Publicist

The University of Virginia Press, publishers of scholarly and trade books in the humanities, seeks a Publicist to contribute to all areas of the sales and marketing of UVA Press publications, both print books and digital content, to the academic and consumer markets. The Publicist will report to and collaborate with the Marketing & Sales Director but will also manage publicity and social media on his/her own and will be the key interface with authors as books approach publication. The successful candidate will be expected to: Develop publicity plans up to a year out for authors’ tours, first serials, excerpts, op-eds, media (print and social), and overall strategy. Share publicity plan with author, acquiring editor, and rest of sales and marketing team. Communicate consistently with authors up to a year in advance and 6 months after publication. Responsible for updates to authors on publicity/marketing progress via “roundup letters.” Maintain contact with backlist authors regarding review copy requests, reviews, events, and interview opportunities. Establish and maintain communication with trade media and academic review contacts. Maintain regular social media content and feeds via the Press website for front and backlist books. Pitch op-eds, excerpts, and first serials to local, regional, national, and international media. Write press materials, including jacket copy (including procuring promotional blurbs), galley copy, press releases, talking points. Pitch author interviews and review coverage to media. Create review-copy mailing lists for galleys and finished books and process review copy requests. Follow up with relevant contacts for each book. Maintain and update master database lists of active review and broadcast media, as well as academic journals. Initiate and coordinate virtual and in-person events and book tours, including invitations, participant recruitment, event promotion, and book-sales coverage. Work with the Press Director and Marketing & Sales Director to increase awareness of the Press’s portfolio in Charlottesville and the university community and to develop a national and international platform for Press books. Create and disseminate e-newsletters through email platform. Maintain a robust and frequent approach to all appropriate social media platforms. Maintain frequent contact with university and regional press outlets including newspapers, periodicals blogs, radio, television. Collaborate, communicate, and interact regularly with other departments at the Press to create innovative publicity plans, events, and social media for all UVA Press books and monographs. Participate in inter-departmental meetings evaluating prospective projects for editorial board. Recruit and manage a seasonal intern. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree; three years of experience in scholarly or trade publishing Skills and Competencies Excellent writing skills Excellent interpersonal skills Event planning experience Strong organizational skills and awareness of schedules Substantive expertise with social media platforms and strategies Ability to work independently Commitment to mission of scholarly publishing Software competencies required: Microsoft Office, Email platforms such as MailChimp or HubSpot Additional competencies preferred but not essential: Experience with FileMaker or similar database Experience managing staff or interns Anticipated Hiring Range: $54,000-$60,000 Review of applications will begin on August 2, 2022, but the position will remain open until filled. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment. To Apply: Please apply through Workday, and search for R0037236. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching ‘Find Jobs.’ Complete an application online with the following documents: CV Cover letter Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration. References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process. About University of Virginia Press: The University of Virginia press was founded in 1963 to advance the intellectual interests not only of the University of Virginia, but of institutions of higher learning throughout the state. A member of the Association of University Presses, UVaP currently publishes seventy new titles annually. New titles are approved by the Board of Directors after a rigorous process of peer review. The UVaP editorial program focuses primarily on the humanities and social sciences with special concentrations in American history, African American studies, southern studies, literature, ecocriticism, architecture, and regional books. While it continuously pursues new titles, UVaP also maintains a backlist of over 1,000 titles in print. COVID Vaccination Requirement and Guidelines Please visit the UVA COVID-19 Job Requirements and Guidelines webpage prior to applying for current information regarding vaccination requirements and guidelines for employment at UVA. The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.