Justine Solomons
Justine is recognised as an expert on publishing in the digital age and in 2012 she founded Byte The Book. She’s a popular and engaging speaker at conferences around the world and is particularly interested in publishing today and also business networking. Justine also consults to various technology companies operating in the media sector on business development, content acquisition and strategic partnerships, and has built up an enormous network of authors, publishers, technologists and investors working in this space.
Prior to Byte The Book, Justine worked for nine years at Softwire,a bespoke software development house, and ran their business development team, her clients included The BBC, Penguin Random House, Cambridge University Press, Lonely Planet, Microsoft and The Telegraph Media Group. Justine is also a published author of short stories. She's written a list of every book she's read since 1995 and keeps it updated on our site here. You can contact Justine via justine@bytethebook.com
Maleeha Mir
Maleeha Mir helps us with social media, PR, comms and events, She is passionate about representation and inclusivity in the publishing industry, and was previously deputy chair of the Society of Young Publishers in London. You can contact her via maleeha@bytethebook.com.
Kelly Weekes
Kelly Weekes is an accredited confidence and mindset coach with the Institute of Leadership and Management. Not only is Kelly an accredited coach, she also has a huge amount of publishing experience having worked in the marketing departments of Hodder&Stoughton and HarperCollins as well as having mentored authors and publishers with their social media and marketing for the last six years. She understands the challenges of our industry and is supportive and kind so you will be in very safe hands. She can be contacted via kelly@kellyweekes.co.uk
Chris Russell
Chris is a novelist and rock musician. His debut YA trilogy SONGS ABOUT A GIRL is published by Hodder Children’s and has sold in multiple territories worldwide. Chris has toured across four continents with his band, The Lightyears, performing at Wembley Stadium and Glastonbury Festival, and he draws on these experiences in his writing. He was a WHSmith Zoella Book Club Friend in 2017, and his writing has been described as "terrifyingly truthful" by The Guardian. Chris secured his first ever publishing deal (with digital indie Red Button) directly through Byte The Book. Chris is our writer in residence at Byte The Book and can be contacted via info@bytethebook.com.
Hermione Ireland
Hermione is an experienced marketer, communications director and e-commerce practitioner, with over 20 years spent in publishing, much of it as the Marketing & PR Director at DK where she was responsible for all areas of comms and brand development, and running the website. She’s globally focused and has worked with publishers and other companies around the world. She worked closely with world-class brands like the Harry Potter Franchise, Lego, Eon, Lucasfilm and the Royal Horticultural Society, as well as authors including Mary Berry, Miriam Stoppard, Penelope Leach, Robert Winston, Richard Hammond and Venus and Serena Williams, to name a few. She has won awards for digital and viral campaigns including the DK Quiz (2011 Lovie) and The Future of Publishing.
As well as consulting at Byte The Book Hermione is also currently MD at Academie Du Vin Library. Her recent work as a consultant offering commercial marketing, e-commerce, strategy and business development skills has included clients like Hachette, Harper Collins, Tatty Devine, Movellas and Tourism New Zealand. She is also a trustee of literacy charity Worldreader. She’s passionate about how digital can open up reading and knowledge to new audiences, new formats and new experiences, as well as exploring all of the business models that are now available. She’s also driven by consumer engagement with brands. She loves working with teams and harnessing their energy and enthusiasm. Hermione attended Stanford’s GSB Summer Executive Program in 2013 where she studied with senior executives from a wide range of industries and from many other countries. She can be contacted via hermione@bytethebook.com.
