17/07/2023

Shortlisted for the Australian publishing industry's Rising Star award in 2023, Bloomsbury's deputy head of marketing & publicity Genevieve Nelsson has worked on globally successful campaigns for some of the publisher's flagship fantasy brands, while also launching debut authors that 'sparked cultural moments and important conversations'. Learn more about Genevieve as she shares insights into her career and hopes for the future of the industry.

What achievements are you proudest of in your career so far?

I’m hugely proud of the growth in our flagship fantasy brands – authors Sarah J Maas and Samantha Shannon. Achieving #1 for Maas’ last book and doubling sales (since the launch of the ‘Crescent City’ series) to become a blockbuster brand was a monumental moment. It's exhilarating to see my campaigns actualise epic sales and the unique merch become so beloved by passionate fans who flood stores for signings. These bespoke designs have been adopted into our global campaigns and reliably drive pre-order sales through our retail partners. Maas and Shannon are both on track to be among the biggest authors in Australia, entertaining and appealing to such a diverse range of readers. Beyond sales, the hype is palpable and growing every day.

On the other hand, I’m proud of launching debut authors that sparked cultural moments and important conversations such as Lisa Taddeo (Three Women) and Kiley Reid (Such a Fun Age). These were passion projects that I championed right from submission through the publishing process and on to become bestsellers. It’s a real privilege to help powerful books find an audience, but equally terrifying that they may be lost in a crowded market. Three Women has become a seminal work and bestselling backlist title on the Bloomsbury list, whilst Such a Fun Age was the bestselling international fiction debut of 2020 and won International Book of the Year at the ABIAs that year.

This year's BookUp program has a strong focus on professional development – what kind of training would be useful for your career or your peers in the industry?

Publishing is an intimate industry filled with passionate and creative talent, yet it can often be hard to see a pathway to success. I’ve been fortunate to have strong mentors in my career who push me to keep learning and guide me forward. It's a powerful, altruistic but highly satisfying process, so it would be great to have more networking opportunities where junior staff are able to meet industry veterans. As we adapt to a hybrid work environment and face-to-face interactions become less frequent, connecting with our peers is more important than ever. We need to nurture our emerging talent as we know that mentorship and time together is extremely valuable.

What are some of the opportunities or challenges you would like to see the publishing industry tackle in the future?

Our shrinking attention spans and digital dependence is an emerging crisis, but despite this, we do have opportunities to utilise new digital platforms to our advantage. BookTok is clearly bringing a new generation of readers to the fore, with billions of associated hashtags and a sea of content. Whilst this is exciting, it’s a real challenge to cut through the noise and reach the right target market in this brave new world. 

Ever-evolving digital platforms do provide a tremendous opportunity, but we must also continually adapt our skill sets if we are to leverage this moment as an industry. Change is confronting and upskilling can be exhausting, however data-driven analytics and technological literacy are vital in crafting resourceful, reactive, and creative campaigns, and ultimately helping books find the right readers.

Hear more from those shortlisted for the Rising Star award at BookUp on 16 August, with the winner announced at the post-conference networking drinks that evening in Melbourne. You can learn more about the BookUp program and discover the full Rising Star shortlist here.

The Rising Star award is proudly supported by Media Super, the super fund dedicated to those who publish, inform, entertain, create and inspire.