Vanitas Consulting specialises in publishing operations across books and journals, working with publishers and in-house publishing teams to make processes work better and faster through improvement projects, training and targeted consultancy.

A Practical Approach

I bring senior expertise and proven practice to assignments of all sizes, delivering work to a high standard and enabling teams to sustain improvements long after the engagement is complete.

I take a flexible and transparent approach and am always happy to shape and size the work with you to ensure it remains aligned with your goals and budget. My style is practical and proportionate: I am not here to deliver glossy slide decks that sit on a shelf.

I work with care and discretion, navigating complexity and uncertainty carefully and managing stakeholders respectfully. I am experienced in collaborating with cross-functional groups, global teams and sponsors at all levels of an organisation.

About Vicki Donald

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, APM PMQ, Prosci CMP, PCQI, MSc Publishing Studies

"I work with organisations across academic and educational publishing who are keen to modernise their ways of working. I love helping teams save time and solve process problems!"

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With over twenty years’ experience in the sector, Vicki has worked for corporate publishers and university presses across Operations, Editorial and Pre-press.

Her career has centred on continuous improvement and creating environments where people can do their best work. Known for her operational grip, she balances strategic goals with the people side of change to achieve successful implementation and adoption. She has led major enterprise-wide initiatives that strengthened operating capabilities, delivered substantial business benefits and created more customer-aligned processes.

She honed her copyediting and proof-reading skills at the start of her publishing career, learning the craft of editing and mark‑up during her MSc and then applying it in‑house. She has a collaborative and respectful approach to working with authors, publishing teams and suppliers while maintaining focus on balancing time, cost and quality.

Vicki's expertise is grounded in the realities of day-to-day publishing operations. Unusually for a consultant, she walks the walk: alongside consultancy, she is developing Vanitas Press, a small independent press and bookselling venture.

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