Publishing Assistant

Job Description

Kokila (pronounced Ko-kee-la) publishes literature for children and young adults across all formats and genres. As a new and quickly growing imprint within Penguin Random House we bring together an inclusive community of authors and illustrators, publishing professionals, and readers to examine and celebrate stories that reflect the richness of our world.

By elevating stories from traditionally underrepresented voices and making space for storytellers to explore the full range of their experiences, we deliver books that inspire and entertain readers, and add nuance and depth to the way children and young adults see the world and their place in it.

The Essentials:

We are excited to expand our impact by adding a Publishing Assistant to our team who will have dual responsibilities. You will report to both the Publisher and Art Director to provide administrative, editorial, and design support all while coordinating with various departments in the division, agents, authors, and illustrators. In doing so, you'll need to be comfortable with a rapidly changing agenda and your ability to prioritize and maintain attention to detail will be key, especially as you're collaborating across multiple teams.

You'll also spend time working on a number of design projects, so a familiarity with the Adobe Creative suite will help you as you navigate the responsibilities aligned with the design facets of this role.

An attractive quality in our newest team member would be an expressed interested in social justice issues, representation, and inclusivity in media. At Kokila, we hold a strong belief in the power of inclusive stories to nourish and shape young minds and the society we live in.

With this in mind, to be successful in this role we feel that you'll need to have:
• Great organization, collaborative, and communication skills, especially as you liaise with various teams and prioritize your work
• Interest in examining questions of representation, inclusion, and equity in publishing and our society at large
• Strong ability to manage competing priorities
• Evidenced ability to manage communication and workflow in a proactive manner

Position Summary:
• Assist Art Director with all stages of the book production process including file preparations and revisions of books in progress
• Assist Publisher with daily administrative, clerical, some editorial tasks such as:
• Filing expenses
• Mailing author copies
• Managing calendars
• Drafting descriptive text about our books
• Registering publisher books with Library of Congress
• Keep track of Kokila reviews and awards
• Serve as the administrative liaison for the imprint when interfacing with other departments.

Responsibilities and duties:
• Assist art director with design projects and design related tasks using InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator; assist with illustrator, photo, or type research
• Assist with creating social media assets, including still and animated materials, for book promotions, and manage imprint Instagram and Twitter accounts.
• Help review projects submitted through our unagented submissions window which adds inclusivity to our submission process.
• Send out Kokila creator newsletter
• Do research of competitor titles across various platforms and current trends
• Prepare and print materials for meetings, such as comps, sample layouts, organizational charts, schedules, or artist and design research.
• Serve as liaison on behalf of art director or publisher with other departments or individuals to set up meetings and share requested materials.
• Back up support for billing, contracts, and other clerical tasks

If this sounds like the sort of opportunity that would appeal to you as someone who thrives in a creative and inclusive environment then please apply and expand in a cover letter why you feel you'd be a great addition to our growing team. We look forward to hearing from you!

Salary for this position is $45,000. Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Please apply using our online application process, and please include your resume and cover letter.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-re8kp0-18-204-227-34-42 in your application.