Internship Opportunity: Radish Media

New York, NY

Seeking Content Assistant Intern

Launched in February 2015, Radish is Netflix for serials where readers can enjoy premium serialized stories based on bite-sized episodes suitable for 10 minutes on a smartphone. It is a digital update of the Victorian idea of the serialized novel. After 3 free chapters, mobile micro-payments provide access to ensuing episodes so that audiences may secure instant gratification after a cliffhanger ending.

Minimum Requirements:

• Attention to detail
• Organizational skills
• A collaborative work ethic
• Keen interest and knowledge of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Curiosity, enthusiasm, and eagerness to learn
• Experience working with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat

Responsibilities Include:

• Reviewing writer submissions
• Assisting writers and publishers in uploading their backlist titles and original serials on Radish writer’s web
• Selecting backlist titles appropriate for uploading on the platform
• Selecting stories from the platform for frontpage curation and coming up with curation ideas
• Assisting with editorial and marketing scheduling
• Creating content marketing blog posts
• Assist with contracts, royalty statements, and author correspondence as needed.
• Processing author applications through Submittable by evaluating manuscripts, writing samples, and online serials on Wattpad
• Answering author and reader questions via Groove
• Reviewing reader reports and coming up with product and policy ideas to solve those concerns
• Drafting concise language for FAQ, email templates, and customer service descriptions on platform
• Tracking the progress of authors on the platform and inputting related data into Excel
• Analyzing data and author feedback to take note of what best contributes to an author’s success, and relaying those tips through email correspondence

If you are interested in this position, feel free to apply via LinkedIn.

Job Opportunity: Journals Marketing Assistant

Brooklyn, NY

Seeking Full-Time Journals Marketing Assistant

Founded in 1994, Berghahn Books is an independent publisher of distinguished scholarly books and journals in the humanities and social sciences. Its program, which includes close to 40 journals and over 100 new titles a year, spans Anthropology, Migration & Refugee Studies, Geography, History, and Film Studies.

Minimum Requirement:

• Responsible and detail-oriented person who can handle multiple tasks in a small-firm environment with minimal supervision
• Excellent communication skills and a command of English grammar and spelling
• Proficiency in Word processing applications are vital
• Knowledge of Constant Contact and Filemaker Pro
• Basic desktop publishing skills, such as familiarity with InDesign
• Background in book/journal publishing or academia is ideal

Responsibilities Include:

• Assisting in the execution of marketing plans and the monitoring of results
• Providing research support
• Coordinating conference materials
• Organizing ad arrangements
• Creating marketing materials
• Additional responsibilities may periodically include assisting with some more general office-wide administrative support

If you are interested in applying for this position, please email your letter of application and resume to Young at young.lee@berghahnbooks.com.

Job Opportunity: Publicist for Oxford University Press US & UK

New York, NY & Oxford, United Kingdom

Seeking Full-Time Publicist

With origins dating back to 1478, Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world’s largest university press with the widest global presence. Its Global Academic Publishing program spans the entire academic and higher education spectrum, including a wide array of scholarly and general interest books, journals, and online products.

Minimum Requirements:

• College graduate with 3 or more years of book publicity experience
• Candidate must be creative and have an enthusiastic and energetic approach to mining publicity opportunities
• A familiarity with key print and electronic book contacts is required
• Must be at ease with pitching to media, dealing with authors, and juggling multiple projects and authors at once
• Excellent writing skills required

Responsibilities Include:

• Manage book campaigns from beginning to end, including booking events, radio, podcast and television interviews, pitching for reviews both in print and online
• Communicate with authors, editorial and marketing staff about publicity achieved and reporting on individual titles at marketing meetings
• Identify the best and most appropriate audience for assigned titles and compiling media lists accordingly, pitching books and authors to all appropriate venues
• Pitch seasonal list to key media (ie. media visits/lunches)
• Maintain and foster media contacts through research and in person meetings
• Research and write press releases, pitch letters, and other publicity materials
• Work with the Director/Manager to plan and map publicity campaigns
• Work with Director/Manager to manage individual tour budgets

For the New York position, please apply online. If you are interested in the UK position, please apply here.

Taking a Break

Everyone here at the Pace MS in Publishing Program hope you all have had a great start to your summer and hope you continue to have a fantastic summer season. As this second half of the summer semester begins, we will be on hiatus until the Fall semester begins.

We hope that we have given you lots of fun events to check out Around Town, helped you in any employment prospects, informed you of interesting publishing related links, and inspired you with amazing quotes.

In the meantime, If you have any questions or anything you would like posted to the blog, please contact Blog Editor at jdenning@pace.edu.

