TALK: Sarah Hawkins, Senior Editor at Hothouse Fiction

Sarah Hawkins is a Senior Editor at Hothouse Fiction and has worked on hit books such as Secret Kingdom, Robot Races, and the new Maisie Mae books. She spoke to StoryWorld about her job, editing, and space pirates.

Hi Sarah! Can you explain what a book packager does, and what your role is at Hothouse? 

Packagers like Hothouse create series fiction and sell it to mainstream publishers. We come up with commercial concepts, plot out each book, and commission ghost writers to write them before giving them a good edit and sending them out to publishers. It's a great way for established writers to earn money by writing when they're in-between books, and great experience for new writers, who often go on to write books of their own.

My job is Senior Editor, so I'm in charge of a lot of series.

What does your average day entail?

It completely varies depending which books I'm working on and what stage they're at. So it can be anything from coming up with a detailed plotline for a new book, to checking layouts before a book goes off to print. We have brainstorms about characters and concepts, so it's not unusual to have a meeting about dinosaurs, or a chat with colleagues to work out what would happen if a Space Pirate bowled a bowling ball around the rings of a planet (answer: it would roll all the way around the planet and get a strike, obviously!). 

When we're looking for an author for one of our series we send it out to a selection of writers that have signed up on our website (www.hothousefiction.com). Then the editor narrows it down to three writers, and we all meet to argue  discuss which we think is the best. All the samples are judged anonymously, so it's all about whether the voice is right for the concept. 

We work closely with all the major publishers, so I'm often emailing them about a series we're working on, and of course, there's a lot of sitting quietly at my desk, drinking tea and editing. It's a fun and varied job.

What qualifications or experience do you need for your job?

Publishing is degree-entry, and then the only way to do it is to get work experience and work your way up, learning your editorial skills as you go. Being able to project-manage is a good skill to have, as are strong spelling and grammatical skills and a keen eye for spotting mistakes, but a passion for reading is essential.

Of all the books you’ve worked on, do you have any ‘favourites’?

Obviously yours, Dan! (Aw, shucks! -Dan) I'm very attached to all my books. You get to a stage where you know the characters so well that you would know what they'd eat for breakfast. The best thing about my job is the range of books I get to work on, and the brilliant writers I work with. I love it when a writer takes my concept and brings it to life in an exciting and surprising way.

What’s the most common note or piece of advice you give to the writers you edit?

A standard publishing phrase is 'show, don't tell'. Make sure you show the reader what's happening by taking them through the action, rather than just telling them something happened.

Thank you so much for your time!

Thanks Dan! 

Check out the Hothouse Fiction website to see if writing for a book packager might be for you, and take a look at all their fab series of books. All their series are available to buy online or in your favourite bookshops. Maisie Mae: No Boys Allowed! is out in 10th April. Click here to pre-order.