Penguin Random House

Publicity Assistant, Putnam (Hybrid)

The Putnam imprint at Penguin Random House is seeking a Publicity Assistant to support the Associate Director of Publicity and a Publicist. This role is tasked with organizing the logistics for a wide array of publicity campaigns and performing general administrative duties on title campaigns.

The Publicity Assistant should be highly motivated, enthusiastic about publishing, and enjoy reading broadly and often. This is necessary to be day one ready to champion our books while working alongside a collaborative, fun, and engaged group. In addition, you’ll work closely with colleagues in other departments within the division, especially our Publishing Office, Sales, Marketing, and Editorial groups. The publicity assistant will be a detail-oriented self-starter, a strong written and verbal communicator, and an organized multitasker.

In this role, the assistant will create media lists, pitch and build relationships with a broad spectrum of media, craft press materials, coordinate author events and tour logistics, maintain author schedules and campaign budgets, provide administrative support for department-wide initiatives, and provide publicity support for all assigned titles. We are looking for creative, fresh, and diverse voices who care about getting the next best book in the hands of readers.

Putnam, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, is home to award-winning, critically acclaimed, and bestselling fiction and nonfiction authors, including Megan Abbott ,  Cristina Alger, Chloe Benjamin , Karen Joy Fowler, C.J. Box , Tom Clancy ,  Robert Crais ,  Clive Cussler , Kate Winkler Dawson, Jeffery Deaver , Robert Jones, Jr. ,  Alma Katsu , Hoda Kotb, Laurence Leamer, Delia Owens ,  Kiley Reid ,  Steven Rowley , Annabel Monaghan, Ron Currie, Susan Barker, Sarah Hogle, and more. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with distinguished authors on a wide variety of books.

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Providing general administrative support, including mailings, processing invoices, billings, expense reports, note-taking, etc
  • Coordinating travel and other arrangements for major author tours and creating detailed campaign tour schedules
  • Drafting press materials, including press releases, pitch and galley letters, author Q&As, interview alerts, quote sheets, etc
  • Liaising with organizations and bookstores to arrange author events
  • Responding to various calls/emails from media, authors, and booksellers
  • Communicating between the Marketing, Editorial, and Production departments
  • Maintaining media hits, press contact lists, and detailed logs of publicity projects in an internal database system
  • Performing online research to acquire publicity contacts
  • Attending book events, virtually or in person
  • Coordinating logistics for meetings, including coordinating calendar schedules, booking virtual and physical space on Microsoft Teams or Zoom, preparing meeting materials, and taking notes.
  • Attending and participating in meetings with colleagues, authors and other external contacts when necessary
  • Providing administrative support for department-wide initiatives like meeting scheduling, maintaining budgets, drafting pitches and emails, drafting submissions to trade publications, and conducting research ahead of author meetings


With this in mind, to be successful in this role we feel that you’ll need to have:

  • A self-starter fluent in multitasking with impeccable attention to detail
  • A deadline-oriented administrator who is comfortable handling many projects at once
  • An excellent written and verbal communicator who is enthusiastic about collaborating with authors, agents, media professionals, and external and internal stakeholders, and who is not afraid to speak up, follow up, ask questions, and share opinions
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment and possesses a proactive and independent approach to problem-solving
  • Familiarity with media, news, and online organizations, in particular those that regularly feature books and authors. A keen eye for emerging trends in media and the news cycle is a plus.
  • Proficient in MS Office, particularly MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Canva, and enjoys mastering new systems and databases. Proficiency in Zoom, Zoom Webinar, Skype, and other online virtual platforms also preferred.
  • Experience in publicity or publishing is a plus but not required to succeed in this role—we value an organized and passionate team player with a strong interest in books and in publicity


This hybrid role is based in New York City and will require someone in commutable distance to the PRH offices to assist with author and book events, book mailings, and other essential in-person duties as necessary.

The salary for this position is $48,000. All positions are currently eligible for annual profit award or bonus, subject to Company results. Please include a cover letter with your resume.

Penguin Random House job postings include a good faith compensation range for each open position. The salary range listed is specific to each particular open position and takes into account various factors including the specifics of the individual role, and candidate's relevant experience and qualifications.

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription drug insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account, Pre-Tax and Roth 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, Commuter Benefits, Student Loan Repayment Program, Educational Assistance & generous paid time off.

Penguin Random House is the leading adult and children's publishing house in North America, the United Kingdom and many other regions around the world. In publishing the best books in every genre and subject for all ages, we are committed to quality, excellence in execution, and innovation throughout the entire publishing process: editorial, design, marketing, publicity, sales, production, and distribution. Our vibrant and diverse international community of nearly 300 publishing brands and imprints include Ballantine Bantam Dell, Berkley, Clarkson Potter, Crown, DK, Doubleday, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Little Golden Books, Knopf, Modern Library, Pantheon, Penguin Books, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House Audio, Penguin Young Readers, Portfolio, Puffin, Putnam, Random House, Random House Children's Books, Riverhead, Ten Speed Press, Viking, and Vintage, among others. More information can be found at http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/.

Penguin Random House values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

Company: Penguin Random House LLC

Country: United States of America

State/Region: New York

City: New York

Postal Code: 10019

Job ID: 271984

Date: Jul 3, 2024

Location:

New York, NY, US, 10019

Nearest Major Market: Manhattan

Nearest Secondary Market: New York City

Job Segment: Book Publishing, Media Publishing, Drafting, Internet Research, Administrative Assistant, Publishing, Engineering, Research, Administrative
  • Seniority level

    Entry level
  • Employment type

    Full-time
  • Job function

    Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing
  • Industries

    Research, Book and Periodical Publishing, and Book Publishing

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