Books are my business: UCD Press executive editor

Noelle Moran: 'A career in publishing was in my mind because I have always loved books and writing.'

Noelle Moran, from Dublin, is executive editor at University College Dublin (UCD) Press.

How did you get into publishing?

I did a degree in English and history in UCD and then I taught English in Japan for a period. A career in publishing was in my mind because I have always loved books and writing. 

I went on and did a masters in post-colonial literature in London. During that, I met a few people who were working in publishing, and it felt like a natural next step, and London was the place to do it. 

I applied for internships and I got two great opportunities, working at Harper Collins and Bloomsbury.

I knew that a smaller press suited me, somewhere I could do a bit of everything. I love that sometimes you’re writing a press release, then you’re organising a launch, and you might be packing books the next day.

I got a job in The History Press, which was based in Gloucestershire. I was there for a few months and then four of us were sent over to set up an office in Dublin. 

That was an amazing experience. Later, I moved to Merlin Publishing and I worked on their history list at Wolfhound Press. 

Then I started at UCD as an assistant editor, and I have been in the executive editor role for the last few years.

What does UCD Press do?

We could publish up to 15 books a year. We try to aim for about 10 books a year, plus reprints, and ebooks, which is good for a small press. 

We’re an academic press, and we aim to publish well-researched, beautifully produced books at a price point that’s affordable, written in a way that is accessible, and that people can enjoy. 

We want sales because we have to keep going but knowledge dispersion and research impact is really why we exist. So if a lot of people are talking about the ideas that come from our books, that’s our success.

What does your role involve?

Everything, really. We have a management committee which oversees everything, and we think about the future of the press, what kind of books we’re commissioning and publishing, all of that. 

Then there’s the nuts and bolts, where you’re answering emails and the phone, training, and supporting staff members, and then everything from the commissioning of a book to the editorial process to working with designers. 

We have a lot of freelance designers, typesetters, indexers. Then it’s about getting the book out.

What do you like most about what you do?

I love the fact that we do everything because it means you never get bored. 

The thing I love the most is when you are working with an author on a topic that they care about, you grow to care about it too, then seeing their work out in the world, and people talking about it, it’s great that tiny bit of impact you can have.

What do you like least about it?

Sometimes I’m doing Vat returns, inputting databases, Excel spreadsheets, and I’d rather be editing. But I don’t mind the admin, it’s very important to keep your house in order.

Three desert island books

James Baldwin became one of my favourite writers when I did a course on the Harlem Renaissance as part of my masters. 

He wrote in a way that was so eloquent and moving and his books are still relevant, it is like he wrote them yesterday. 

If I had to pick one of his books it would be The Fire Next Time, which contains a beautiful essay he wrote to his nephew.

There are so many good Irish writers out there but for my next book I would choose Foster by Claire Keegan, which I loved. 

She touches on such traumatic periods in Irish history, but in the most beautiful way. One sentence is worth several paragraphs.

My third book would be Sula by Toni Morrison, the story of two friends who are navigating their lives in very different ways, and how they come back to each other. 

Her books are so full of hope, even though mostly she’s talking about really difficult lives. Her books are so inspiring and I find something new in them each time.

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