Hilary Delamere is a Literary Agent of Children’s Books, at The Agency (London) Ltd., she takes over this week’s My Job in 5.

Describe your role: 
Representing authors and illustrators of children’s books; finding, nurturing and managing talent. Being their interface with the industry – helping to decode publishing decisions and helping in planning and advising on a programme of work over several years. Working creatively with clients but also dealing with the detail of contracts, and all the many problems which can crop up on that journey to first publication, and beyond.

What do you enjoy about being a literary agent:
There’s nothing quite like opening an attachment from an author or illustrator and reading or seeing their latest work and ideas which can make your heart sing. The wonderful range and variety of every day from the individuals I work with; from the talent of my authors and illustrators – immense and varied – to the talent within the publishing houses; working with a fantastic publisher, editor, designer, publicist, production or rights manager and sales department makes the whole process exciting and rewarding (and on the flipside frustrating and depressing, when the process doesn’t go so smoothly!)

Working on at the moment:
Many exciting projects at different stages of development. However it has been very special to be working with Raymond Briggs on his latest book, Time For Lights Out, which is being launched this November by Jonathan Cape; and to be finalising several deals with the PRH group for a number of new Malorie Blackman projects whilst looking forward to the broadcast of Malorie’s Noughts & Crosses from BBC/Mammoth.

What skills do you need to be a literary agent:
Coupled with knowledge of how the publishing process should work and an understanding of how it does work – I think you need energy, excitement, an ability to bounce back – and to be able to deal with the minutiae as well as the big picture – and always be determined to enjoy the ride.

Advice to those looking to work in the industry:
Acquire and consume as much knowledge about the industry from all angles so that as an agent you understand the process in its entirety. Also remember it is a small industry and people stay in it for the long term and move around. You end up coming across the same people in different places at different stages in your career – relationships are crucial!

Discover roles in the book trade with Jobs in Books.

Jennifer Bone is a Librarian at Southwestern Illinois College (and former colleague of your correspondent in his former life as an American), we are honored that is at the helm of this week’s My Job in 5.

1. Describe your role.

   I am a community college librarian located near St. Louis, Missouri. My role is to provide academic support services to students and teaching faculty members through instruction sessions and the management of an outstanding library facility.

2. What do you like best about your role?

   Introducing students, faculty, staff and community users to library resources – whether it’s in a classroom or one-on-one. My heart explodes with joy when I get to make the “A-HA” moments happen.

3. Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

   Currently, we’ve acquired the product Libguides and we’re creating library resources pages for specific college courses. We’re also moving to a new library catalog in June 2020. Migrating data and training for a new computer software is a priority.

4. What skills do you need for your role?

   Flexibility and kindness. A community college librarian must know a little bit about a lot. We teach, manage staff, manage our technology, budget planning, committee work, etc. Our list is never-ending and our skills are always changing. But a smile of encouragement and flexibility goes a long way with everyone.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

   Work in a library before you get a library degree. Learn about the different types of libraries and their environments. Meet with a librarian to see if the career would be a good fit for you.

Are you looking for roles within the book trade? Check out the Jobs in Books website to discover a range of roles including librarian and more!

Heather O’Connell tells us all about her role as a production consultant and trainer at Bluebird Consulting.

Describe your role.

I provide production expertise and advice, helping publishers review and streamline their production and ops process. These processes and workflows often evolve over time and it’s hard to review them while still doing the day-to-day business of making books. That’s when the external eye that I provide becomes invaluable. I also run Get into Book Publishing, a suite of introductory courses for those who’d like to get into the industry.

What do you like best about your role?

I’m really lucky. My role is rewarding in lots of ways. I know it’s a cliché but I really do love its variety. No two days are ever the same and I’m always learning, which is really important to me. I also get to work with lots of great people and businesses, making things easier for them and their teams. It’s really satisfying to work with a team and leave them happier and more efficient than when I arrived.

Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

I’ve recently finished a structural and process review for a publisher. I looked at its whole supply chain, workflows and structure, made recommendations and helped it to create an implementation plan. This week, I’ve been working on some new courses for the Get into Book Publishing programme. We’re expanding to include courses in transferable skills, Photoshop, InDesign and coding.

What skills do you need for your role?

I think, above everything else, you need to be curious and willing to listen, learn and adapt. Publishing is a constantly evolving business, understanding the broader business landscape and how that affects what we do and how we do it is critical. Building strong relationships, both internally and externally, is also vital to getting things done in publishing.

What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

Persevere. It’s tough to get into publishing but it’s a great industry to be part of. Once you’re in, say yes to everything—take every opportunity that comes your way. Even if you think it won’t help you now, it almost certainly will in the future.

Are you looking for roles in production? Check out Jobs in Books for a wide range of roles including production consultant and more.

Marketing Manager Jenn Thompson talks us through some of the ins and outs of her role at Turnaround publishing services.

1. Describe your role

I’m a marketing manager, but my role involves so many things! I manage an awesome team of five people and our core job is to produce a monthly sales kit for the 200+ publishers we distribute. This involves wrangling new title info from publishers, data work, writing blurbs and making Advance Information sheets. Then I put it all together into a kit for our sales reps and customers. We do marketing and publicity work for our US & overseas clients. I oversee our social media marketing, our newsletters, and our blog. Generally, I help our publishers in any way I can to make sure their books have a certain level of visibility in the UK.

2. What do you like best about being a marketing manager?

I like how varied it is. It’s never boring. I love working with our publishers, especially the indies who are putting out some really important books. With distribution you get an amazing insight into all kinds of publishing, from art to sci-fi to literary fiction to comics and everything in-between. I am a huge champion for/fan of LGBTQ literature, and I get to work with some really inspiring publishers like Arsenal Pulp Press and the Feminist Press who are putting out amazing books by some of my favourite queer authors.

3. Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I’m working on the sales kit for March 2019. After that’s wrapped up, we’ll be starting work on our Christmas lists and best-of-the-year lists. I’m also getting ready for Frankfurt Book Fair in October. In terms of titles, we have some exciting books coming up from Melville House, Europa, Myriad, Galley Beggar and Avery Hill.

4. What skills do you need to be a marketing manager ?

You need to be hugely organised and able to work quickly. The job is extremely deadline-driven. You need to be flexible too, as things can change from one minute to the next. Communication skills are essential, including good copywriting skills.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

You don’t have to work for a publisher to work in publishing! There are loads of exciting jobs that allow you to work with excellent publishers without working for them. Be flexible and creative, and look beyond the big publishing houses. Also, apply for jobs even if you can’t tick every requirement in the job post. As long as you’re interested and willing, new skills can be learned. When I’m hiring I make my decisions more on what applicants have to say than what’s on their CV.

Discover roles in marketing, including marketing manager roles on Jobs in Books.

Jean Lui tells us all about her role as head of product at Altmetric.

Describe your role

I’m head of product at Altmetric, a London-based data company that tracks and analyses online activity around scholarly research outputs. I serve as the bridge between the commercial and engineering parts of our business, and I am responsible for planning, setting and communicating our roadmap and product vision. I also manage a team of software engineers that focuses exclusively on new product development.

What do you like best about head of product?

The best thing about my role is the fact that Altmetric products are helping to change the way that the scholarly community thinks about the societal impact of research. Through user research sessions, I get to interact with and learn from many groups within the scholarly community, including publishers, academic institutions, funders, and more.

Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

Currently, we’re adding the final touches to an update for our AltmetricExplorer platform. We’re also in the process of planning a new author alerting system that will let book publishers quickly generate and send informative Altmetric data reports to their authors and editors.

What skills do you need to be head of product?

As a product manager, having great written and verbal communication skills is a must. My role is very social—on any given day, I might need to present a compelling product pitch to our customers, train our sales team on technical aspects and product messaging, and then also talk extensively about user needs in an engineering planning session.

