Today we have a very special guest. Kate Patrick from Kids Can Press is here to tell us about her exciting career as a Marketing Assistant at a top publishing house.

Let’s see what Kate had to say;

Q. What does a Marketing Assistant do?

A. “In book publishing, a marketing assistant helps to spread the word about new books! Once a book is published, we have to make sure that people know about it. We do this by sending books to be reviewed, posting about our books on social media, displaying our books at big conferences and creating marketing materials that will showcase our books.”

Q. What type of education/training is required to be a Marketing Assistant?

A. “The education required is usually an undergraduate degree and an additional book publishing course.”

“I have a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Simon Fraser University and a Master’s degree in Book Publishing from Edinburgh Napier University (that’s in Scotland!). I also took a few additional book publishing classes from Ryerson University in Toronto.”

Q. Tell us what a typical day at work is like

A. “I work at a desk in a big office building. In the mornings, I sit down in my office and drink a cup of coffee while checking emails. I get lots of emails from authors, illustrators, and book reviewers.”

“I have lots of different tasks to complete during the day. Some of these include mailing books, sending books to award committees, creating a catalog of our books and checking my company’s social media accounts.”

“I also have to make sure that I read all of the books that my company publishes, so in the afternoons I try to make time to read for a bit. It’s nice to be able to read fun books at work!”

Q. What’s your favorite part of the job?

A. “I love being surrounded by books! Our office is packed full of them. They are on every available surface.

“I also love that I get to read so many lovely books!”

Q. Do you have any advice for our young readers?

A. “If you want to find new books to read, ask your school librarian! They will have the best recommendations and will be able to find you something you will enjoy.”

Q. Anything else you would like to add?

A. “Don’t worry too much about what other people are reading. Pick books that you enjoy!”

Thank you, Kate, for that awesome glimpse into your fun and fascinating job as a Marketing Assistant.

Would you like to have a career in the world of publishing? Let us know in the comments section.