My job: Chapter and verse on marketing

Yvonne Thynne's love of books led to her career. Photo / Graeme Sedal

Name: Yvonne Thynne
Age: 36
Role: Publicist - Hodder Division
Working hours: Normally 8.30am-5pm normally but also evening and weekend work for tours and events.
Salary: Industry starting salary for a publicity assistant is around $34K-$36K.
Qualification: Bachelor of Business degree (AUT) majoring in marketing and management.

Describe what you do.
I promote a selection of Hachette's locally and internationally published books. I gain as much media exposure as I can for each book through interviews, reviews, extracts and promotions.

As well as organising media, I arrange author tours for international and local authors. This involves co-ordinating events, book signings and interviews into a set itinerary and then travelling with that author.

What I do can vary greatly depending on the book and I liaise with different departments, internationally and locally.

Your work history?

While I was completing my Bachelor of Business degree I worked at the local library part-time, which gave me a background in books.

After I finished my degree I went to work as a marketing assistant in the packaging industry.

I didn't enjoy it, so a friend put me in touch with a publishing company, New Holland Publishers, which needed a sales and marketing assistant. It was a great opportunity and this was where I taught myself how to be a publicist.

I then went to the UK and worked for New Holland Publishers UK as their Publicity Manager for about five years.

When I arrived back in New Zealand I became a freelance publicist for a few years. This meant I could work with a wider range of publishers and book-related organisations.

Then two years ago I decided to go in-house and work for Hachette New Zealand because of their fantastic fiction and non-fiction lists.

Was it always your aim to work in publishing?

No, I had always thought I would become a brand manager for a FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company but I seemed to "fall" into publishing and, once you're hooked, you don't want to leave.

What skills does a publicist need?

Publicists need a variety of qualities and skills. The most important of these is great communication. If you can't sell a story to a journalist or you offend an author, then you are of absolutely no use.

Creativity, the art of negotiation and attention to detail are also vital. Each book, author and situation is different so you need to be able to adapt accordingly.

Going on tour with the authors sounds glamorous. Is it?

Going on tour with an author is hard work for the publicist and the author, but it can also be fun. There are a lot of early mornings and late nights and you are on call and on show for every minute of the day.

However, all the hard work is worth it when you see the media coverage you have arranged and the extra sales you have created.

Which author or book has left the biggest impression on you?

It wasn't a particular book or author, but my old college English teacher, Mr Lobb, who made the biggest impression on me.

The debates we had in class about the books that we read made me enjoy literature even more.

Which author would you most like to meet?

Michael Parkinson, definitely. I watched him on TV as a child and have read his biography which we re-published in paperback this year. He's coming to New Zealand in November to do some one-man shows around the country and I am excited at the prospect of meeting him.

What is the strangest request you have had?

When I was in the UK I had to arrange publicity for a wide range of humour books from Adult Origami to Roundabouts of Great Britain.

The most enjoyable was for a book called Extreme Ironing where I put the author in a Perspex box and dangled him from a crane over the streets of Leicester while he ironed his shirts.

Why is your job important?

Publicists are important because we create opportunities. This might be to meet an author that you love, or hear about a new book that will inspire you. We act as a conduit between the publisher and the reader.

Most challenging part of the job?

Building a debut author.

It's easy to get people to read or interview a "big name" author, but my skills come into their own when I convince a journalist to interview or review someone new.

Best part of the job?

I love reading, so having access to such a wide variety of books is definitely the best part of the job.

Advice for someone wanting a similar career?

If you want to have a job in publishing, get qualified, get some work experience and read, read, read. Whitireia Polytechnic offers a Diploma in Publishing which covers all aspects of publishing and incorporates a work placement component, so it's a good starting point.