Senior Publicist

FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to: Publicity Manager
Employment Status: Full-time

The Senior Publicist’s primary purpose is to coordinate and execute a variety of book publicitycampaigns for high quality trade non-fiction and fiction titles for both adults and children—includingtitles from Triumph Books, America’s top publisher of sports books; Chicago Review Press, a leadingpublisher of nonfiction books for children and adults; and Trafalgar Square Publishing, Inc., the leadingNorth American distributor of UK publishers. Working closely with IPG’s client publishers, the SeniorPublicist’s main objective is to garner attention for new frontlist titles each season in all mediaformats—print, online, TV, and radio. The position involves significant amounts of media, publisher andauthor interaction, and requires solid knowledge and understanding of the media landscape. The idealcandidate is passionate about books, journalism, and public relations. 

Salary Range: $44,000 annually

Responsibilities and Duties

• Carries out 25-35 comprehensive book publicity campaigns per season, managing at least a quarter of the A-list and top shelf titles for the season
• Works strategically with publicity manager to determine which titles receive campaigns each season
• Works with publicity manager and publicist to seasonally send out calls for information for TSP publishers
• Attends publishing, title, and cover meetings with Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books as needed
• Collaborate frequently with the marketing departments on cross-promotional efforts for CRP, TRB and TSP titles
• Manage entry-level employees in the publicity department as needed
• Craft noteworthy press releases, compelling promotional materials and pitches for publishers’ frontlist titles each season
• Connect and communicate clearly with journalists and producers to secure national, regional, and local book and author coverage in print, online, TV, and radio media outlets
• Regularly send out reports on all publicity results internally to sales and marketing departments and to publishers
• Forge new working relationships with journalists and media personnel, and reach out about relevant forthcoming books on an ongoing basis
• Attends at least one trade show or networking each year as needed, focused on meeting with key media contacts
• Assists the publicity managers in presentations of key titles to book trade media
• Salaried; exempt

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in publishing, journalism, English, or other relevant field
• 4-7 years of experience in public relations, preferably in book publishing
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, solid organizational skills, the ability toprioritize and juggle multiple responsibilities at one time. Ability to be adaptable to an everchanging publishing and media marketplace, and enthusiasm around new projects.
• Strong media contacts, with a particular emphasis with booking national broadcast programs
• Specific interest in sports and/or sports publishing
• A passion for books and an interest in working with media and other outside parties
• Working knowledge of Cision and Edelweiss a plus but not required
• Travel requirements: less than 10%

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities,duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities andactivities may change at any time with or without notice.

About the Company

IPG is the original independent distributor of books, ebooks, and audiobooks from publishers around the world, and a top 10 supplier of book content to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, libraries, and specialty markets, in addition to thousands of retailers globally.

Established in 1971, Independent Publishers Group (IPG) was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. IPG was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1987. In the fall of 2006, Chicago Review Press, Inc., the parent company of IPG, bought Trafalgar Square Publishing, Inc., the leading North American distributor of UK publishers. Trafalgar Square Publishing was founded in 1973 and as a division of IPG, now distributes products from clients such as Penguin Random House UK, Australia, New Zealand, and China; Allen & Unwin; The History Press UK; Amberley Publishing; HarperCollins UK; Pan Macmillan; and John Blake.

With consistent growth each year, IPG’s success has come from supporting and encouraging the growth of its client publishers in the United States and worldwide. IPG has a wide reach in the market with its distribution of publishers with academic, Spanish-language, children’s, and general nonfiction and fiction titles.