Main Responsibilities of a Book Marketing and Publicity Coordinator at Penguin Random House
Rylie, a Book Marketing & Publicity Coordinator at Hay House LLC, manages the "last step" authors take, focusing on project management for 10-12+ book launches per month. Their responsibilities encompass both marketing ("creating marketing plans, executing with the authors") and public relations ("securing interviews… influencer mailouts"), leveraging existing author platforms within the self-help genre to maximize book promotion and sales.
Project Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Communications, Teamwork
Advizer Information
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Job Title
Company
Undergrad
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Rylie Walsh
Book Marketing & Publicity Coordinator
Penguin Random House
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago, MBA
Communications
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Rylie's role involves managing the release of 10-12 books per month, highlighting the fast-paced nature of book publishing and the importance of coordination.
2. She collaborates closely with authors, assisting them in promoting their books through various channels, including social media, email newsletters, and securing interviews on podcasts and other media outlets.
3. Rylie uses analytics to track the success of marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions, showcasing the importance of data analysis in the field of book marketing.
Transcript
What are your main responsibilities within your current role?
In my current role as Book Marketing and Publicity Coordinator at Hay House LLC, I'm responsible for a lot of project management tasks. We have a full title schedule of upcoming releases, often with 10 to 12 or even more titles per month.
Books typically launch on Tuesdays, so every week we have several new titles coming out. We need to send launch updates internally and externally, and celebrate when a book is officially released.
As marketing and PR professionals in publishing, we're essentially the last step in the process. Authors usually find a literary agent, submit their manuscripts to publishers, and then work with an editor to finalize the book. Our job is to help them get their amazing books out into the world.
This involves tasks like posting about the book on social media, sharing it with their audience, and including it in email newsletters. A unique aspect of Hay House is that all our products are in the self-help and personal growth category.
This means I can't speak to fiction publishing, as it's quite different. However, for personal development books, many of our authors already have established platforms or brands. The book often serves to extend their message to new audiences or as a gift to their existing followers.
My role can be split into two main areas: marketing and PR. On the marketing side, much of it is backend work. We upload products to Amazon and prepare promotional graphics. We also assist with things like social media challenges or email newsletter blasts.
This backend work allows us to track analytics and see what's converting to sales, providing proof of what's working. In this area, I manage the schedule, create marketing plans with my team, and execute them with authors, helping them integrate their branding with the book's marketing.
On the PR side, we secure interviews for authors on podcasts, TV, radio, and social media live sessions. We also coordinate influencer mailouts. This involves direct communication with people who will be reviewing and hopefully enjoying the book.
My day-to-day can vary. I might be meeting with authors and my team, or working on backend product uploads and filling out marketing plans. We also have internal meetings to inform other departments like sales, editorial, and graphic design about our progress.
These internal meetings are where we discuss launch strategies. I hope I've explained this clearly, but that's a glimpse into my role.