Press Officer, HQ, Mills & Boon and Pavilion

Team: HQ, Mills & Boon, and Pavilion

Salary: Permanent

Location: London, UK - Hybrid

Closing: 11:59pm, 26th Feb 2023 GMT

Perks and benefits

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the publicity team within HQ, Mills & Boon and Pavilion, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, to work on innovative campaigns for some of the leading names in commercial fiction and non-fiction.

Specialising in commercial fiction, non-fiction and innovative digital publishing, HQ is a young, ambitious, and award-winning imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. HQ prides itself on publishing books that are bold, brave, inclusive, and always with a compelling story to tell.

HQ Fiction is proud to publish The Sunday Times bestselling authors such as Adele Parks, Linwood Barclay, B A Paris, Sarah Morgan, Erica James and Carrie Hope Fletcher. Debut novels published by HQ, The Family Tree by Sairish Hussain and This Lovely City by Louise Hare, were recently shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2020 and the RSL Ondaatje Prize 2021 respectively.

HQ Non-Fiction publishes The Sunday Times bestselling BOSH!, The Batch Lady and The Prison Doctor books, as well as June Sarpong’s award-winning books on Diversity and Inclusion, and Caroline Hirons’ record-breaking and industry-leading book Skincare. In 2022, HQ published Joe Wicks’ Feel Good Food which was industry Number 1 for two weeks.

Sweeping women off their feet for over 100 years, Mills & Boon is the UKs #1 publisher of romantic fiction and won the RNA Industry Award for Publisher of the Year 2020. In the UK a Mills & Boon novel is sold once every ten seconds. It has a romance for every reader promising a happily-ever-after ending every time. Mills & Boon publishes Georgia Toffolo’s Sunday Times bestselling novels and historical romance by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.

Pavilion Books specialises in illustrated non-fiction. The list has been defined by award-winning authors including Junior Bake Off judge Ravneet Gill, wine writer Oz Clarke, TV personality James May and TV Chef Gennaro Contaldo. The imprint’s main subject areas are food and drink, crafts, interiors, gardening, health, gift and nostalgia. The enviable roster of high-profile authors on the list also includes MOB Kitchen founder Ben Lebus; Sunday Sessions YouTuber Big Has; interior design expert Kate Watson-Smyth (creator of Mad About the House); Vintage Rolex expert David Silver and crochet queen Kerry Lord (TOFT). The team at Pavilion also strives to seek out new and inspiring talent to create the next bestseller.

Core Responsibilities:

• Plan and implement fully integrated PR campaigns for books across our list (HQ, Mills & Boon and Pavilion) by liaising with the media, festivals, bookshops, and by using our digital platforms. Develop innovative and creative publicity campaigns in line with key objectives across individual titles or brand authors

• As part of the marketing and publicity team, deliver creative and stand-out publicity campaigns across both traditional and new media channels, on brief and within budget. Generate and foster review and feature coverage across relevant media, including newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, online and social media

• Plan and execute author tours/visits to raise author profile and generate sales

• Work closely with the Editorial, Marketing and Sales teams to ensure publicity opportunities are fully maximised and communicated across the Division

• Generate trade press releases and announce new title acquisitions

• Maintain, develop and grow relationships with key journalists, producers and new media contacts across all channels

• Stay in tune with trends and news within fiction and non-fiction publishing, to maintain an awareness of the market.

Experience required:

• Experience of working on fully integrated and dynamic PR campaigns

• Experience or knowledge of working within a publishing house

• Proven track record of providing high levels of author care

• Excellent knowledge of different media opportunities across print, broadcast and online and an established relationship with key media contacts

• A genuine passion for commercial fiction and non-fiction books

Benefits:

• Hybrid working model (2+ days in the office)

• 26 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days)

• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

• Private healthcare cover and life assurance

• Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal

• Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme

• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work and Pride at HC

• Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes

• Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers

• Gym membership discount

• Onsite physiotherapy (London only)

• Charitable donation matching and volunteering day

• We're a certified Carbon Neutral company

• Free e-books and audiobooks, newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books

• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts

• Onsite prayer room

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to our Talent Acquisition Manager at stephanie.jemmett@harpercollins.co.uk with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.