Subrights Assistant, Penguin Publishing Group (Hybrid)

Subrights Assistant, Penguin Publishing Group (Hybrid)

The Subsidiary Rights Department at Penguin Publishing Group seeks an assistant to support two directors in domestic rights. This is an excellent opportunity to work collaboratively and assist in the licensing and promoting of book titles to various outlets, including magazines and newspapers, online media outlets, book clubs, and audio publishers. This position works with adult titles across the Penguin Publishing Group and is an excellent opportunity to gain entry into the field of licensing and publishing.

 

Penguin Publishing Group is the proud publisher of great writers and gifted storytellers, beloved books, and eminent works. Our imprints include Avery, Berkley, Dutton, Pamela Dorman Books, Penguin Books, Penguin Life, Penguin Press, Plume, Portfolio, Putnam, Riverhead, Sentinel, TarcherPerigee, The Open Field, Tiny Reparations Books, and Viking Books.

 

The Subrights Assistant joining our team will work jointly with our experts in licensing rights and report to the Senior Director and Associate Director of Subsidiary Rights for Penguin Publishing Group. A hybrid role working on domestic rights, this position calls for a solutions-focused individual interested in building book publishing relationships both in and outside the company. Our goal is to expand the reach of Random House titles to the largest possible readership through licensing around the globe.

 

Our ideal candidate is enthusiastic about the business side of publishing, good at multi-tasking, and extraordinarily organized. We are looking for a detail-oriented, meticulous self-starter who loves books of all types and is invested in the process of bringing them to a wide readership, has strong writing and analytical skills, communicates clearly, is comfortable asking for help when needed, and wants to be an active participant on a collaborative team. If you can handle the details of immediately urgent tasks but also remember to stay on top of your own responsibilities and to-do list, you'll assume greater editorial responsibilities over time.

 

This is a hybrid position with occasional in-office responsibilities, which will include but not be limited to mailings, meetings, and training. We will consider candidates who can work from a commutable distance to our offices at 1745 Broadway, which includes the tri-state area (NJ, CT, & PA).

 

Please apply through our ATS system by March 7, 2024, and include a cover letter and resume for consideration.

 

The Role:

• Assisting senior-level staff, primarily the senior director and associate director, on the day-to-day responsibilities and ad hoc projects
• Drafting pitch letters
• Creating deal sheets and monthly deal sheet summaries
• Coordinating art, editorial and publicity requests from domestic publishers
• Providing production materials and navigating art clearances to licensees
• Compiling rights information and generating blurbs for thrice-yearly seasonal rights guides
• Maintaining a database of contacts and titles
• Researching and maintaining database for available audio rights
• Collaborating with the PRH Audio and Large Print departments
• Providing general administrative support
• Create and run reports for the domestic team
• Liaise and form own relationships with multiple internal departments (editorial, production, art departments, and permissions & contracts) to gather materials needed for domestic licensees
• Respond to film rights inquiries and thoroughly research any rights contracts when needed
• Instrumental in the creation of Domestic and Foreign Rights Guides (a tool to license rights in the early life of a book) and Backlist Guides
• Initiate and update ongoing seasonal grids for in-house Audio titles
• Respond to incoming emails regarding various rights questions/problems

 

The Essentials:

• Genuine interest in negotiating and licensing rights
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• A roster of organizational methods and strategies, and a talent for prioritizing tasks with a hands-on approach to research/ad-hoc projects when needed
• Team player with the capability to juggle multiple projects within a deadline-driven environment and skilled in managing multiple inboxes on Outlook
• Timely follow-up skills and able to keep a close attention to detail
• Ability to work effectively on a team as well as independently
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Google Survey, Google Docs, and Excel, and an avid interest and ability in learning new applications
• An avid reader who has a broad reading sensibility
• Interest in jo