Publicity & Publishing Assistant, Riverhead (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/.

Penguin Random House values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

Job Description

Founded in 1994, Riverhead Books is a boutique literary imprint that publishes urgent, unheard voices worldwide, including award-winning literary fiction and bestselling nonfiction writers.  Throughout its history, Riverhead has been dedicated to publishing extraordinary groundbreaking, unique writers. Riverhead’s books and authors have won or been finalists for the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, National Book Awards, National Book Critic Circle Awards, MacArthur Genius Awards, Hurston Wright Legacy Awards, Dayton Literary Peace Prizes, and numerous other distinctions. Some of Riverhead’s recent bestsellers and critically acclaimed releases include Brawler by Lauren Groff, Audition by Katie Kitamura, All Fours by Miranda July, Inside the Box by David Epstein, A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.

The Riverhead Books imprint seeks a Publicity/Publishing Assistant to support our Deputy Publisher and our Director of Publicity. The Assistant position requires excellent time management and prioritization skills and strong attention to detail. Successful candidates will skillfully perform regular administrative duties while also demonstrating the ability to take initiative and exercise independent and creative thinking where needed. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with distinguished authors such as Brit Bennett, Pico Iyer, James McBride, Patricia Lockwood, Katherine May, Priya Parker, and David Epstein; and to gain exposure and experience with the entire publishing process, including book acquisition, editorial tasks, publicity and marketing strategy, and onwards through publication on a wide variety of hardcover and paperback titles.

Specific responsibilities include:  

• Providing general administrative support, including mailings, processing invoices, filing, billings, expense reports, ordering supplies, etc.
• Submitting books for awards and prizes.
• Scheduling, coordinating, and contributing original content to the Riverhead Books social media platforms.
• Drafting press materials, including press releases, pitch and galley letters, interview alerts, quote sheets, etc.
• Liaising with bookstores to organize author events.
• Coordinating travel and other arrangements for major author tours and creating detailed tour schedules for campaigns.
• Editorial administrative support including preparing acquisition P&Ls, styling manuscripts, securing permissions, etc.
• Maintaining media clips, press contacts, and detailed logs of book campaigns in an internal database system.
• Attending book events and taking authors to media interviews.

Qualifications

• Strong interest in publicity and book publishing
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a deadline-driven environment
• Excellent organizational skills and superb attention to detail
• Timely follow-up over email and phone while navigating different communication styles
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively with a team
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Active working knowledge of social media and an interest in following book trends is a plus
• Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Canva is a plus but not a requirement (training available)

Additional Information

The Penguin Random