House of Anansi Press and Groundwood Books is seeking a candidate to fill the position of Publicity Manager or Director (commensurate with experience).

We pride ourselves on the range of voices represented in our publishing list and seek to reflect that diversity in our staff. We recognize that an inclusive workplace is essential to promoting excellence and allowing all staff to reach their greatest potential. We will ensure that every job applicant is treated fairly in respect to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical ability, neurodiversity, religious belief, educational background, geographical location, marital status, and parental status. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the application process and while working at Anansi and Groundwood.

Role Summary

The Publicity Manager/Director will develop and lead the company’s overall publicity strategy, working closely with colleagues in Sales, Marketing and the Anansi and Groundwood Editorial teams. They will develop and maintain relationships with external publishing, media and event partners. The Publicity Manager/Director is responsible for the general planning, overall budget management and execution of all publicity activities for the company. The Publicity Manager/Director reports to the Publisher of House of Anansi Press and works closely with both Marketing Directors.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, execute, and report on strategies for the company’s publicity, including mid- and long-term planning as well as seasonal title-by-title publicity.
• Manage a roster of House of Anansi authors and provide superlative author care.
• Create and implement publicity strategies for a selection of Canadian and international titles (fiction and non-fiction) to garner maximum media exposure for authors and their work in Canada and the United States.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with media contacts, event partners and publishing partners.
• Develop relationships with non-traditional media and seek out new opportunities to promote our books.
• Manage two other team members in the publicity department and any freelance publicity needs.

Note: Some activities will take place on weekends and outside of typical business hours. We encourage taking lieu time to balance such instances.

Skills and Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in publicity, public relations, communications or a related field.
• Demonstrated success working with traditional and non-traditional media channels in Canada and the US.
• Existing relationships with media and influencer contacts, and a desire to find and nurture new ones.
• Ability to manage a number of high-profile campaigns simultaneously and demonstrated tour/event management skills.
• Previous experience managing a team.
• A desire to work collaboratively with other colleagues across Sales, Marketing and Editorial departments.
• Superlative written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and interpersonal skills.

Who We Are

House of Anansi Press is Canada’s leading independent publisher. We specialize in finding, developing, and publishing writers of literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama, as well as works in translation. Groundwood Books was founded in 1978 with a mandate to publish children’s books of the highest possible quality for all ages, which has grown to include fiction, picture books, graphic novels, and nonfiction.

We publish very good books, and we also like to think that our physical/virtual office is a very good place to work! We are a collaborative, collegial team who are passionate about our creators and the stories we publish, although we also value work-life balance, having fun, and celebrating all things books. We have a lunch club with rotating themes, enjoy ‘Summer Friday’ work hours during the warmer months, and love book launches almost as much as we love books.

Compensation and location

The salary for this full-time position will depend on the candidate’s experience and if they are hired at a manager or director level, and will be no lower than $55,000. A benefits package and RRSP matching plan is accessible after a three-month probationary period.

We are interested in hearing from applicants who are available to join us at least 3 days a week in our Toronto office, with the remaining days being a flexible/hybrid/remote option.

Application

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume via this link by September 27, 2023. We thank all applicants for their interest and regret that we are unable to acknowledge receipt of applications. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.