Our Team & Your Publishing Experience

Publishing a book is never the work of one person. At Clark & Mackay, publishing, editorial, design, marketing and production specialists collaborate on every project.

For authors, that means coordinated expertise, clear communication, professional standards and a team that shares responsibility for the finished book.

01

Publishing

02

Editorial

03

Design

04

Marketing

05

Publishing Support

06

Administration

07

Production

Meet the Team

One team. Many specialties.

Everyone here has a primary role, but book projects are collaborative. People regularly contribute across several stages, and you will know who is looking after your book at each one.

Publishing

Sets the direction of the publishing house and keeps every project moving, connecting authors with the right specialists at the right time.

Managing Director and Publisher

Jason Leigh Smith

3,000+

aspiring authors guided to market

Jason leads the Clark & Mackay publishing house and has helped more than 3,000 aspiring authors navigate bringing their books to market. His perspective combines publishing strategy with his own experience as an author, with a strong focus on helping writers move from uncertainty to a professionally published book.

Ailah

Publishing Coordinator

Ailah coordinates project-based work across multiple stages of publishing. She manages timelines, tracks progress and liaises across editorial, design and production to help projects move efficiently from one stage to the next.

Editorial

Guides manuscripts from early development to publication-ready form, balancing structure, voice, clarity and consistency while staying true to the author’s intent.

Jason M.

Lead Editor

Jason brings six years of publishing experience and works across genres including contemporary memoir and fantasy. He helps authors develop polished manuscripts while supporting strong author-editor relationships and maintaining the quality of Clark & Mackay’s publishing list.

Denise

Structural Editor

Denise works on the larger elements of a manuscript, including structure, pacing, character development and thematic clarity. Her focus is strengthening the foundation of a book while respecting the author’s voice and intent.

Marisa

Copy and Line Editor

Marisa focuses on sentence structure, grammar, clarity, precision and readability. Her work spans fiction, nonfiction and academic texts, with an emphasis on refining language while preserving the author’s individual voice.

Arun

Project Editor

Arun brings structure, strategy and consistency to book projects. He coordinates revisions and works across authors, editors and designers to help maintain quality, consistency and progress throughout production.

Design

Transforms manuscripts into books that communicate tone, genre and audience at a glance, with covers and interiors that are striking, readable and commercially informed.

Kristine

Book Typesetter

With over ten years of experience in the publishing industry, Kristine is a seasoned book typesetter at Clark & Mackay, specialising in crafting elegant and readable layouts for both print and digital formats. Her keen eye for typography, spacing, and design ensures that every book she works on is both visually appealing and professionally polished.

Janelle

Designer

Janelle brings an intuitive and exploratory creative process to her work. Her strength in visual storytelling helps translate an author’s ideas into distinctive design while balancing creativity with clarity and commercial awareness.

Ron

Book Cover and Book Designer

Ron has more than 10 years of publishing design experience. His work spans book covers and interiors across fiction, nonfiction and academic publishing, combining visual storytelling with an understanding of genre, audience and market expectations.

Dhiraj

Book Designer

Dhiraj has five years of experience across publishing and design, with skills in typography, layout and visual storytelling. He works across covers and interiors to create books that are visually engaging and appropriate for their intended readers.

Marketing

Builds tailored strategies around each book’s goals, audience and pathway, from launch planning and outreach to advertising, listings and media relationships.

Aileen

Marketing Manager

Aileen leads marketing for Clark & Mackay, bringing around nine years of experience across marketing strategy, campaign planning, content, advertising and brand development. Her work spans individual titles, author campaigns, book launches and the broader Clark & Mackay brand.

Adrian

Book Marketing Specialist

Our seasoned book marketing specialist with a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of marketing strategy, from planning and execution to performance analysis. With years of experience in the publishing industry, Adrian oversees and coordinates multifaceted marketing campaigns that drive visibility, engagement, and sales.

BB

Book Marketing Specialist

BB focuses on Amazon FBA, book listings and advertising strategy, supporting stronger listings, improved visibility and targeted paid campaigns.

Nicole

Public Relations Specialist

Nicole develops public relations strategies across media outreach, brand messaging and public perception, helping strengthen visibility and relationships between organisations and their audiences.

Publishing Support

Our publishing assistants play a critical role in keeping projects moving smoothly across departments. By coordinating timelines, tracking progress, and supporting editorial, design, and production workflows, they help ensure consistency, efficiency, and clear communication. Their work underpins the author experience, allowing each stage of the process to unfold in an organised and predictable way.

Shawn

A highly organised and design-focused publishing professional with a strong background in graphic design, layout, and production. Shawn plays a key role in maintaining the high design standards across every publishing project, ensuring each book is professionally typeset, formatted, and prepared to the highest quality. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for consistency, he works across a wide range of publications to ensure every page reflects the quality and professionalism our authors expect.

Administration

The operational backbone of the business. Accounts, royalties, scheduling and coordination, handled with accuracy and transparency for authors and the team alike.

Administration, Accounts and Royalties

Karlie

Karlie supports office management, accounts and royalty administration. Her role includes scheduling, correspondence, internal coordination, financial records and royalty distribution, with an emphasis on organisation, accuracy and transparency.

Production

Brings each book into physical form in our Acacia Ridge facility, from prepress and printing to finishing, binding and despatch.

Doug

Prepress and Production Designer, and Digital Press Operator

Doug works across prepress, production design and digital press operation. His role includes preparing files for print, colour management, technical troubleshooting and helping projects transition smoothly from design into physical production.

Gary

Print Machinist and Print Finishing

Gary works across print machinery and finishing, with a strong focus on production precision, efficient operation and consistent print quality.