See you all in the Fall!

Link of the Week: The Strand Bookstore

The Strand Bookstore is a Landmark shop specializing in new, used & rare books from philosophy to finance, plus bookish gifts.

–

The Strand is one of New York’s most popular independent book sellers, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The store was founded by Benjamin Bass in 1927 and has been kept running by his son, Fred, and now Fred’s daughter, Nancy.

According to the Huffington Post article, “How The Strand Has Made Indie Bookselling Look Easy — For 90 Years,” “The store operates in a constant churn of activity ― two events a day, seven days a week; pop-up outlets around town.” The store is constantly striving to expand its footprint on the New York literary scene.

The Strand has already implemented modern shifts in how the store operates like including bookish items like tote bags and magnets as well as books. Nancy told the Huffington Post, ““Our focus is on the books,” and went on tosay. “The way we put it is, the books are the sentence and the other items are the punctuation: They’re fun and more spontaneous, and books are a little bit more of a commitment.”

The Strand continues to live on as cultural staple for the literary New York. Despite having some hiccups along the way, The Strand has managed to push on and remain successful.

New York, NY

Seeking Full-Time Associate Publicist/Publicist

The Overlook Press is an independent general-interest publisher, founded in 1971. The publishing program consists of approximately 100 new books per year, roughly divided between hardcovers and trade paperbacks. The list is eclectic, with areas of strength in fiction, history, biography, drama, design, and other visual media.

Minimum Requirements:

• 2-5 years’ experience in book publicity
• Strong contacts across all media
• Thorough and up-to-date knowledge of the digital and social media landscape
• Strong organizational abilities and superb written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Responsibilities Include:

• Plan and execute successful campaigns for a wide variety of books: literary and commercial fiction; and nonfiction in categories including history, memoir, science, sociology, politics, music, film, and art/design, among others
• Write press materials, including compelling press releases and creative, effective pitch letters
• Schedule interviews with broadcast, print, and online media, and coordinate multi-city book tours and author appearances
• Develop and maintain strong contacts across all media
• Work closely with marketing, sales, and editorial departments
• Publicize our books and authors creatively across all social media platforms

If you are interested in this position, please send a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to humanresources@overlookny.com.

New York, NY

Seeking Full-Time Copyrights Associate

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 250 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.

Minimum Requirements:

• 3+ years prior publishing experience, preferably in Copyright
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to prioritize workload & handle tight deadlines
• Exceptional organizational skills
• Familiarity with SAP is a plus
• Ability to work independently

Responsibilities Include:

• Responsible for analysis of third-party text usage within the Company’s publications and, if necessary, obtains and/or assists with permission clearances
• Corresponds with the Copyright Office located in Washington D.C. on matters relating to copyright registrations
• Checks copyright notices and acknowledgements in the Company’s publications (prior to publication) for conformity with the terms of the author contract and third-party permission agreements
• Responsible for scanning and filing copyright registration certificates
• Maintains personal and/or departmental files
• Performs detailed research as necessary
• Works closely with other departments within the Company
• Updates the Company database with information about newly published titles as well as amending existing entries as necessary
• Works with the Director to create and implement departmental policies

If you are interested in this position, please apply online.

New York, NY

Seeking Full-Time Junior Designer

ABRAMS is the preeminent publisher of high-quality illustrated books for adults, adolescents and young children. ABRAMS is the publisher of bestsellers such as the wildly popular “The Diary of A Wimpy Kid” series, award-winning cookbooks of Alton Brown and the stunning photography of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s “Earth From Above” series.

Minimum Requirements:

• BFA preferred
• Well versed in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign.
• Ability to multi-task and work under tight deadlines¬
• A proactive person with strong communication and collaboration skills
• Portfolio required
• Awareness of current trends in children’s illustration and design and familiarity with freelance designers and illustration agencies
• Illustrator and design contacts a must
• Hand-lettering and illustration skills a plus
• Desire and ability to work collaboratively, respectfully, communicably, enthusiastically
• 3 years of book publishing experience

Responsibilities Include:

• Design YA and middle grade book covers and interiors from start to finish in collaboration with illustrators
• Will handle making corrections to reprints, preparing jacket mechanics, and formatting files and finishes for production
• Convert sample pages/images/spreads for ibland, ppt, catalog, trade shows, etc.
• Assist Art Director with direction of creative talent
• Help form the ABRAMS KIDS brand identify along with the Creative Director
• Ability to transcend the “design umbrella” and think editorially as well as consider the marketing and sales angles

If you are interested in applying, please email resume and salary requirements to jobs@abramsbooks.com. Please put the TITLE OF THE POSITION in the subject line.

