Christian Purdy – Publicist

Publicity veteran with 25+ years of experience promoting serious non-fiction titles for general readers of science, economics/finance/business, history, politics/public policy, education, art, religion & philosophy, sports, mathematics, literature and criticism, health/medical/psych and various other disciplines; promotion of scholarly journals and their content; promotion of wide range of scholarly online platforms. Supervisory and management of social media platforms (blog, FB, Twitter, Tumbler, et al) and team. Experience managing large staff, budgeting, strategic planning, book proposal evaluation in addition to all aspects of promoting specific titles and authors.

Directed staff of 11 on managing campaigns for 200+ titles a year (two seasons), designed and directed program for promoting lead articles in select journals; developed a publicity program for online products ~20 to date. Mentor junior staff, pitch seasonal lists for four imprints to national media in print, radio, TV. Book lectures/events at museums, libraries, institutions, think tanks and bookstores. Specialized knowledge in science, economics, public policy/political science and history campaigns. Work closely with Marketing/Sales/Editorial departments to coordinate efforts to maximize sales and manage author expectation.

Evaluate and promote lead articles for Oxford owned, and/or distributed scholarly journals; Advise scholarly societies and journal editorial teams re scope and possibility re article promotion, coordinate with marketing colleagues re journal and article promotional strategies; Advise journal marketing and in-house editorial teams re publicity strategy and possibilities for new journal acquisition bids.

Collaborate with online marketing and editorial teams to promote 20+ online platforms to institutional customers and academic end-user markets.

Experience implementing and fostering social media strategy and platforms including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and various other social media platforms to promote corporate initiatives and scholarly content.

Assist Publicity Director in planning and managing campaigns for 150+ titles a year (three seasons). Mentor junior staff, pitch seasonal lists for four imprints to national media in print, radio, TV. Book lectures/events at museums, libraries, institutions, think tanks and bookstores. Specialized knowledge in science, business/economics, public policy/political science and history campaigns. Work closely with Marketing/Sales/Editorial departments to coordinate efforts to maximize sales and manage author expectation.

Managed Staff of five publicists, interns, freelancers, and $450,000 budget. Oversaw campaigns for 200+ titles per season: approx. 30 trade titles, 30+ trade paperbacks, and scholarly monographs. Coordinated efforts with Sales, Marketing, and Editorial departments to identify strategies for promotion and maximum sales potential. Met with and pitched lists to book review editors, reporters, producers and event planners to secure placement and attention for key authors and campaigns. Reviewed proposals and made recommendations regarding publicity potential, publishing profile, participated in strategic planning for Press initiatives, coordinated and managed European publicity efforts. Served as spokesman for the Press on all media queries regarding PUP business.

Managed campaigns for 30+ trade titles from start to finish. Reviewed proposals and made recommendations regarding publishing profile and publicity potential. Primarily responsible for trade science, including physics, cosmology & astronomy, mathematics, environmental/ecological studies, and biology titles. Experience with minority studies, human sexuality list, history, political science/public policy and jazz lists. Met with and maintained positive relationship with related media. Booked author tours, attended science conferences and conventions, and assisted the Director with running the department.

Other positions held: Publicist, Publicity Assistant, Exhibits Coordinator (responsible for coordinating 100+ convention exhibits per year)