Press Officer – HarperCollins Publishers
Introduction of the Role:
To work on innovative campaigns for some of the leading names in fiction and nonfiction.
HarperCollins is one of the UK’s foremost and innovative multi-platform publishers. We publish a wide range of books, from cutting-edge contemporary fiction, to block-busting thrillers and from fantasy literature to children’s literature, countless genres of non-fiction and enduring classics. With 200 years of history, we publish world-famous authors and bestsellers, from Nobel prize-winners to the likes of Agatha Christie and JRR Tolkien.
HarperCollins is home to some of Ireland’s most successful authors, from best-selling novelists like Cecelia Ahern, Cathy Kelly, Jane Casey and Hazel Gaynor, to children’s and YA stars like Oliver Jeffers and Derek Landy. It has also published ground-breaking works of Irish-interest non-fiction from authors such as Fergal Keane and Samantha Power.
Core responsibilities:
Campaigns and authors
- Plan and implement fully integrated PR campaigns for books across our lists working across the HarperCollins group, with a primary focus on Irish authors and titles, by liaising with the media, festivals, bookshops, and by using our digital platforms. Develop innovative and creative publicity campaigns in line with key objectives across individual titles or brand authors
- As part of the publicity team, deliver creative and stand-out publicity campaigns across both traditional and new media channels, on brief and within budget
- Generate and foster review and feature coverage across relevant media, including newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, online and social media
- Plan and execute author tours / visits to raise author profile and generate sales
- Create campaigns that are as market-leading as the books we publish, and which stand out for their creativity and innovation
- Generate and foster review and feature coverage across relevant media, ensuring it is communicated to internal and external stakeholders in full and on a regular basis.
- Work evenings and weekends for events, as relevant
Championing the Publisher
- To be a key contact for all HarperCollins Irish and Ireland-based authors, supporting their publicity, talent management and relationship building by creating a rapport and ensuring short term and long-term relationships
- To act as a key HarperCollins representative both externally and within the wider HarperCollins business, creating strong links and a comprehensive contact list which opens up opportunities for the authors we publish
- Work closely with the Editorial, Sales and Marketing teams to ensure publicity opportunities are fully maximized
- Report effectively and communicate status of individual campaigns with Publicity Directors and UK editorial teams
- Maintain, develop and grow relationships with key journalists, producers and new media contacts across all channels
- Generate trade press releases and announce new title acquisitions
Key Processes
- Stay in tune with trends and news within Irish publishing, to maintain an awareness of the market
- Ensuring a joined-up and cohesive approach when developing publicity strategies, using the expertise and knowledge of the wider team – as well as your own expertise – to create best in class publicity campaigns
Skills and Experience
- Familiar with the Irish media landscape (print, broadcast, digital)
- Social media skills (incl. promotional and analytics tools)
- A team player with excellent communication and interpersonal and diplomacy skills
- Innovative and creative with a strong eye for detail
- A motivated self-starter with a ‘can-do’ attitude
- Enthusiastically juggle workload under pressure, and prioritise work effectively as part of a small and dynamic team
- Fantastic organisation skills
- Passionate about books
- Takes initiative
- A problem solver
- Experience of design programmes such as Photoshop, InDesign or Canva (not essential)
