Head of Communications

WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE NEED YOU:

Michael O’Mara is an award winning family-run independent Publisher, which has been shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year for The British Book Industry Awards 2016.  The company was set up thirty-one years ago and now, with a backlist of a thousand titles, it is still a family firm, producing bestsellers and one hundred and fifty new books a year.

We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic publicist to head up a busy Communications team across our adult and children’s imprints.  

YOUR ROLE:

You will be responsible for creating and delivering exceptional PR campaigns for our stable of non-fiction authors, coordinating trade announcements that are highly impactful for our independent company profile and manage a thriving PR team.  You will have exceptional relationships with journalists, festival organisers and the trade press.  Creative, enthusiastic and well organised, you will also have experience of delivering outstanding author care, liaising with agents, and working closely with colleagues in Editorial, UK and Foreign Sales and Production.

There is also a Marketing and Rights element to this role.  You will place extract for lead titles in the media, and decide as well as brief Editorial and Production on book proofs and samplers for select lead titles.  There is also an opportunity to work closely with our Operations Controller on our metadata, digital Marketing opportunities and the Bookseller Buyer’s Guide.  There is also an opportunity to be part of the process for briefing a new company website and enhancing the O’Mara brand on and offline.

YOUR SKILLS:

You will be creative, enthusiastic and constantly think outside the box to deliver quality campaigns on our books.  You will allocate titles and work closely with our UK sales team and sales rep force on bespoke retailer campaigns for select titles.  As a self-starter, you will also thrive in a busy environment and enjoy developing innovative approaches to building author profiles and brands.  You will develop partnerships and arrange author events with bookshops, festivals and target organisations.  You will relish the opportunity to travel with authors, attending a range of events, sometimes at weekends.

A FINAL WORD:

Succeeding as an independent in a publishing world dominated by vast, multinational conglomerates is not easy but it is fun.  And this ethos, along with huge drive, is at the centre of what you will communicate in your role as Head of Communications at Michael O’Mara Books.  If you feel this is the role for you we would love to hear from you.

Closing date: Monday 16th May, 5.30pm GMT

To apply, please email your CV and covering letter to: clara.nelson@mombooks.com

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Michael O’Mara is an equal opportunities employer and employs people on the basis of their abilities.