the best design people I have worked with on any book!

I was really touched by your efforts to come all the way back to Hawkes Bay for the launch (and people have been feeding back to me some flattering stuff you said to them about the book). Coming from people in the industry gave it all the more cred! Thank you. I am the last person to ask about any negative reaction but all I have heard so far is high praise from people about the design work and presentation of the book. Take a bow! In case you wanted to chase the industry equivalent of a Grammy/Emmy for your work I am more than happy to support your nomination. Not sure how it goes in the book world?! 

I can say without fear of contraception (or malapropism) you guys are the best design people I have worked with on any book!  

Stuart Webster

Private Publisher

Author of Sainsbury Logan & Williams

it was a total pleasure dealing with Mary

Mary Egan is a passionate book producer. Her experience and enthusiasm for creating exciting, eye-catching books of substance is renowned. From an author’s perspective, dealing with her was a refreshing experience in an industry overflowing with comparatively under whelming alternatives. For me it was a total pleasure dealing with Mary and the skilled team she assembled. The Egan Reid group took my first non-fiction manuscript and turned it into a quality, highly professional book that’s received glowing accolades for production quality and subject content. (One of Listener magazine’s top 100 books of 2006.) I found the great benefit of self- production was the retention of content control while benefiting from the expertise and advice of an experienced production team.

I will be definitely working with Mary when my second book nears completion and I thoroughly recommend other authors consider collaboration with Mary Egan Ltd.

Brian Peet

Private Publisher

Author of The Seuffert Legacy

enormous respect for her design and production skills

I’ve worked with Mary Egan on literally dozens of books over the years and always had enormous respect for her design and production skills. The books we’ve produced together have been written by some of New Zealand’s top writers and have won many book awards. Mary is an intelligent, thoughtful designer and typographer with a fine sense of design detail and balance. She’s been a valued colleague to work alongside over a very long period.

Geoff Walker

Former Publishing Director at Penguin New Zealand

will exceed your expectations

I have worked with Mary over a number of years. Mary’s clear and common sense approach to practical and theoretical design problems ensures that the brief she is given is creatively and purposefully taken through to completion. Mary’s design sense and attention to detail ensures that her work, and the work of her team is always of the highest standard.

On a personal level, Mary cares deeply about her work, and also about those who work with her and for her. Ensuring her team is focused and happy are essential to Mary’s belief that work should be enjoyable, and creating the right conditions for her team and her clients in which to flourish is a central part of Mary’s work ethic.

I am delighted to thoroughly recommend Mary and her team to prospective clients, they will not let you down, and will exceed your expectations.

Benn Linfield

Former Publishing Director at Continuum UK

immediately struck by their warmth, honesty and professionalism

When I germinated the idea of compiling a book of stories I had no idea what writing a book actually involved. I had many wonderful people offer me help along the way but amongst the most valuable was the help, support and guidance I received from Mary Egan Ltd.

I first met Sophia and Mary in September 2010, they had just started their new company but I was immediately struck by their warmth, honesty and professionalism. They already had many years experience in self-publishing so had the depth of knowledge about the whole process and a wide range of contacts they could draw upon to help and guide me with all facets of publishing a book. For me, the quality of the finished product was of particular importance and I am very proud to have my name on a book that has been so well presented and finished.

My experience with Mary Egan Ltd has been wonderful. I have told numerous others interested in self-publishing, about them with confidence, knowing they do a great job.

Georgie Tutt

Private Publisher

Compiler of Caught Between Sunshine and Shadow

high standards, their professional responsiveness, and friendly manner

Mary Egan Limited, Auckland New Zealand was the company that designed, edited and typeset the Samoa primary curriculum. Mary Egan Limited is a continuation of Egan-Reid Ltd, Auckland that designed edited and typeset Samoa’s secondary curriculum and teachers’ guides. They also handled the printing, packaging and shipping of the secondary curriculum. The work completed for the secondary curriculum was exemplary including the printing and supplying packaged by school, the curriculum and teachers’ guide. The work completed for the primary curriculum is again of exemplary standard. We found their processes as efficient and customer focused, professionally dealing with changes under time pressures to meet our schedules. In addition they have experience in dealing with the specifics of the Samoan language. We loved the cover designs, colours and illustrations that so reflected us, and created a seamless look between the secondary and primary curriculum. We went with Mary Egan Ltd primarily for continuity of the high standards, their professional responsiveness, and friendly manner when dealing with time pressured demands of development projects.

Elaine Lameta

Independent Education Management Professional

listened to us and really understood our work

I first met Mary in 2002 when I contacted Egan-Reid Ltd to find out how we could produce new local, bilingual story books for HIPPY-the Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters. Mary and Gerard listened to us and really understood our work and what we were wanting to achieve. They took us through the whole process, from locating authors and illustrators, to publication. We now have five beautiful story books that enable hundreds of children and their families to develop a love of literature, and a deeper understanding of themselves. We are currently seeking funding to work with Mary to develop more new books. 

Jane Hall

National Director

HIPPY NZ

Great Potentials Foundation

two publishing professionals

Mary Egan and Sophia Egan-Reid are two publishing professionals, Mary as an all-round book designer and publisher and Sophia as a supervisor and a marketer.

I have had the pleasure of working with them on a complex work of non-fiction, and I have passed over to them clients who need their dual expertise with self-publishing the authors’ books.

Mary has an extraordinary background of publishing experience, in the total sequence from unpublished manuscript and disparate illustrations, through to the word-perfect, picture-perfect, ready-to-sell book.

Which includes the supervisory role of assessment of the author’s material, developing the concept of the end-product, designing the book, providing typography, page layouts, first proofs, second proofs and final proofs, manufacture at an agreed cost, shipment and marketing advice.

Sophia has seen it all and done it all, with emphasis on promotion and marketing the end-product – a fine-looking, marketable book.

Ray Richards

hugely improved quality outcomes in our production work

Since the middle of 2010 Cervin Publishing Ltd has been extremely fortunate in having Mary Egan review our operations unit. Mary has undertaken significant design reviews of our publications, coached and upskilled staff introducing both efficiencies in process and hugely improved quality outcomes in our production work. Mary has also provided valuable advice to management that has identified operational inefficiencies and underpinned a reshaping of the resource needs. In particular she has won the respect of the staff she has worked with and facilitated culture change in the team that has empowered in their work.

Anne-Marie Cervin

Managing Director

Cervin Publishing

They took me in hand and navigated me through all of the many steps...

The whole publishing business is changing, and quickly. For a would-be author, the result is that unless the book fits into a currently popular genre, you don't stand much of a chance. Mine didn't. It 'merely' illuminated for the first time, an amazing event in which the lives of 200 Jews were saved from the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1943. It was soundly based on archival research. The paths these people took over the mountains to Switzerland were climbed. First hand accounts of some of those who were among them were also included. It was written in an informal style aimed at the lay reader. I wanted that story out. I wanted it out in a hurry. I had to publish it myself. The firm of Mary Egan and her daughter Sophia was recommended to me. They are a patient pair. They needed to be, since I was quite ignorant of everything needed to transform typescript into a real book. They took me in hand and navigated me through all of the many steps and were understanding and always helpful. I am delighted with the result. 

Alan Poletti

Author and private publisher

A Second Life: Aprica to salvation in Switzerland 1943