Meet Ella, Senior Marketing Executive at Transworld

“We work on some really exciting brands – Lee Child, Dan Brown, Sophie Kinsella, Paula Hawkins and Terry Pratchett to name just a few – and we are also known for launching debut authors with huge success.”

How would you describe your role?

Once a book has been edited to perfection by our editorial team, it gets given to a marketer and a publicist to make sure the book gets in front of readers who will love it. When I’m allocated a book, I think about who the audience is, where to reach them and how to grab their attention so that this is the book they decide to buy.

What tasks are usually on your to-do-list?

Commissioning written features from authors for the Penguin website. This involves thinking about the kind of content people are searching for and working with the author to deliver it in a way that really sells their book.

Designing and printing posters and bookmarks for Waterstones and independent bookshops to ensure they have all the tools they need to sell our books to their customers.

Speaking to our advertising agency about an upcoming campaign. We work with the agency to decide the best place to advertise – in newspapers, in train stations, online.

Setting up social media advertising. When you see a promoted post on Facebook, it’s because the advertisers have selected you as someone who may be interested in that product. We try to define our audience and then work on what we need to tell them to persuade them to buy the book.

What are the key skills needed to excel in your role?

Oh it’s such a mix, which is why I love it so much! Marketing mixes creativity and strategy, so you need to be happy coming up with new ideas and prepared to think about how to reach your audience. You need to be organised and able to prioritise your tasks – we’re dealing with requests from bookshops, talking to our authors and working really closely with our colleagues in other departments.

I didn’t know how to use Photoshop when I started but I do now, and it is incredibly useful. I also work with budgets so even if you don’t love numbers you do need to be comfortable with filling in a spreadsheet!

Finally, what piece of advice or information would you share with someone who is deciding whether to apply for an internship?

There’s no better place to explore opportunities in publishing and we’ll ensure you get the most out of your time with us. We’re a really friendly and innovative team. This is an opportunity to use your skills and really make an impact in an exciting industry – we’d love you to apply.

If you’re interested in kick starting your career in Marketing, check out our Internship opportunities.