Lorella Belli Literary Agency: Agency Assistant

BookBrunch Limited; London; On-site; GBP 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading literary agency in Notting Hill seeks a proactive Agency Assistant to enhance its dynamic team. This role involves managing clients, contracts, and day-to-day tasks, offering growth potential to Junior Agent level. Ideal candidates should possess relevant publishing experience, outstanding organization, and a keen interest in agenting. Join this vibrant agency to develop your career and thrive in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in publishing essential (at a literary agency or trade publisher).
• Strong literacy, communication, and numeracy skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs.

Responsibilities

• Manage agency operations, liaising with clients and publishers.
• Handle administrative tasks including diary management and contract processing.
• Assist in editorial tasks like reading manuscripts and developing pitches.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Multi-tasking

Understanding publishing trends

Social media management

Education

Relevant publishing experience (6-12 months)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Rights management database software

Job description

A great opportunity for a Literary Agency Assistant to join and play an integral part in our successful boutique agency in Notting Hill, West London, to assist Lorella and the LBLA team, and work with our authors and clients worldwide

The Role: Agency Assistant (Full time, permanent)
This crucial role would suit a proactive highly organized and enthusiastic individual who already has some relevant publishing experience and is keen to develop their career. The chance to be a key player at the agency for an outgoing, self-motivated and driven person with a genuine interest in agenting. Initially a support role, the position offers an exciting opportunity for the role to grow and expand, in time, to Junior Agent level for the right candidate. This position is office-based, Westbourne Studios: https://www.workspace.co.uk/workspaces/westbourne-studios

The Company: the Lorella Belli Literary Agency Ltd is a dynamic and thriving agency with over 20 years’ experience of representing bestselling, award-winning and debut authors of fiction and general non-fiction, and as well as publishing clients worldwide.

The Ideal Candidate:
• Genuinely keen on a career in agenting and client management
• a hardworking individual capable of moving up at the agency from their initial role and take on more responsibility
• experience of working towards deadlines with the ability to prioritize and manage workloads
• good at multi-tasking and using own initiative (we value an entrepreneurial spirit!)
• excellent organizational and communication skills, both in writing and verbally
• flexible and practical; able to work autonomously and in a small team environment
• a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction, with an emphasis on commercial mainstream projects
• knowledge of contemporary publishing and media trends
• able to handle social media
• you will thrive on having a varies, busy and dynamic workday, as well as recognising the value of efficient administration and meticulous attention to detail
• a trustworthy individual, appreciative of the confidential nature of an agency work on behalf of our clients.

Responsibilities:
• The smooth running of the agency: liaising with clients and publishers, handling approvals, booking trips and events, preparing schedules and rights guides for book fairs, and attending book fairs and other publishing events as needed.
• Overall administrative tasks: diary management; updating rights management database; ad hoc research projects; creating and updating presentation materials; answering the phone and dealing with day-to-day queries.
• Contracts & Accounts: raising, tracking and processing agreements and tax forms; monitoring publication schedules; dealing with rights renewal/reversion; checking/processing royalty statements; invoicing and tracking payments.
• Editorial: some reading and evaluating manuscripts, and developing pitches and submission strategies/packages (although we have a dedicated reader)
• Agency social media/marketing for the agency.
• Client care and promotion: authors and clients management is at the heart of what we do. You will help to provide excellent client care, dealing with all matters in a confidential, fast, reliable and efficient way. Experience/skills required:
• A minimum of at least 6-12 months of relevant experience working in publishing essential (at a literary agency, scouting agency, at a trade publisher or other creative industries).
• Strong literacy and communication skills (in writing and in person)
• Good numeracy skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs and rights management database software (training can be provided if needed)

Salary: £25,000 per annum, and commensurate with experience; it may be subject to a review after six months depending on performance.

Start date: As soon as possible

To apply:
1) Please email CV and cover letter to Lorella Belli ([e-mail]), stating current salary/salary expectations and your notice period if applicable. 2) Also please mention three recently published books you enjoyed and would have loved to work on, and explain why. Closing date: 30th May 2024 (we reserve the right to close the process earlier if we have found the right candidate is found) We are looking for someone who can be an ambassador for the agency at all times and can thrive and fit in nicely with our successful and very busy small team!