Publishing Assistant II Grade D

Clerical and Technical generic job description

Family: Support Service
Job Code: 711

Representative duties:

Serves as principle source of information to staff, faculty, authors, publishing representatives, media, booksellers, and other customers on policies, procedures, programs, and office activities
Proofreads and edits manuscripts and other forms of copy for publication and/or for distribution. Makes stylistic, structural, factual, and grammatical corrections
Writes copy for publication and distribution. Composes other substantive correspondence and written material
Maintains contact with authors, printers, faculty, staff, and others associated with publishing work
Confers with authors on content, form and style
Recommends revisions to manuscripts and illustrations
Performs layout work. Tracks copy through editing and production stages. Coordinates production schedules and ensures that printing deadlines are met. Prepares manuscripts for electronic editing; converts and codes text files
Oversees the preparation of materials for the budget
Monitors expenditures and reconciles financial statements. Formats and maintains spreadsheets, databases, and other internal reports. Determines sources of data. Compiles, synthesizes, and manipulates data
Summarizes findings and writes reports or portions of reports
Formats, keyboards, proofreads, and edits correspondence, press releases, copy, manuscripts, reports, and other material. Assembles attachments and corresponding material. Reviews outgoing material for completeness, dates and signatures
Determines administrative, facility, and equipment needs for conferences and demonstrations. Assembles and arranges for necessary items
Performs additional clerical functions incidental to office activities, including: greeting visitors, answering and screening phone calls, assessing nature of business, providing assistance, responding to requests for information, screening and responding to mail, coordinating travel arrangements, scheduling and coordinating meetings and appointments, ordering and maintaining inventory of supplies
Oversees, instructs and coordinates the activities of support staff

The job duties listed above are representative and characteristic of the duties required and the level of the work performed in the job title. The duties will vary from incumbent to incumbent in the job title.

Required knowledge:

Advanced knowledge; college degree; substantial knowledge in a specialized field; substantial knowledge in a broader field of learning
Working knowledge of business, accounting or commercial procedures; detailed knowledge in a particular area of business, accounting or commercial procedures
Working knowledge of University organizational policies and procedures generally; detailed knowledge of one or several narrow areas of University academic, administrative, or financial rules and procedures

Required skills:

Extracts and compiles a range of data from written sources, from individuals by asking questions, or from one or several given databases, limited interpretation of data
Extensive routine and non-routine use of a major library catalogue or reference database
Creates complex filing systems
Summarizes, revises or makes limited use of complex, technical or specialized material
Composes and proofreads or edit specialized technical reports or grant applications for external circulation; proofreads material for publication
Regular, skilled use of more complex machines, including word processors or personal computers; responsible for basic troubleshooting and repair or manipulation of data using published software

Office and administrative skills:

Keyboards statistics, graphs, manuscripts, manuals, slide presentations, and other complex material
Merges, edits, and manipulates data to generate complex reports
Arranges for and coordinates schedules, appointments, projects, conferences, and major events
Advises, screens, and refers callers and visitors

Experience, education, and formal training:

Required: BA/BS and two years of related experience in the same job family or in book publishing or related enterprise (magazine publishing, library, bookstore, newspaper, yearbook, public relations) OR an equivalent combination of education/experience (BA/BS and an internship at Yale University Press or a comparable publishing house, plus at least three months paid/unpaid experience in a related enterprise OR BA/BS and graduate of a post graduate professional level publishing course, plus at least three months paid/unpaid experience in a related enterprise, OR BA/BS and six months of experience as an Editorial Assistant or Publishing Assistant at Yale University Press or a comparable publishing house)
Preferred: Yale Press Internship, graduate of a postgraduate professional level publishing course, or six month experience as a Publishing or Editorial Assistant at Yale Press

Complexity and organization:

Wide variety of complicated tasks with numerous processes/methods that require coordinating
Often coordinates or organizes the work of others

Interpersonal relations:

Ongoing involvement with others outside of the immediate work unit
Offers or obtains specialized information and provides assistance on complex matters
Officially represents someone, whether a supervisor, faculty member, or the University

Supervisory guidelines:

Work may or may not be reviewed
Incumbent plans and schedules own work and/or work of others based on the understanding of supervisor’s broadly defined objectives and priorities; supervisor reviews work after completion
Instruction provided only in very rare instances

Independent judgment:

Established procedures/policies govern some of the work situations
Regular exercise of independent judgment or initiative
Recognize problems and choose solutions from among several alternatives that are not necessarily governed by established procedures

Leadership responsibility:

Occasionally provides work guidance or orientation for non-routine procedures/policies
Often distributes and monitors work

Impact and consequence of error:

Work has some affect both outside the work unit and outside the University
Errors are difficult to recognize and correct. Errors or mistaken release of confidential information can cause considerable harm or financial loss to individuals, departments, and the University, or to other individuals and groups

Working conditions:

Slight possibility of safety risks
Regular, multiple or conflicting demands, deadlines, or emergencies
Regular sustained concentration
Some physical effort or dexterity

Example 1

General purpose:

Provide support for the Languages Editor.

