Media and Publicity Assistant

Chelsea Green Publishing - a national publisher of books on the politics and practice of sustainable living - is seeking a full-time Media and Publicity Assistant for its Burlington, VT office. Responsibilities include assisting Chelsea Green's marketing and communications team with author and book publicity, media outreach, and relevant company marketing and communication strategies.

For 26 years, Chelsea Green has been the publishing leader for books on the politics and practice of sustainable living. We are a founding member of the Green Press Initiative and have been printing books on recycled paper since 1985, when our first list of books appeared. We lead the industry both in terms of content-foundational books on renewable energy, green building, organic agriculture, eco-cuisine, and ethical business-and in terms of environmental practice, printing 95 percent of our books on recycled paper with a minimum 30 percent post-consumer waste and aiming for 100 percent whenever possible. This approach is a perfect example of what is called a "triple bottom line" practice, one that benefits people, planet, and profit, and the emerging new model for sustainable business in the 21st century.

Position Overview:

The Media and Publicity Assistant is a junior-level, full-time staff position with responsibilities in assisting Chelsea Green's marketing team with author publicity, media outreach, and relevant marketing strategies. These strategies include: media and publicity outreach for all new CGP releases and its authors, author event outreach, as well as company communications. The Media and Publicity Assistant reports to the Author Events Manager and Communications Director. Below is an outline of the Assistant's core responsibilities and duties:

Responsibilities:

Publicity Tasks:

Handle requests for review copies, via email:

• Respond and log in QB, alert Author Events Manager if necessary for scheduling
• Conduct the physical mailing of all review copy and publicity mailings
• In coordination with the Communications Director, follow up with potential reviewers

List Building for upcoming review copy mailings, to include:

• Research mailings of related titles, active media contacts, and key VIPs in selected category, etc.
• Pull media lists from Vocus and Quickbase
• Help project editors manage outreach and list building along with editorial assistant and interns
• Research and vet contacts through email and phone outreach

Manage Media Hits:

• Review Google Alerts
• Enter best hits into Quickbase (our relational database system)
• Send report to staff and publicists
• Provide weekly log of hits to the web marketing team so they can post to the website. Alert them to key media hits that need more rapid distribution via social media or blog posts.

Media Outreach:

• Reach out to bloggers, reporters, and reviewers who look like good contacts for review, or finished, copies of books.
• Add new media contacts and outlets to relevant databases
• Reach out to bloggers who have not provided a link back to our site and ask that they do
• Assist Communications Director in the drafting and distribution of press releases and targeted emails promoting titles to reviewers and other key media
• Assist Communications Director in the drafting and distribution of targeted emails promoting authors key media, producers and hosts

Author Publicity and Outreach Tasks:

• Assist the author events manager in setting up individual author tours.
• Assist the author events manager in pitching authors for conference workshops and/or keynotes.
• Maintain and update the database regarding confirmed author events, interviews and individual author tours/schedules.
• Check author websites weekly for confirmed events.
• Work closely with the Chelsea Green sales associate to secure booksellers and/or book orders for author events.

Qualifications:

• Excellent organizational skills
• Detail-oriented
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with little supervision
• Able to prioritize and juggle competing deadlines
• Results-driven
• Professional and courteous when relating to accounts, authors, and the media
• Ability to solve practical problems and manage time effectively
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel a must, as well as Twitter, Facebook, and other social media and blogging platforms. Knowledge of database management a plus, as well.
• Provide weekly reports to Author Events Manager and Communications Director to be included as part of their reports to full staff
• Travel to trade shows and author events
• Previous experience in media relations and marketing a plus
• Participate in weekly sales and marketing meetings
• Based out of the Burlington, VT office with the expectation that you will spend, on average, one day a week at Chelsea Green's main office in White River Junction

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter, resume and references.

Shay Totten, Communications Director
Chelsea Green Publishing
166 Battery Street
Burlington, VT 05401