Publicity & Marketing Manager / Senior Manager – Suspense & General Fiction
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Kensington Publishing is seeking a Publicity & Marketing Manager who will be responsible for the publicity, marketing, and author support for select fiction titles each month. You will be handling Suspense / Thrillers (both historical and contemporary) with some crossover into Upmarket Fiction.
Candidate should have at least 3 years of experience working with commercial fiction in the communications / public relations / publicity field (preferably within the publishing industry), superior writing skills, established media contacts, the ability to think strategically, a keen sense for reaching niche audiences, and strong skills to strategize, plan, and execute campaigns. The ingenuity to try new and innovative approaches to publicity and marketing is essential, as is the ability to tailor and present the salient aspects of each new title to journalists and editors, potential authors, and events coordinators. Reporting to the Communications Director, you will develop and launch campaigns to promote your assigned titles through both earned and paid exposure.
Kensington’s offices are located in Manhattan, with most staff working on a hybrid basis (2 days/week in office), but we are open to fully remote candidates as well.
Salary is $50 - $70k/year depending on experience.
KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
- Create, develop and implement effective marketing and publicity campaigns for your titles.
- Conceive, draft, edit and review marketing content on a daily basis.
- Write promotional copy for press releases, pitch letters, catalogs and sponsored content.
- Pitch and secure interviews, events, blog tours, partnership opportunities, reviews, brand partnerships and other PR initiatives to promote books / authors.
- Provide author support as needed and work with authors to develop their brands.
- Maintain records; monitor, track, circulate and analyze relevant media coverage and marketing strategies.
- Work closely with colleagues in Communications department to plan large-scale events and fan conventions, including Bouchercon.
- Coordinate and collaborate with in-house Social Media Manager as needed.
- Identify potential partners and new opportunities for promoting Kensington books and developing authors’ brands.
- Present strategies at relevant in-house Sales meetings.
QUALIFICATIONS
- At least 3 years of experience in publicity and/or public relations, preferably within the publishing industry.
- Established media contacts and familiarity with the outlets, reviewers, producers, creators and influencers who are essential to securing exposure for commercial fiction books and authors.
- Proven track record of securing press and executing innovative, successful campaigns.
- Excellent writing and promotional copywriting skills.
- A keen sense for identifying and reaching niche audiences.
- Strong skills to strategize, plan and execute campaigns.
- Knowledge and understanding of the publishing process.
- A proven ability to generate creative story ideas, pitch angles and pitches.
- Ability to take initiative on assigned projects/tasks and work with minimal supervision.
- High level of familiarity with Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook, Word, and Excel.
- Familiarity with Adobe Suite is a plus.
About the Company
Kensington Publishing Corp is an independent, family-owned book publisher founded in 1974 and based in New York City. Known for the diversity of the authors and books it publishes, Kensington releases more than 300 fiction and non-fiction titles each year, providing readers with a range of popular genres such as thrillers, romance, historical fiction, cozy mysteries and non-fiction, as well as true-crime, western, sci-fi, and speculative fiction titles.
In 2014, Kensington de-siloed the publicity and marketing departments, combining them into one unified group under Communications. Instead of having two separate entities handling the same titles – a publicity team working on earned exposure and a marketing team working on paid exposure – we’ve created areas of genre or audience-based specialization within the department. Communications Managers focus on specific genres and are empowered to promote their books through both paid and earned channels.
Managing Editor
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Kensington Publishing Corp. is seeking a Managing Editor to coordinate the editorial and production process for the Kensington list. The Managing Editor will be responsible for creating and maintaining a schedule to track the manuscript submission process from the editors through the production process. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, detail-oriented, good at systems development/management with strong communication skills.
KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop a master schedule of dates through coordination with multiple departments.
- Track manuscript transmittals and ensure that the submitted manuscript confirms with the specifications that were entered into the title management system.
- Maintain a late list alerting all departments where projects are in the schedule and chasing late tasks.
- Work with scheduling team to get books into schedule using Title Management and make any relevant scheduling changes in system on a regular basis as well as disseminating changes to relevant departments.
- Collaborate closely with multiple teams throughout the publishing process including editorial, production, art, copy, marketing, etc.
- Coordinate with distribution clients by tracking their materials and sharing with relevant internal departments.
- Assist the editorial and production departments daily workflow questions including unforeseen issues.
- Use and regularly update Title Management software in conjunction with data team members.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 5 years of related experience, preferably in trade publishing, with some management experience.
- Must have the ability to manage numerous projects and prioritize tight book schedules.
- Ability to work effectively with all levels of management.
- Exceptional organization skills and attention to detail.
- Exceptional time management skills with ability to set priorities under pressure.
- Working knowledge of title management software.
About the Company
Kensington Publishing Corp is an equal opportunity employer. Our company has a policy of providing equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, sex, ethnicity, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We welcome and celebrate talent from all backgrounds and believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are crucial elements to our success.
Founded in 1974, Kensington Publishing Corp. is located in New York City and is known as “America’s Independent Publisher.” It remains a multi-generational family business. As the foremost independent commercial publishing house in the United States providing hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, and digital releases, Kensington publishes the books that America wants to read with a range of popular genres such as thrillers, romance, historical fiction, cozy mysteries and non-fiction, as well as true-crime, western, and commercial fiction titles.
Senior Designer
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Essential job responsibilities include:
- Develop original and creative cover concepts for new titles as well as maintain consistency across existing brands
- Collaborate with direct manager, fellow designers, production, editorial, and copy teams
- Effectively meet deadlines, fast turnaround sometimes required
- Produce accurate and consistent work according to guidelines
- Hire and art direct illustrators and effectively communicate with artists and agents
- Develop and maintain a knowledge of competitive covers in the book marketplace
- Route cover mechanicals and other materials for approval and prepare and package files for printers
Required skills/knowledge:
- At least 2 years of experience in book publishing
- Comprehensive design portfolio showing idea generation, design, and typography skills
- Expert-level knowledge of design software required, e.g. Adobe Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)
- Proficient knowledge of proofing, color correction, and other pre-press review
- Ability to coordinate with multiple freelance artists on a project-by-project basis
- Ability to work with source files from other artists and designers with respect, creativity, and professionalism, while ensuring the final result will present well in both print and digital mediums
- Deadline-oriented, ability to multitask and work under pressure
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
About the Company
Kensington Publishing Corp is an equal opportunity employer. Our company has a policy of providing equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, sex, ethnicity, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We welcome and celebrate talent from all backgrounds and believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are crucial elements to our success.
Founded in 1974, Kensington Publishing Corp. is located in New York City and is known as “America’s Independent Publisher.” It remains a multi-generational family business. As the foremost independent commercial publishing house in the United States providing hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, and digital releases, Kensington publishes the books that America wants to read with a range of popular genres such as thrillers, romance, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, science-fiction and fantasy, and non-fiction, as well as true-crime, western, and bookclub fiction titles.