Essential duties:

Monitor receipt of proposals and manuscripts. Review publishing potential of submitted projects. Track manuscript progress through departments. Maintain organized system of manuscript and accompanying materials. Prepare manuscripts and accompanying materials for release to editing and production departments. Ensure that daily deadlines are met and prioritized workload to include both daily and overarching tasks
Write reports on proposals and manuscripts. Write copy for publication and distribution. Write, format, keyboard, proofread and edit correspondence, compose substantial content-related memos, copy manuscripts, reports, and other material for readers, authors, and agents. Proofread and edit correspondence and other forms of copy for publication and/or distribution. Assemble attachments and corresponding material. Review outgoing material for completeness, dates, and signatures. Articulate complex and sensitive information in a convincing, coherent and efficient way
Research, select and contact readers for manuscripts. Track progress of readers’ reviews. Including keeping detailed notes; initiate payment for readers
Monitor expenditures, formats and maintain spreadsheets, develop databases, and other internal reports. Determine sources of data. Compile, synthesize and manipulate data. Prepare castoffs, manufacturing estimates, and title accounting worksheets (financial structure for each manuscript). Will help to monitor cost sheets for individual book titles including posting invoices, monitor individual budgets, etc. Will report to editors’ situations that vary from approved budgets
Develop and/or maintain Publishing Plan for all editors’ projects; create and update manuscript databases, and other logs
Serve as principal source of information to staff, faculty, authors, publishing representatives, media booksellers, and other customers. Information may include, but is not limited to, intellectual integrity and merit of manuscripts, general budgetary and print-run information, schedules, design concepts, and general editing and style guidelines
Perform additional clerical functions incidental to office activities, including: greeting visitors; answering and screening telephone calls, assessing nature of business, providing assistance, responding to requests for information; screening and responding to mail; coordinating travel arrangements; scheduling and coordinating meetings and appointments
Prepare materials for Publication Committee; canvass instructors throughout US and UK to asses course adoption potential for certain book projects; provide editorial assistance to authors in preparing manuscript; may write jacket or catalogue copy for trade titles
Log and tack incoming supplementary materials and return to authors and/or owners; assist Editor and Photo Editor as needed with paperwork for photos and permissions requests
Represent YUP to potential authors, existing authors, media, and other presses at conferences, shows and other off-site interactions

Experience and training

BA/BS and two years of related experience in the same job family or in book publishing or related enterprise (magazine publishing, library, bookstore, newspaper, yearbook, public relations) OR an equivalent combination of education/experience (BA/BS and an internship at Yale University press or a comparable publishing house, plus at least three months paid/unpaid experience in a related enterprise OR BA/BS and graduate professional level publishing course, plus at least three months paid/unpaid experience in a related enterprise, OR BA/BS and six months of experience as an Editorial Assistant or Publishing Assistant or Publishing Assistant at Yale University Press or a comparable publishing house)
Preferred: Yale Press Internship graduate of a post graduate professional level publishing course, or six months experience as a Publishing or Editorial Assistant at Yale Press

Skills and abilities:

Demonstrated writing ability with excellent oral presentation and communication skills
Excellent organizational and follow-through skills
Minimum keyboarding skills (25-40 wpm) with proficiency in Word or Word Perfect. Ability to develop spreadsheets and databases in Excel and Access
Excellent interpersonal skills, even under pressure
Detail oriented; demonstrated ability to juggle many tasks simultaneously and on deadline with minimal supervision
Advanced French, Italian or German language skills
Preferred: Substantial knowledge of Excel, Access, Microsoft Word, and other database programs

Example 2

General purpose:

Provide high-level administrative and secretarial support to the Publicity Manager and three Publicists.

Essential duties:

Coordinate and execute dissemination of information and materials about YUP books to media (review copies, prices, press materials, photographs, etc.), often on deadline. Serve as principal source of information on prices, availability of proof and books and author information. Organize mailings, coordinate workflow and project development. Answer questions from media, authors, in-house staff, printers, public relations contacts
Edit, shape and adapt existing marketing copy to meet special publicity needs. Write press releases, letters to authors and media
Use word processing and occasionally desktop publishing software; keyboard, proofread, and arrange for printing of press materials
Research media for new projects. Maintain database of media contacts
Assist with organization and execution of proof mailing. Proofread and check for completeness and accuracy of materials; ensure accurate and timely production of bound proof
Work with authors on various publicity-related tasks; soliciting and setting up radio and TV interviews, transmitting op-ed pieces to print editors; contacting authors’ local medi
Process publicity-related bills. Using spreadsheet software, track and reconcile expenses. Assist in preparation of budget
Oversee work-study students and summer interns

Experience and training:

BA/BS and two years of related experience in the same job family or in book publishing or related enterprise (magazine publishing, library, bookstore, newspaper, yearbook, or an equivalent combination of education/experience (BA/BS and a Yale University Press internship, plus some paid/unpaid experience in a related enterprise or BA/BS and graduate of a post graduate professional level publishing course, plus at least three months paid/unpaid experience in a related enterprise, or BA/BS and six months of experience as YUP Editorial Assistant I or YUP Publishing Assistant I)
Preferred: Knowledge of literary and book review media; knowledge of academic disciplines

Skills and abilities:

Excellent proofreading, organizational, follow-through, and writing skills
Excellent attention to detail
Ability to work well with others on deadline, under pressure, with minimal supervision. Ability to work on many project at once
Working knowledge of computers including word processing and spreadsheet software