You are here

My Job in 5: Aine Ryan

Marketing Executive Aine Ryan from Jessica Kingsley Publishers is the star of this week's My Job in 5.
Written on 09/05/2019 - 13:07
  1. Describe your role.

I’m responsible for the marketing of JKP’s list of books on autism. This involves running our social media channels, securing reviews and press coverage for books, attending conferences, creating flyers and catalogues, and lots of other jobs that help the book and list be as successful as possible.

    2.  What do you like best about your role?

I love that we can try new things with every campaign. The work is never repetitive when each book gets an individual approach. JKP is a really supportive and inspiring place to work, and learning about autism from our autistic authors and customers has been the best education for me.

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

We published Camouflage in Spring, which has been the runaway success of 2019 for the list. It’s a gorgeous graphic novel about the experiences of late-diagnosed autistic women, and the reception it’s had has been fantastic. Still to come, I’m really excited about The Spectrum Girls’ Survival Guide written by 17 year-old neurodiversity activist Siena Castellon, out in March 2020.

    4. What skills do you need for your role?

Creativity, empathy, organisation… Giving a book the best promotion possible with limited time and in a busy marketplace can be tricky. An understanding of what both the author and the customer want and need is vital, so that you can make that connection between them. A good head for data analysis helps too, as more online tools enable us to prove what works and what doesn’t.

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

I would say not to set your heart on a specific job title until you understand all the options available to you. There are so many different jobs within publishing, and so many genres of book, why not investigate or try out as many as possible? It’s all still relevant experience, and the more you know about what different departments do, the better.