Lucky

Bindery, Finishing and Despatch

Lucky works across bindery, finishing and despatch, including cutting, folding, stitching, assembling, final quality checks and shipment coordination.

Sarah

Guillotine and Warehouse New Hand

Sarah is developing her skills across print finishing and warehouse operations, including guillotine operation, accurate cutting, inventory handling and safe storage practices.

How We Work Together

From manuscript to finished book, it takes a team.

Each department hands a book to the next in the same building, so nothing is lost between stages and everyone can see the whole project.

01

→

Publishing Coordination

Sets the plan, the pathway and the timeline, and keeps everyone connected.

02

→

Editorial

Shapes the manuscript, from structure through to line and copy.

03

→

Design

Creates the cover and interior with print in mind.

04

→

Production

Prepress, printing, binding and despatch, in-house.

05

Marketing

Helps the finished book reach its readers.

Administration

Accounts, royalties, scheduling and coordination, supporting every stage across the business.

Our Story

Clark & Mackay through the years.

From hand-set wooden type on Adelaide Street to an independent publishing house in Acacia Ridge. Nearly a century of Brisbane print, in four chapters.

1928 to 1960s

Hand-set beginnings

1928

Founded by Bert Clark and John Mackay in Adelaide Street, Brisbane.

Print was produced using wooden type, each word composed one letter at a time on hand-fed and foot-powered presses.

1945

Ian Mackay returned from the Second World War and joined the firm, followed soon after by his brother Garth.

1964

Neil Mackay, Ian’s son, joined the firm while undertaking his apprenticeship as a printing machinist.

1960s to 1990s

West End and growth

Mid 1960s

Clark & Mackay purchased a factory and moved to 386 Montague Road, West End.

The firm had five letterpresses and one offset press, with no bindery equipment apart from a stapler and punching machine.

Late 1960s

The purchase of and merger with Coronation Press began the evolution of a rapidly growing firm.

1969

Ross Mackay, Ian’s second son, joined the firm as an apprentice compositor.

This began the transition from hand-set type and hot metal composition to computers and digital setting. The West End building was extended twice between 1969 and 1994.

1994 to 2014

Rocklea and the digital era

1994

The business relocated from West End to Rocklea, quadrupling in size.

1997

Paul Mackay, Neil’s son, joined the firm as an apprentice printing machinist.

The same year, Leader Press, the printing arm of the Catholic Church, was purchased and integrated.

2002

New state of the art digital presses launched a new era of digital technology for Clark & Mackay.

2014

Clark & Mackay relocated to a more modern facility at 7 Colebard Street East, Acacia Ridge.

2020 to today

An independent publisher

2020

The business expanded its direction into independent publishing.

2022

Jason purchased the business in its entirety, returning Clark & Mackay to family ownership and operation.

2024

Clark & Mackay launched its first trade titles.

2025

Clark & Mackay launched its first hybrid titles into the Australian and global marketplace.

2026

The trade catalogue expanded into schools while the hybrid publishing portfolio continued to develop.

Our Founding Family

Four generations of Mackays at the press.

The firm John Mackay opened in 1928 passed from father to son for most of a century. Their apprenticeships, moves and expansions shaped the business that exists today.

1st

Generation

John Mackay

Born 1880

John Mackay opened the firm of Clark & Mackay in 1928 with his partner, Mr Bert Clark. They had both worked at the firm of Jackson & O’Sullivan before starting the business together.

Before this, John had been a foreman for Keid & Co Printers of Adelaide Street, and had even set examination papers for apprentices attending training colleges.

2nd

Generation

Ian Mackay

Born 1920

After leaving high school in 1936, Ian entered the business as an apprentice letterpress machinist, before leaving to serve in the army during the Second World War. After being wounded and spending time in hospital, he returned to help his father. By then Mr Clark had passed away, and John Mackay was in sole charge until his own death in 1957.

Looking to the future for his sons, Ian had a new printing factory built in West End, later air conditioned and eventually tripled in size. Ian has since passed away, though Clark & Mackay continues to look after a few of his loyal clients.

3rd

Generation

Neil Mackay

Born 1948

Growing up in Brisbane, Neil attended Brisbane Grammar School before taking up an apprenticeship as a printing machinist specialising in letterpress and lithography, following in his father’s footsteps.

3rd

Generation

Ross Mackay

Born 1952

Ross attended Brisbane Grammar School and, after completing Grade 12, entered the firm as an apprentice compositor in the art department, attending classes in marketing, bookkeeping and later sales. He was also president of the Printing Employers Group in Queensland.

He has since retired from Clark & Mackay and is now a preacher within the Uniting Church.

4th

Generation

Paul Mackay

Joined 1997

Paul, son of Neil, joined Clark & Mackay in 1997 as an apprentice printing machinist, the fourth generation of Mackays to join the business. He completed a four year apprenticeship and worked for two years as a printing machinist before moving into sales in 2002.

A talented sportsman, Paul played baseball in the Queensland championships, took out the state championship trophy and represented Australia in the Expos team in the USA.

Today

Nearly a century in print. A new chapter in publishing.

The craft knowledge built over generations at the press now supports an independent publishing house. Authors can publish through self-publishing, hybrid publishing or traditional publishing, and every book benefits from a team that understands how it will be made.

Ready to work with our team?

Explore

Publishing Pathways →

Compare self-publishing, hybrid and traditional publishing.

Submit

Submit Your Manuscript →

Send your work to our editorial team for review.

Talk

Contact Us →

Call, email or visit us at Acacia Ridge.

Print

Request a Print Quote →

Book and commercial printing from our Brisbane facility.