Lead, Children's Book Promotion and Content Editor - job description

BookTrust
BookTrust is the UK's largest children's reading charity. We are dedicated to getting children reading. Each year we reach millions of children across the UK with books, resources and support to help develop a love of reading.

Job Purpose

To be a knowledgeable, engaged, enthusiastic, adaptable and organised children's book expert who can write, curate, commission and create content of all types that will help families, especially disadvantaged families, and professionals find the books and the inspiration/tools they need in order to establish and maintain children's regular reading habits with all the benefits that brings.

To work closely and creatively with authors, illustrators, and partners (including publishers, charities, and government organisations) to help BookTrust achieve its strategic aims and objectives to bring the benefits of reading to children in the greatest need and to achieve long lasting impact.

To be an enthusiastic and collaborative team player bringing energy, ideas and experience to be an integral part of BookTrust as a centre of excellence for children's books knowledge and reading.

Location: Battersea, London (with office-based working on two fixed days each week, rest of week choice of office or remote working). This role is full time.

This post holder will report to: The Head of Children's Book Promotion and Prizes

This post holder will manage: external relationships with reviewers, publishers and contributors including authors and illustrators, with some reporting within the BookTrust books team on author and illustrator related content.

Key Responsibilities (Summary): 

  • Creating engaging digital and print content for BookTrust on books, plus tips and advice to help families, especially disadvantaged families, to establish and maintain a regular reading habit
  • Lead on organising and planning all book related content, and being responsible for making sure it is delivered as planned and published
  • Editing, writing and curating book reviews and book lists/guides
  • Running the BookTrust Writer in Residence project
  • Working creatively with authors and illustrators to produce relevant content to help get children reading, including interviews, features and videos
  • To be a knowledgeable inclusivity advocate who is actively aware of news agendas and issues connecting with children's books
  • Effective liaison with publicists to help us promote books that will get all children reading
  • Be a book and reading expert, advising and advocating externally and internally, including leading discussions in meetings and playing an active role in project teams where needed
  • Active, enthusiastic, and available representation of BookTrust at events and functions (in person and online, including evenings and weekends when needed, in and outside London) including accompanying authors and illustrators to BookTrust events and visits
  • Creative input and using great cross organisational skills to keep BookTrust moving to meet our strategic objectives
  • Collaborating with others to achieve results and work with other BookTrust teams and colleagues to tailor our content to reach our key audiences including partners such as teachers, librarians, and early years workers 
  • To be active on social media, creatively connecting and amplifying children's books and BookTrust

Responsibilities (detailed):

  • Writing, commissioning, creating, curating multi-media digital content (e.g. blogs, video, podcasts) which will include themed booklists, competitions, author and illustrator blogs and videos (including livestreams), regular features such as What to read after series and coming up with a constant stream of great ideas for book related content that will inspire and help families establish and maintain their reading habits, and will educate, inspire and enthuse practitioners in a position to help families on their reading journey and help BookTrust achieve our strategy, aims and objectives
  • Lead on BookTrust digital book reviews – this includes receiving and coordinating new titles from publishers (so thorough knowledge of and interest in children's books is a must), selecting titles for review each month across ages 0-13, writing, commissioning, editing reviews (working with internal team and managing external reviewers), ensure all reviews are written to the highest standards and adapt to BookTrust needs and strategy
  • Editing/re-writing contributors' copy where necessary
  • Edit and curate the annual Great Books Guide and other book guides
  • Curating and creating booklists and innovative booklist content for BookTrust digital and third parties
  • Creating bespoke digital and other content (including book recommendations and videos) for our partners and stakeholders across the country to help them engage families
  • Manage BookTrust's Writer/illustrator in Residences 6-month programme, coming up with ideas and working closely with the resident to create digital content that will help more families become readers. Activities and content can include real life visits and events, online broadcasts, social media engagement, videos, competitions, and other digital content of various and varying types. Role includes communicating regularly with the Writer in Residence and their publisher, advising on directions, providing feedback on all pieces and activities
  • Evaluate, evolve, adapt, and innovate books content as needed
  • Work closely cross organisationally to ensure books content is produced, shared and gets to our target audiences as effectively as possible
  • Manage and create content planners
  • Work to and report on budgets
  • Be an expert in children's books and represent books team in meetings, internally and externally with the ability to chair/lead on meetings
  • Create presentations to explain and develop our directions, processes, ideas, and innovations internally and externally
  • Work cross organisationally to get the right books to children in multiple ways and innovate to make this more effective
  • Keep up to date with new children's books, children's reading, issues connecting with reading and inclusivity, as well as changes and innovation in children's publishing to play an active role in the wider children's books team and cross organisationally
  • Promote BookTrust and its vision and values in all activities, both internally while carrying out duties and externally with stakeholders and the public – including willingness to speak publicly as a BookTrust Representative
  • Help develop new projects, come up with ideas, be innovative, be alert within books and reading world
  • Carry out all duties in line with BookTrust policies and procedures and be prepared to undertake additional reasonable duties as required
  • Attend book launches and industry events (online and in person, including evenings and weekends
  • Be willing and able to build relationships in external and internal meetings and at events with authors and illustrators and the wider books world
  • Be willing and able to build relationships and lead on external and internal meetings

