Rights Executive

Watkins Publishing, a leading innovative and independent book publisher is looking for an experienced Rights Executive to work across the Watkins Media imprints—Watkins, Nourish, Repeater and Angry Robot—to continue our global growth. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to join a growing independent publisher with a wide range of genre publishing. They will be hungry to build on their sales career and be part of the company’s forward strategy and success.
 

Established in 1893, Watkins Publishing is one of the oldest publishers of mind, body, spirit and personal development books. Nourish is a more recently established imprint focusing on wellness through food and drink. Repeater is the home of vigorous intellectual insight, commentary and creation across all genres. Angry Robot is the award winning home of the best in modern adult science fiction, fantasy and everything in between.  All are part of Watkins Media Ltd, an independently owned multimedia group specializing in books, magazines and digital content.
 

Working within the sales & rights team and reporting to the Rights Manager, the key responsibilities are to grow licensing and co-edition sales across the portfolio of all the Watkins Media imprints in the selected territories (TBD with the Rights Manager and Sales Director, dependent on experience), servicing existing backlist publisher-partners on reprints, and working closely with the production team to deliver files as needed for co-eds and licensing deals. As a strong negotiator and excellent communicator, you will be driving sales with your customers, working to build a sales strategy for each territory, and placing the best titles with the best customers to maximize sales impact. You will be naturally proactive, dynamic and flexible on how you work with accounts and the wider business.
 

Key Duties

• Manage and increase sales for a diverse portfolio of adult imprints, both as co-editions and licenses
• Strategically place titles with the best customers in each territory for maximum return
• Manage day-to-day business by submitting and tracking orders, running P&L statements, providing quotes, and negotiating prices
• Negotiate and manage all contractual agreements and paperwork
• Work closely with production on all aspects of title workflow, particularly with co-edition titles
• Provide insight and feedback on customer preferences, retail trends, and the wider market
• Liaise with multiple parts of the business, including sales colleagues, editorial, production, marketing and publicity and more
• Provide insight and feedback on customer preferences, retail trends, and the wider market
• Travel to the major international book fairs and on international sales trips as required

Key Skills/Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• A sound knowledge of how rights sales work in the publishing industry
• A strong relationships with foreign publishers and tremendous account handling skills as well as the ability to step into the next phase of their career
• Excellent presentation and intercompany communication skills
• An entrepreneurial mindset of always looking for new business and how to expand existing business
• A keen mind for figures and the ability to analyze industry-wide data, budgets and identifying opportunities
• Excellent negotiation skills and the ability to secure contractual terms beneficial to our authors and the business
• The ability to work within a busy department and company, reacting swiftly to the ever-changing demands of an independent publisher
• Solid skills with the full Microsoft Office suite, InDesign, Quark, Google Drive
• A positive attitude and friendly, courteous disposition
• Fluency in a foreign language(s) would be very beneficial
• A desire to be a part of a growing, independent publishing house

The position includes a contributor pension scheme, competitive benefits and is based in our HQ offices in Islington (N1). For consideration, please send your CV and cover letter to Chris Wold, Group Sales Director (chris.wold@watkinspublishing.com) by 10 August 17.