Kate AdamsPortfolio

Highlights

2009: launches Self Help Central

2002-2009: Health Publisher, Michael Joseph, Penguin

My Story, Fern Britton, Top 10 Non Fiction Hardback Cook Yourself Thin, #1 Diet Bestseller of 2007 (by value)You Are What You Eat, Gillian McKeith, #1 Health Bestseller of the decade (by value)How Clean is Your House?, Top 10 and Winner of British Book AwardA New Earth, Eckhart Tolle, Oprah pick and worldwide bestsellerPilates for Life, Darcey Bussell, #1 Fitness Bestseller of 2005

2000-2002: Editor, Vermilion, Random House

Potty Training in a Week, Gina FordThe New High Protein Diet, Charles Clark

“Kate brought together an excellent group of people to work on my books and I very much enjoyed being a part of her team.” DarceyBussell

“Kate Adams inspired me to write the book I didn't think I could write in the way that worked best for me. As my editor she facilitated a process that meant I could be more courageous in my writing. She is now also a friend and a woman for whom I have the greatest respect.” Professor Tanya Byron

“Kate is a gently firm guiding hand on the road to producing a good book. I loved working with her.” Fern Britton

“Kate is great. Telling our story was a tricky thing to get right, but she understood us and our brand so well that we were able to focus on making our book as good as possible. She gave us great advice and clear direction - we'll always be grateful.” Dan Germain, Head of Creative, innocent.

“Virtually as the first programme went out on C4 in May 2003, Kate spotted the value in a book to support How Clean is your House?Within a few months it hit the shops in time for the Christmas market, and sales to date have exceeded the half million. Since then I have worked with Kate on three further titles. She is an absolute joy to work with; her carefree and relaxed demeanours together with her positive and boundless energy totally belie her commercial nous and serious work ethic.” Aggie MacKenzie

“Kate was a joy to work with. She is a great critical thinker and passionate about self-help topics. Her assistance in structuring my books and helping to promote them was invaluable." Dawna Walter

“I found Kate and Camilla to be an invincible combination of energy and vision. Working with them on Cook Yourself Thin was a pleasure and a privilege.” Harry Eastwood

Respect Organics is a family run business in Dorset… well, it happens to be my family! They produce a range of very tasty organic cakes for a number of the UK’s major supermarkets and independent wholesalers. Lin Adams is financial director for the company but in 2006 followed her heart and turned the downstairs office into a stunning studio gallery where she and my sister Sam now paint and sell their art.

In spring 2009 they asked me to look at raising the profile for both the gallery and the cakes. This included:

•www.respectorganics.com•Marketing literature•Establish the gallery in the local art and tourism network•Cake packaging improvements•And much more to come!

I watched the pilot for You Are What You Eat the Friday afternoon before going on holiday, hastily thrusting it at my MD Louise Moore in excitement repeating like a mantra ‘diet meets reality TV’. In the airport lounge the next morning I had a flash of anxiety that I might not get to publish this book and left a message for Louise saying other publishers might go for it… and quickly. I owe my career to Louise going for it first and with such determination and then to Gillian McKeith being what every author needs to be, a man or woman on a mission.

What I and the designers then did was to try and create a feel for the book that would best suit the target readers, something I now realise is so important. We packed in masses of information but made it bite-sized. And we went to town with bright colours and gorgeous photography, unheard of for nutrition books. There is a myth in publishing that green covers don’t work and I was so nervous before the launch of the book I started to believe it, but now I’ll always be happy to see that green and pink combination with the words…

‘Slimmer, healthier, happier… that’s my promise to you’

#1 UK health bestseller ofthe decade based on value

#9 UK health bestseller ofthe decade based on value

Number 1 Bestseller Top 5 Bestseller

Niche is good

When Oprah picked A New Earth for her book club and broadcast 10 hours of webinars, the self help world hadn’t seen anything quite like it and the ripple effect soon went international. But what I really love about this book is that it had flown completely under the mainstream radar for three years selling steadily and making a tidy profit. Excellent niche books have incredibly long tails.

Change is good

I finally lost count of the number of editions we did. But a crucial part of the long tail, which is so important for self help content, is simply refreshing and repackaging. This works across the board – if you have a website that was last updated 3 years ago, people can tell! And if you have great content, work it.

Put some sparkle in your design!

The designers and photographers took to the challenge with such enthusiasm that years later it still looks fresh and still makes me smile. How to books don’t usually get this kind of treatment and it turned a book about cleaning into a must-have Christmas present.

Nibbie Winner!

Two minds are better than one

Cook Yourself Thin is where diet met cookery – a match made in heaven. It made good sense for me, the health publisher, to team up with Camilla Stoddart, our cookery publisher, and work togetheron the project. I think this made a huge difference and allowed us to create a lovely book that does 100% what it says on the tin, not just half.

Number 1 diet bestseller of 2007 by value

Kate AdamsKate@selfhelpcentral.co.uk