Relationships

  • Act as a first point of contact for publishers sending books for review and attention, communicate regularly with publishers and as part of the wider team in all our work with publishers
  • Liaise closely with publishers and other team members on content from a diverse range of authors and illustrators
  • Collaborate and innovate cross organisationally and within the books team on multiple different projects
  • Keep up to date and play an active role in books world, meeting and knowing authors and illustrators and the wonderful books they are creating, work hard to promote those books where they will help BookTrust in our aim to get all children reading for pleasure and establishing and maintain their reading habit
  • Build and maintain close relationships with a key range of stakeholders including authors/illustrators, bloggers, reader teachers, librarians, and the reading/books community online and in person and share insight within team and cross organisationally

Person specification

The ideal candidate will have an extensive understanding of and interest in the children's book landscape and experience of communicating with families, creatives, and publishers. The ability to select and review the right children's books and book content in order to get children reading is a vital part of this role. The candidate must be comfortable representing BookTrust at a senior level and work across the organisation and with external stakeholders and contributors.

Criteria

E= essential criteria / D = desirable criteria

Knowledge

  • Knowledge of and interest in children's books, authors and illustrators: E
  • Knowledge of publishers: E
  • Knowledge of children's reading and reading landscape: E
  • Social media and comms: D
  • Knowledge of and passion to advocate for inclusivity of all types: E

Experience

  • Experience of writing excellent, accurate, engaging books related copy: E
  • Experience of reviewing children's books: E
  • Experience of public speaking at events and meetings: E
  • Experience of commissioning/working with others (creatives, freelancers etc) to create content: D
  • Rewriting/editing content that doesn't work and having the confidence to know when this is needed: E
  • Experience of organising and managing content/timetables: E

Skills and Attributes 

  • Enthusiastic: E
  • Creative problem solver: E
  • Great writer: E
  • Great reviewer: E
  • Tactful: E
  • Confidence and ability to express ideas and thoughts: E
  • Multimedia skills and interests: E
  • Social media: E
  • Embrace change, ability to self-teach: E
  • Self-motivated: E
  • Ambitious for excellence: E
  • Take responsibility for yourself and others: E
  • Great editor: E
  • Collaborative/team player who can work at all levels: E
  • Mission ready!: E
  • Ability to embrace and swiftly adapt to change: E
  • Proactive and high motivated: E
  • Strong attention to detail: E
  • Confident public speaker: E

Qualifications 

  • A level: E
  • Degree: D 

Terms and Conditions

  • Salary: £40,000 to £45,000 pa (depending on experience)
  • 28 days holiday, plus public holidays
  • Pension scheme – 7% employer contribution
  • 3 x salary life assurance
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Season Ticket Loan Scheme
  • Flexible working scheme

Want to join us? Find out more about who we are at: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/about-us/work-at-booktrust/

To apply, you must submit your CV and attach a covering letter of no more than two pages outlining your suitability in relation to the person specification.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity

We aim to provide an inclusive recruitment process and actively welcome applications from diverse talent pools: BAME candidates, candidates with disabilities and long-term conditions and candidates from underrepresented communities.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and want to ensure we have an accessible application process for all candidates. If you need any reasonable adjustments or would like us to do anything differently during the application process, please contact our HR team on [email protected] or 020 7801 8855/8856 to discuss your requirements further.

BookTrust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The recruitment and selection process reflect our commitment to safeguarding therefore, the suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment, and pre-employment checks.