Role Title: International Rights Assistant
Reports to: Head of International Rights
Team: Client Management – International Rights
Reports: 0
The Blair Partnership is a literary and entertainment agency. We look for and work with engaging and imaginative storytellers and use our expertise, experience, and connections to help them shape and share their stories. Our clients include new and established writers across fiction, children’s and young adult, business, politics, sport and more. We pursue commercial opportunities for our clients through deal making in the UK, US, and internationally, partner management, and backlist rights management. Together we bring their stories to life across publishing, audio, brand, live events, digital and TV and film.
What our team do
We are responsible for licensing translation rights in all TBP clients’ books, across adult fiction and non-fiction titles, and children’s fiction. We work closely with editors at publishing houses all around the world, pitching stories, negotiating deals, sharing title information, and collaborating closely with them throughout the publication process and beyond.
What you’ll be doing
This role will be an integral part of the International Rights team, providing administrative support on a day-to-day basis, and supporting on a wide range of publishing projects and different territories. No previous experience in publishing is necessary, but the role offers the opportunity for development and taking on further responsibilities according to experience, skills and interests.
Responsibilities
General Admin
- Updating our international publishing directory of contacts
- Responsible for collating and tracking translation deals and publication schedules for all authors
- Posting author copies of books
- Team diary management, booking meeting rooms etc.
- Managing the general team enquiries inbox
- Supporting the team on key projects on an ad hoc basis
Supporting Sales and Account Management
- Designing international rights guides and drafting pitch documents
- Sending regular updates to literary scouts on all projects and authors
- Updating our submissions database
- Drafting translation rights contracts, sending contracts via DocuSign, and keeping track of contracts’ status
- Reviewing and approving translated editions (covers, copyright notices, interiors), marketing plans and other materials from international partners worldwide
- Managing International publicity, Including international trips, for our clients
Book Fairs (subject to authorised travel)
- Preparing for major international Book Fairs (Frankfurt, London, Bologna) as well as assisting in following up interest in the subsequent weeks
- Scheduling meetings for the team
- Managing bookings (meeting tables, flights, hotels, restaurants)
- Organising additional events
What we’re looking for
- An interest in stories and international publishing
- Desire to pursue a career in the licensing of translation rights
- A personable and proactive character and ability to communicate with people at all levels, with a helpful and accommodating approach
- Excellent at prioritising heavy workloads, working under pressure, and multitasking
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Strong Microsoft Office skills
- Highly organised, with strong attention to detail
- Able to work independently as well as within a busy team
- Solution-driven in all aspects of your work, with a willingness to learn
- Cultural awareness is essential and foreign language skills are a bonus
Who we are
The Blair Partnership is a literary and entertainment agency. We offer our clients a broad range of services including rights management, client representation and franchise management. As part of those services, we help to manage several companies on behalf of our client J.K. Rowling. Those companies include Pottermore and Bronte. These businesses benefit from shared resources and expertise provided by The Blair Partnership, but they are run by their own leaders.
There are three core pillars to The Blair Partnership’s business activity:
- Franchise Management – which encompasses brand & franchise vision and strategy, creative strategy & direction, product development, brand management & comms for the Wizarding World franchise
- Client Management - we represent our clients’ literary and entertainment rights portfolios and pursue commercial opportunities for our clients through deal making in the UK, US and internationally, partner management and backlist rights management.
- Governance & support - we provide governance and support to companies owned by J.K. Rowling and Neil Blair. As part of that support, we cultivate close collaboration & strong, cohesive working practices between all the businesses.
Our vision remains to shape, nurture and grow the most imaginative and engaging brands for generations to come, working with our clients. Our mission is to shape and connect stories to their audiences.
We are committed to creating an environment where our staff, clients & partners can tell their stories and achieve their potential whatever that may be. We are committed to representing a diversity of skills, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We strive to make this a business that is welcoming, supportive and empowering; where all voices can be heard. It’s a work in progress and we know there is always more we can do.
What you can expect from us
- Competitive Salary
- Hybrid working pattern
- Company Bonus Scheme
- 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
- Group Pension Plan where we contribute 5%
- Life Assurance of 4 times salary
- Health Insurance (currently with Vitality)
- Health Shield Cashback Plan
- Harry Potter Franchise Partner discounts and a free ticket to see both parts of Harry Potter & The Cursed Child
- Annual Creative Bursary
- Season Ticket Loan
- Cycle Scheme
