Author Partnerships Spec

UNITED METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE • Nashville, TN

6d • $51,788 - $56,967

About The Position

The Author Partnerships Specialist leverages author relationships as strategic marketing assets for The Cokesbury Community. This full-time role builds and nurtures relationships with key authors, coordinates author-driven content creation, develops co-marketing campaigns, creates product descriptions and metadata, and creates opportunities for authors to engage directly with audiences. Serving as the bridge between editorial/publishing teams and marketing strategy, this position transforms author expertise and influence into content that drives audience engagement, builds community, and supports revenue growth across all Cokesbury Community platforms. This role has discretion to enter product descriptions directly into Biblio or pass to the Marketing Operations & Publishing Liaison based on workload and capacity at the time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, English, Publishing, or related field
• Three (3) to five (5) years of experience in author relations, content marketing, publishing marketing, or related fields
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong copywriting abilities
• Experience writing product descriptions, marketing copy, and metadata
• Relationship building skills – natural connector who develops trust and long-term partnerships
• Copywriting expertise – skilled at writing compelling product descriptions, Amazon A+ content, and marketing copy
• SEO and metadata knowledge – understands how to optimize product discoverability across e-commerce platforms
• Content strategy thinking – understands how to transform author expertise into engaging audience content
• Project management – organized approach to managing complex schedules and multiple author relationships simultaneously
• Cultural sensitivity – respectful of diverse theological perspectives and ministry contexts

Nice To Haves

• Experience in religious publishing, Christian ministry, or faith-based organizations
• Knowledge of Christian ministry contexts, theological education, and church leadership
• Experience with author platform development and influencer marketing
• Familiarity with Amazon A+ content creation and e-commerce product marketing
• Familiarity with publishing industry standards and Biblio or similar metadata platforms
• Familiarity with Biblio platform or similar publishing metadata systems preferred

Responsibilities

• Author Relationship Development & Management: Identifies and cultivates relationships with key authors across Cokesbury, Abingdon Press, and partner publishers. Serves as primary marketing liaison for author communications and coordination. Builds trust and credibility with authors as collaborative marketing partners. Maintains author database with platform information, content preferences, and engagement history. Coordinates author feedback on marketing initiatives. Manages author expectations and communicates marketing plans and results.
• Author-Driven Content Development & Coordination: Develops content strategies that leverage author expertise and thought leadership. Coordinates author blog posts, articles, video content, and social media contributions. Facilitates author participation in webinars, podcasts, and virtual events. Creates content calendars aligning author availability with campaign needs and audience interests. Edits and prepares author-contributed content for publication. Coordinates with the Creative Content & Brand Director on author content creative assets.
• Product Descriptions, Metadata, & Amazon A+ Content: Writes compelling product descriptions for books, curriculum, and resources within metadata standards established by the Marketing Operations & Publishing Liaison. Develops metadata including keywords, categories, and search terms for product discoverability. Creates SEO-optimized product copy for e-commerce platforms. Creates Amazon A+ content combining author credentials, positioning, and promotional copy. Based on workload and capacity, may enter product descriptions directly into Biblio or pass to the Marketing Operations & Publishing Liaison for entry. Maintains consistency in product information across all platforms.
• Co-Marketing Campaign Development: Designs author partnership marketing campaigns that benefit both author and Cokesbury Community. Develops book launch marketing plans incorporating author platform and participation. Coordinates author appearances, speaking engagements, and conference participation. Plans and executes author-led virtual events (webinars, Q&As, workshops). Tracks and reports on author campaign performance and ROI.
• Influencer Strategy & Audience Expansion: Identifies authors with strong platforms and audience alignment for influencer partnerships. Develops strategies to leverage author audiences for Cokesbury Community growth. Coordinates author social media takeovers, guest posts, and collaborative content. Creates affiliate or ambassador programs with key authors. Monitors author mentions and engagement across social media and online platforms.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Collaborates with the Audience Campaign Strategist to integrate author content into campaign strategies. Partners with the Market Research CRM Strategist to understand which authors resonate with specific audience segments. Coordinates with publishers and editorial teams on author availability and permissions. Connects authors with the sales team for retail and conference opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level