giving talks and holding workshops for writers. I have been a judge for the Bristol Short Story Prize and Manchester Fiction Prize, and I’m on the board of the Working Class Writers’ Festival. 

In my 17 years in the industry, I have been a copy-editor, a production editor, a quality control team leader, a senior production editor and a book manager. I am now Head of Production at the Press and responsible for a portfolio of around 300 new books and 800 journal articles a year. Taking an author's carefully honed work and making it into a real-life book or journal that they can be proud of is an enormous privilege and continues to bring me joy.