ISABEL STAAS has spent more than 15 years on the inside of Australian publishing — which means she knows exactly what happens to a manuscript after the writer presses send.
She started at Hachette Australia as a production assistant — the person who checked printer proofs and made sure the commas were in the right place. Over the next 15 years, she worked her way through almost every corner of the publishing house: production, design, editorial, acquisitions, audio, rights, strategy, and finance. She has sat in the meetings where publishing decisions get made, negotiated contracts with agents, cast narrators, managed million-dollar budgets, and shepherded thousands of projects from idea to bookshelf. She published Hachette’s award-winning Audiobook list before going freelance as a producer and consultant to authors, publishers and literary agents.
Whether you're trying to figure out how publishing actually works, wondering if your idea has legs, navigating your first submission, or need someone to tell you honestly how the money side of publishing works, Isabel has been that person for a lot of writers, and she would love to be that person for you.
She believes that great stories deserve great advocates. And that's exactly what she's here to be.
2024 ABIAs Audiobook of the Year (The Voice Inside / John Farnham, Hachette Australia, 2024)
2021 ABIAs Highly Commended for Audiobook of the Year (The Performance / Claire Thomas, Hachette Australia, 2021)
2021 ABIAs Shortlisted for Audiobook of the Year (The Unfiltered Hoodlife / Spanian, Hachette Australia, 2021)
2012 Galley Club award for Webfed mono/duotone book/4c, limp bound, no price limit (Alone: Quarantine / James Phelan, Lothian Children’s Books, 2011)
2011 Galley Club award for Sheetfed Limited edition book, no price limit (The Arrival and Sketch Book Suitcase – Limited Edition / Shaun Tan, Lothian Children’s Books, 2010)
2011 Galley Club award for Book of the Year (The Arrival and Sketch Book Suitcase – Limited Edition / Shaun Tan, Lothian Children’s Books, 2010)
Isabel’s Services
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Wish you could have a casual chat with one of your favourite authors or someone who knows the publishing industry inside out?
In these informal virtual catch-up sessions, you’ll have one hour to ask an author or publishing professional anything you want to know.
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Bespoke project planning for any publishing project.
Full service production for Print, Audio and Ebooks
Pre-production planning and costing
Backlist republishing strategy
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If you’ve ever wished you could pick the brain of one of Australia’s bestselling authors, here’s your chance!
Our team of authors are available to offer one-on-one mentoring services on a one-off or ongoing basis. Our author mentoring services are tailored to authors at all stages of the journey, whether you’re an aspiring writer, an emerging writer or even an established author looking for advice or a fresh pair of eyes.
We’ll organise a virtual face-to-face at a time that suits you. Your mentor will offer tailored advice and guidance based on a specific project or the industry in general.
Not sure if this is the perfect fit? Explore our full range of author mentoring and manuscript assessment services or visit our FAQ page to view pricing structures.