Renee Naude - Designer

Name: Renee Naude
Address: Johannesburg, South Africa
Telephone: +1 407-233-3331

Publishing professional with over ten years of experience as an interior designer at the highest level. Fiction is my passion.

Overview

Fiction is my passion! Well, fiction and tea and dogs - not necessarily in that order!

Interior design is vital to how a reader engages with the words you put on the page. During my career I have been lucky enough to design for, among others, Booker prize-winners Damon Galgut and Ben Okri, international bestseller Wilbur Smith and emerging talents Sarah Lotz and Novuyo Tshuma. Each of these authors required something different from a designer, but underlying every project I work on is the same goal - a seamless reading experience. Let me give your novel the professional look it deserves.

I'm a publishing professional with over ten years of experience at the highest level. I worked as an interior designer for Penguin Books for five years before starting my own business evaluating manuscripts and typesetting projects for private individuals. I honed my craft as digital publisher at the Sunday Times before joining Woodhouse Literary and Rights in 2016 as a publishing consultant. Currently, I am looking to take on new interior design projects.

Services

Book Interior Design

Languages

English

Fiction

Action & Adventure

Chick Lit

Historical Fiction

Horror

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Psychological Thriller

Short Story

Certifications

BiS Publishing Degree – University of Pretoria
Post graduate diploma in Media Studies – University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Work experience

Publishing Consultant

Woodhouse Literary and Rights

May, 2016 – Present (about 4 years)

• Manuscript evaluation for Pan Macmillan, including unsolicited and agented fiction
• Interior design and production services for Black Star Books
• Interior design services for self-published authors

Publishing Director

Sunday Times

April, 2014 – April, 2016 (about 2 years)

• Development of a strategy for book publishing within Times Media Group
• Production and publication of full-length digital and print publications for local and international distribution
• Interior and exterior design of over 60 titles in a variety of non-fiction categories, including history, cookery, business, current affairs, sport, political commentary, biography and true crime

Freelance Publishing Consultant

Self-employed

May, 2013 – March, 2014 (10 months)

• Freelance submission management and manuscript evaluation for Pan Macmillan, including unsolicited and agented fiction and non-fiction manuscripts
• Typesetting and production services for Human & Rousseau, Kwela Books and Adamastor
• Publishing services (complete publishing process) for self-published authors

Editorial, Design and Production Manager

Penguin Books

January, 2008 – April, 2013 (about 5 years)

• Management of the book production process from manuscript delivery to post-print admin
• Management of all fiction and non-fiction titles on the local Penguin list
• Entire design - interior and exterior - of approximately 80 fiction and non-fiction titles per year