Publicity Assistant, Random House Children’s Books (Hybrid)

Company Description

Penguin Random House is the leading adult and children's publishing house in North America, the United Kingdom and many other regions around the world. In publishing the best books in every genre and subject for all ages, we are committed to quality, excellence in execution, and innovation throughout the entire publishing process: editorial, design, marketing, publicity, sales, production, and distribution. Our vibrant and diverse international community of nearly 300 publishing brands and imprints include Ballantine Bantam Dell, Berkley, Clarkson Potter, Crown, DK, Doubleday, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Little Golden Books, Knopf, Modern Library, Pantheon, Penguin Books, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House Audio, Penguin Young Readers, Portfolio, Puffin, Putnam, Random House, Random House Children's Books, Riverhead, Ten Speed Press, Viking, and Vintage, among others. More information can be found at http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/.

Job Description

Random House Children’s Books seeks a Publicity Assistant to join the Publicity team! The role includes a combination of administrative and project support. The assistant will also communicate with a diverse array of partners, including authors, illustrators, agents, booksellers, media, and other divisional departments.  

Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher, consisting of various imprints that publish award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series for toddlers through young adult readers in all formats, from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, and nonfiction.  

The Publicity Assistant will support senior publicity staff with projects related to their title campaigns and book/brand-specific program launches. Their work will include media outreach, research, national author tours, event planning, and scheduling. 

The role requires extensive writing and editing of publicity materials, including internal media alert emails, press releases, pitch letters, and press kits. It will also include additional related projects or duties as assigned by the department. This is an ideal position for a curious, confident, and self-motivated individual who loves books across genres as much as they appreciate details, has experience with time and project management, and thrives in a fast-paced environment. The candidate should have an interest in media relations and event planning, and be eager to learn how to execute a publicity strategy. 

Specific responsibilities include: 

• Providing general administrative support, including monitoring media outlets and distributing news clips, supporting donation work and philanthropic initiatives, executing mailings and media database entry, invoicing and budget work 
• Coordinating logistics for meetings, including calendar schedules, preparing meeting materials, and taking notes 
• Organizing detailed author tour and media schedules for campaigns 
• Tracking review coverage 
• Coordinating and executing review copy mailings 
• Drafting publicity materials, including galley letters, press releases, and pitches 

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 
• Strong attention to detail 
• Awareness of trends for children’s and young adults in popular media (television, periodicals, podcasts, & radio) 
• Adept at social media platforms 
• An adaptable self-starter with a proven track record for working independently and collaboratively when needed 
• Ability to manage tasks in a high-volume and fast-paced environment 
• A genuine interest in working in book publicity and an eagerness to work in media author relations 
• An avid reader who enjoys recommending or pitching books or has experience selling books to consumers, is a plus 

Additional Information

The Penguin Random House national headquarters is located in New York City. This is a hybrid position, requiring approximately 3 days per week at our 1745 Broadway location.

The salary for this position is $55,000.  All positions are currently eligible for annual profit award or bonus, subject to Company results.

Applications for this role will be accepted through August 1 or until the role is filled. We encourage you to apply early, as we review applications on a rolling basis. Please include your resume and cover letter for consideration. Before applying for any role at Penguin Random House, we recommend you review our applicant resources page<