New York, NY

Seeking Full-Time Advertising Assistant, Poets & Writers Magazine

Founded in 1970, Poets & Writers is respected and trusted as the primary source of information, support, and guidance for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Their work is rooted in the belief that literature is vital to sustaining a vibrant culture. They focus on nurturing literature’s source: creative writers. Their mission is to foster the professional development of poets and writers, to promote communication throughout the literary community, and to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public.

Minimum Requirements:

• Excellent organizational skills and an ability to manage multiple tasks
• Good proofreading skills and an eye for detail
• Ability to edit following a style sheet
• Facility with InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Acrobat
• Familiarity with PC and Mac platforms, a plus
• Sales and customer service experience, a plus
• Motivated to reach sales goals
• Knowledge of accounts payable and accounts receivable procedures, a plus
• Knowledge of and interest in contemporary literature

Responsibilities Include:

• Provide customer service and process orders for all classified advertising
• Contact classified advertising prospects for each print issue and digital publication
• Coordinate proofreading of the classifieds section with freelance proofreader
• Flow classified ads into InDesign and make formatting changes
• Format, style, and post online classified ads
• Work with associate publisher to develop material to promote classified ad sales
• Work with associate publisher to research potential advertisers
• Regularly contact prospects for online job listings and administer job listings on pw.org and in the e-newsletter
• Assist with sales, design, proofreading, and production of display and online advertising
• Generate and send classified advertising invoices and assist accounting staff with the collections process
• Organize incoming payments by check for the accounting department and communicate with accounting staff about billing issues and irregularities
• Participate in meetings and other department activities
• Represent Poets & Writers at book fairs and industry events

If you are interested in applying, please send resume and cover letter to: Tim O’Sullivan, Associate Publisher, Poets & Writers, 90 Broad Street, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10004 or by e-mail to tosullivan@pw.org. Attachments must be .doc, .rtf, or .pdf.

What Does Publishers’ Reinvention Mean for the Industry?

In the last couple of weeks three iconic companies made major moves toward reinvention, however these moves are not reflecting a positive outlook on their own futures, or for the print magazine industry overall.

First, Time Inc. laid off 300 people recently. “The June 13th cutbacks came three years almost to the week when the company spun off from Time Warner,” according to the Folio article. The company is also relocating one of its titles, Food & Wine, to Alabama, partly because of cost considerations. Wenner Media announced it had sold Men’s Journal to American Media. This sale leaves the once-powerful company with just a 51 percent stake in flagship Rolling Stone and a gaming website launched last year. Rodale was also said to have cut 80-100 employees ahead of an announcement “that it is exploring strategic options.” The company announced in January that “it was selling some of its properties in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in a bid to centralize and to raise $4.6 million.”

Time Inc. CEO Rich Battista, through a spokesperson, told Folio writer Tony Silber “that further consolidation (presumably of the kind that just happened at his company) is likely given the long-term secular decline in print.” It seems for media companies today, it is more important to build a bran than to rely on print businesses and practices.

“The industry is evolving quickly, and while change can be disruptive, it also brings opportunity,” a senior Rodale executive said to Silber.

Volunteers Needed- VIDA

VIDA is seeking a determined, meticulous, and thorough intern to assist with the VIDA Count. The VIDA count is a well-publicized annual tally of the gender disparity in publishing. It is the counter’s job to research and determine the gender identity of writers as well as the genre of the work published.

The VIDA Count will require strong knowledge and use of:

• Google Docs
• Microsoft Excel
• DropBox
• Doodle
• Google Hangout

The 2017 internship will run from August 2017 through March 2018. Counters must be able to commit to the full term and spend an average of 5 hours per week on the project, in a combination of solo tallying work and team numbers reconciliation sessions. Applications for the 2017 Count are due by July 15, 2017.

If you are interested in volunteering to be a Counter for the VIDA Count, please send a resume and letter of interest with subject line “VIDA Counter Candidate [Surname]” to Sara Iacovelli at siacovelli@vidaweb.org.

Quote“Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that’s what makes you strong.”

-Sarah Dessen

–

Sarah Dessen is a New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen Young Adult fiction novels. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and have sold millions of copies worldwide. She has won numerous awards for her novels including the ALA “Best Fiction for Young Adults,” and the Margaret A. Edwards Award.

Dessen worked on her first novel, That Summer, while waitressing in her hometown in North Carolina. She has also taught at the University of North Carolina. Dessen’s work deals with the change in youth’s personality as they go through tragedy or loss. She writes about isolation, emotional distance among family members, and a progressive change in people’s personality, among others.

