Marketing & Publicity Manager - Romance

Job Description

Job Description

Are you a strategic marketer who knows how to turn a great romance novel into a must-read moment—and enjoys helping others do the same? Sourcebooks is looking for a Marketing & Publicity Manager to lead bold, integrated campaigns across Casablanca and Bloom Books while mentoring a growing team of marketers. This role combines marketing, publicity, events, influencer outreach, author relations, and social media to connect books with readers, drive sales, and help shape the future of our romance marketing team.

The ideal candidate is creative, collaborative, highly organized, and deeply attuned to romance readers, digital communities, and cultural trends. You can move seamlessly between big-picture strategy and hands-on execution, build strong relationships with authors and internal partners, and use performance insights to strengthen campaigns from prepublication through launch and beyond. This is a hybrid position based in Naperville, Illinois, with a three-day-per-week in-office requirement. Because this role includes direct management responsibilities, regular in-office collaboration is an important part of the position. You'll mentor and develop team members while overseeing hands-on campaign execution.
This is a exempt, salaried position with a range of $65,000 - $70,000. We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications. What You'll Do

• Lead, mentor, and develop direct reports, provide regular coaching, feedback, and opportunities for professional growth while fostering a collaborative, team-first culture.
• Lead integrated marketing campaigns for assigned Casablanca and Bloom Books titles, building awareness before publication and creating multiple meaningful consumer touchpoints at launch.
• Develop and execute publicity strategies, pitch national, trade, and consumer media, pursue “most anticipated” and “best of” coverage, and create press materials including releases, Q&As, and sell sheets.
• Plan and implement author tours, bookstore events, conventions, festivals, and conference appearances in partnership with authors, the romance marketing team, retail marketing, and booksellers.
• Develop influencer strategies and title-specific organic social plans that reach romance readers across social and web platforms.
• Help shape and execute organic content for Casablanca and Bloom Books imprint channels, supporting launches, promotions, author news, retail moments, backlist opportunities, and community engagement.
• Partner with digital and retail marketing teams on consumer advertising, landing pages, lead-generation programs, campaign testing, and other initiatives designed to grow awareness and sales.
• Collaborate with sales and retail marketing on preorder campaigns, account exclusives, signed-copy programs, retail placement, annual promotional planning, and opportunities that connect frontlist and backlist titles.
• Present marketing plans at Sales Conference and contribute marketing and publicity strategy for prospective authors, acquisitions meetings, and author presentations as needed.
• Manage campaign timelines and upstream dependencies, including ARC and marketing-material dates, while tracking performance, audience growth, ROI, point-of-sale results, and bestseller recognition.
• Travel to select author events and industry conferences as needed.

What You Bring:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• At least five years of experience in book publishing marketing or publicity, entertainment or media marketing, or a related consumer-facing field; experience marketing romance books is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing and developing direct reports, with a collaborative leadership style and a passion for mentoring, coaching, and helping others grow.
• A demonstrated ability to develop and execute integrated campaigns across publicity, social media, influencers, events, advertising, digital marketing, and retail channels.
• Experience with media-pitching and relationship-building skills, with the ability to identify compelling angles and communicate effectively with national, trade, and consumer outlets.
• A strong understanding of romance readers, online book communities, social platforms, influencer ecosystems, and the retail landscape.
• Excellent writing, presentation, communication, and project management skills, with sharp attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple campaigns and deadlines at once.
• A collaborative and solution-oriented approach, with the confidence to lead projects, contribute ideas, and work effectively across teams.
• Flexibility, curiosity, sound judgment, and enthusiasm for working in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial publishing environment.

Why Sourcebooks?
As Newsweek’s #2 Most Loved Workplace in 2024 and a recognized leader in innovation by Fast Company (2024 Most Innovative Companies, 2023 Best Workplaces for Innovators), we use a mission-driven, data-centered approach to drive success for our authors and their books. We’re a thriving entrepreneurial company that creates books that transcend categories and defy odds, and we’ve been honored with hundreds of national bestsellers and awards. We are passionate book lovers dedicated to connecting books to readers in innovative ways. Story by story, book by book, we have changed more than 300 million lives. Join us as we change 300 million more!



 

Ready to Apply:
Please submit your resume, salary requirements, and cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest in this role. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Show us your passion and creativity — we’re looking for someone who’s as enthusiastic about this opportunity as we are!

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, 401(k), Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, and generous paid time off.

Sourcebooks 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.

 

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