What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

It’s a really exciting time to be in scholarly technology, as many companies in this space have been growing at a really fast pace and are doing some fantastic work. My biggest piece of advice for those looking to work in the industry is to be open-minded and engage with people at conferences, meet-ups, and other events—be ready to make connections and share ideas!

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Jo Fenn is the HR Director of Imagine That Publishing and the star of this week’s My Job in 5.

1. Describe your role.

As HR director, my role is extremely varied and often changes on a daily basis! Alongside general office management, I work closely with the leadership team on projects and strategic business planning, as well as managing our recruitment process. Another important element of my role is developing our company culture and creating opportunities for both personal and professional development.

2. What do you like best about your role?

Working closely with recruitment agencies to find new talent for the business is particularly rewarding. It’s been amazing seeing the growth of individuals from their initial first interview to where they are currently within the company. I feel very privileged to work in such a creative and fun industry. Being surrounded by children’s books every day is definitely good for the soul!

3. Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on an employment engagement survey, which will provide regular opportunities for staff to give focused feedback and inform key business decisions. We have also just launched our brand new charity team, part of a new wave of opportunities for staff wellbeing and collaboration. The formation of our company running club, The Flying Elephants, has resulted in me running the London Marathon this year so I look forward to seeing what the charity initiative has in store for us!

4. What skills do you need for your role?

Flexibility is key in managing competing responsibilities, alongside a good amount of patience. The person-focused nature of HR means that empathy, and the capacity to listen and problem-solve is fundamental. I talk to a variety of people so being adaptive to different scenarios and communication styles is really important too.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

Whatever role you are interested in, ensure that your passion for the industry shines through. Not only will it make you stand out at interview, but it will make you better at your role. Being invested in the company and understanding their values and vision makes for a positive working environment, which equals a positive employee!

Kay Farrell works as an Assistant Publisher for Sandstone Press and is our spotlight for this week’s My Job in 5.

1. Describe your role.

As Assistant Publisher I manage production processes for the whole list and work hard to keep production on schedule. I also edit five or six books a year and sit on the acquisition panel. It’s a great variety.

2. What do you like best about being an assistant publisher?

My job offers the best of both worlds in that I get to suggest a book for acquisition and see it all the way through until it is in my hands. I love book delivery day and seeing all the hard work of everyone involved come to life.

3. Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

I’m developing the book craft for a narrative non-fiction entitled Gears for Queers about a queer couple taking a cycling tour in Europe. I’m also editing a debut novel called The Actuality which beautifully combines literary and speculative fiction. Both will be out next summer and both are really exciting!

4. What skills do you need to be an assistant publisher?

I think persistence and persuasion are key, whether negotiating with a printer or trying to get an edit in from an author. You also need an eye for the small details as they are what can elevate a book from good to great.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

My first publishing job was in production and I almost turned it down because I wanted to work in editorial. I took it because I needed paid work and the experience turned out to be invaluable. Keep an open mind and always think transferable skills!

Find assistant roles on Jobs in Books.

Leena Normington tells us all about her role as Social Media Producer at Vintage.

Describe your role

I’m a producer, so essentially, I create content that suits our social platforms. On any given day you’ll find me editing a podcast, creating a YouTube video, plotting a thread of tweets or building a fun reading list for our website. I manage our social channels so that we have a constant stream of content being uploaded on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, iTunes, YouTube and more, so it’s up to me to make sure everything is scheduled and looking good, and that we respond to our readers’ questions and suggestions.

What do you like best about being a social media producer?

I love inventing new ways to tell the story of a book online, whether it’s about the plot itself or the way a book came to be on the shelves. I’m always looking for things that publishing houses can offer to an audience that news outlets or traditional media perhaps can’t, so whether I’m persuading production managers to vlog about their jobs or going behind the scenes at the printer, there’s always an inside scoop within our own walls to capture and share.

Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I’m editing some exciting new content for our YouTube channel, and we’ve got a collaboration with podcast Mostly Lit in the pipeline, which is exciting. This week I’ll also be popping in to film the building of our Vintage Minis window at Foyles, Charing Cross Road. Getting out and working with booksellers is always fun.

What skills do you need to be a social media producer?

You have to be able to think on your feet creatively and respond fast. Knowing, at least in part, the systems and challenges other departments face is key. It’s also important to use and be familiar with all the most popular social media platforms, to be fluent in the way people communicate in each place—they’re all very different!

What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

Practise your craft—whether by starting a YouTube channel or a podcast, or publishing zines, helping build a brand for a charity, running a blog or creating events. Become part of the online book community, either as a creator or a viewer/commenter. Start small, and build a portfolio of skills before applying for the role you’d love.

Find roles in social media and marketing on Jobs in Books.

Amy Fitzgerald is a Literary Agent at The Blair Partnership, she’s at the helm of this week’s My Job in 5.

1. Describe your role.

As an agent at TBP my main role is to find talented new writers, nurture and grow their career and ensure that their work reaches the widest possible audience. This includes editorial feedback on manuscripts, preparing proposals for submission, negotiating contracts, liaising with our International Rights team and exploring opportunities in TV, film and live events. My focus is always to support my clients at every stage.

2. What do you like best about being a literary agent?

The thing I cherish most about my job is being able to work with a client through every step of the publishing process from developing their idea and finding the right editor to publication and beyond. I’m also an absolute sucker for beautiful storytelling and love to uncover new talent that I can’t wait to talk to everyone about.

3. Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

I am currently building my list in crime thrillers, reading group fiction, memoir and smart narrative non-fiction with a commercial edge so I’m reading a lot and meeting with some great authors and editors. I also have a few exciting projects in the pipeline which I will be going on submission with shortly including a brilliant non-fiction title which explores one family’s experience of restorative justice in the UK.

4. What skills do you need to be a literary agent?

You need the ability to see the potential in writing that can be quite rough and may need a lot of redrafting, and the commitment to work with an author to develop their work to be the best it can possibly be. I also think it is really important to be a creative and innovative strategist as the way in which people consume stories is continuously changing and evolving in this industry.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

I know this comes up a lot, but I think it is really important to read widely and keep on top of what is going on in the market. It is also definitely worth exploring the wide range of roles within the industry including agenting, scouting, editorial, marketing, international rights, audio production, sales etc. to see where your passions and skills would work best. I began in an editorial role but soon realised my skills were better suited as an agent.

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Amy Stewart tells us all about her role as publicity assistant at Princeton University Press.

Describe your role.

I provide publicity assistance for two publicists as well as working on our academic classics list and trade paperbacks for Princeton University Press’ European office. Most of my day is spent scouring magazines for reviews, sending books to journals and magazines, as well as creating lists of media outlets to offer review copies to. I also help to organise and pitch authors for events and I frequently attend events and conferences to help with bookselling.

What do enjoy about being a publicity assistant?

One of my favourite things to do is to chatter away about books, and I am constantly recommending books to my friends. The fact that I get to think about how to get a book into the right reader’s hands on a daily basis is incredibly rewarding.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently assisting with the publicity and marketing for a trade classics title about robotics and AI in ancient myth which I am really excited about. Anything that makes the ancient world relevant and part of today’s conversations is fascinating.

What skills do you need to be a publicity assistant?

I think a determination for the books you are passionate about is really important. You also need a keen eye for topical and interesting angles, as well as being able to juggle a lot of tasks at once. I also think that reading a wide variety of publications and genres is key to keeping on top of the publicity opportunities.

What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

Editorial isn’t the be-all and end-all of publishing; there are a lot of different cogs in the machine that are equally interesting and valuable. I think that if you are enthusiastic about the books that you are working on, any area of publishing will be exciting.

Discover roles in publicity with Jobs in Books.