Dessen has a new novel, Once and for All, that has been released just last month called about a woman who helps brides perfect their special day, despite having lost her first love in a tragic accident. She may have a second-chance at love when she meets someone new.

ThinkOlio Presents: Free as Gods: Picasso, Calder and Artists at Home in the Theater

Friday, July 7 at 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

The Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway (& 12th Street)
New York, NY 10003

More than just stars on the art scene, Picasso and Calder took center stage in the world of theater. In 1917 Picasso fell in love with a ballerina in the Ballets Russes while creating scenery and costumes for his collaboration with Satie on the pathbreaking dance work, Parade. His stage designs changed the course of his painting. Alexander Calder, who has a major show at the Whitney this summer, created his famous Circus as well as the set for Satie’s opera Socrate and many other theater works.

Cultural historian Charles A. Riley II, author of Free as Gods, will share the backstage secrets of Picasso, Calder, Leger, Chagall, Hockney, Kentridge, and many other contemporary artists who have found a home in the theater.

Admission is $20. Reserve your seat online.

Columbus: Koi A Modern Folktale

Tuesday, July 11 at 7:00 pm

Book Culture
450 Columbus Ave
New York, NY 10024

Harper’s Magazine present  Koi: A Modern Folktale by Margery Gray Harnick, Matt Harnick, and Sheldon Harnick.

Koi are unusually beautiful creatures. Perhaps because of their unusual beauty, koi have inspired a variety of legends. The recurrent theme in these legends is that koi, because of their endurance and perseverance, have become symbolic of overcoming adversity and fulfilling one’s destiny. In one of the more celebrated versions of this legend, koi are rewarded for their endurance and perseverance by being transformed into dragon fish.

In their book Koi, Margery and Sheldon Harnick have created their own version of this legend in photographs and verses. In their version, koi are rewarded for a reason other than endurance and perseverance. Though the years, the gods have noted how much pleasure men and women have derived simply from observing the prismatic beauty of the koi. For this gift to mankind, the gods decided to transform the most beautiful koi into majestic and powerful dragons.

Admission is free. A copy of Koi: A Modern Folktale is $24.95.

Brian Platzer & Jodi Kantor: Bed-Stuy is Burning

Tuesday, July 11 at 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

The Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway (& 12th Street)
New York, NY 10003

With “the mordant wit of Franzen, the dazzling smarts of Roth, and the compassion of Tolstoy” (Rafael Yglesias, author of A Happy Marriage), and which Alice McDermott called a millennial Bonfire of the Vanities, author Brian Platzer has penned an intimately relatable tale about a changing neighborhood and its residents.

His book follows Aaron, a rabbi turned banker, his journalist girlfriend, and their newborn live in the diverse and turbulent Bedford-Stuyvesant as it undergoes the process of gentrification. As more members of the upper-class move into the area the tension rises until a cop shoots a boy. Then the riots begin and Aaron is stuck in the middle.

Bed-Stuy Is Burning offers a look into a collection of complex lives and examines the most pressing issues of our time.

Admission is $15. Admission plus a signed copy of Bed-Stuy Is Burning is $26.

Book Launch: Reckless Years: A Diary of Love and Madness by Heather Chaplin

Wednesday Jul 12 at 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

POWERHOUSE @ the Archway
28 Adams Street (Corner of Adams & Water Street @ the Archway)
Brooklyn , NY 11201

Trapped in a dissatisfying marriage for nearly a decade, New York journalist Heather Chaplin finally summons the courage to leave. On her own, she finds herself intoxicatingly free, pursuing adventure, and juggling romance on two continents in multiple cities. She contemplates the meaning of life; she falls for a handsome Irishman.

But as the adventures progress, Chaplin’s own reckless choices send her spiraling downward—and toward a reckoning she’s avoided all her life. Pulled from Chaplin’s own diaries, Reckless Years is a raw, propulsive debut: unfailingly profound and impossible to put down.

In this page-turning memoir, a woman tries to reinvent her life after divorce and discovers that sometimes finding yourself is not all it’s cracked up to be. About the Book: Trapped in a dissatisfying marriage for nearly a decade, New York journalist Heather Chaplin finally summons the courage to leave. On her own, she finds herself intoxicatingly free, pursuing adventure, and juggling romance on two continents in multiple cities. She contemplates the meaning of life; she falls for a handsome Irishman. But as the adventures progress, Chaplin’s own reckless choices send her spiraling downward—and toward a reckoning she’s avoided all her life. Pulled from Chaplin’s own diaries, Reckless Years is a raw, propulsive debut: unfailingly profound and impossible to put down.

Admission is free. RSVP is appreciated. RSVP here.