About us

 

BookSource is the trading name of Scottish Book Source Ltd and is Scotland’s largest and fastest growing independent book distributor, supplying books and other published material to both the retail trade and general public throughout the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. 

 

Our publisher clients outsource their warehousing, customer service and credit management functions to us, safe in the knowledge that what they get in return is an efficient and effective distribution partner, respected throughout the UK book industry. We have long established lines of supply throughout the international book trade, and we similarly excel in our service to small customers. We are committed to helping our publishers do business! 

 

Initially based in Springburn, North Glasgow, the company was founded in 1995 by Publishing Scotland (the Scottish book trade charity) and four Scottish publishers. Now in Cambuslang, there are over one hundred publishers on our client list from across the United Kingdom and overseas. 

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About the post

 

We’re taking the opportunity to re-examine what the business requires to continue our success well into the future. The markets within which we operate have become complex and demanding and we need a Business Development and Marketing  professional to help us increase value and revenue across the business through the development of our relationships with our clients, customers, markets and stakeholders, and by ensuring that our services remain attractive, competitive and relevant. 

 

This new role is split into three distinct functions… 

 

• Telling our story to the world through social and online media, advertising and promotion, and by attending bookfairs and conferences. 

• Securing new publisher clients for the company by being intimately knowledgeable of our market, building relationships and spotting opportunities. 

• Becoming our expert on how we can harness new opportunities presented by our customers, particularly the online retailers. 

 

The Company’s reputation in UK publishing has grown considerably in recent years but we have sometimes failed to exploit the marketing capital that has provided. Our aspirations are that this new post will allow the business to increase it’s standing within the industry, become recognised as a major player within the UK book supply chain, and ultimately be the go-to service partner for independent publishers. 

 

It is hoped that the Business Development and Marketing Manager will become a Director in due course. 

 

About the job 

 

This is a key management role and you’ll be an integral part of the senior management team. You will attend quarterly Board meetings where you will deliver the Business Development and Marketing Report. A specific outcome of your employment will be that the Board and the Management team and better and quicker informed. 

 

You will manage all aspects of the Company’s external communications. Your job is to tell our story to all of our potential audiences, and to make sure they are reached. You will take control of the company’s media accounts, you will revamp them and use them to full effect. You will have your ear to the ground internally and decide what needs to be told to the world… and then tell it. You will be responsible for the company’s presence at Bookfairs and conferences. You will decide which ones are valuable and you will decide who goes, and then organise it. An outcome of your employment will be that the company’s profile within the industry has advanced markedly. 

 

You will be responsible for bringing us new publisher clients. You will know the market intimately, you will maintain lists of potential targets that fit our business profile and you will build relationships with them, and ultimately you will secure them as clients. You will also assist us to remain vital to our publishers by helping to develop our service offerings through your knowledge of the marketplace. The desired outcome is that our top line revenue and our bottom line profits increase because of you. 

 

You will build on the existing relationships with our key customers, particularly with the online retailers such as Amazon. You will ensure that we are fully ‘plugged-in’ to all their systems and ways of working so that doing business with BookSource couldn’t be easier. You will become our expert on how things work and you will be an invaluable resource both internally and to our publishers. By nurturing these relationships we optimise our routes to market for our clients, helping them do business in an increasingly competitive environment. The desired outcome is an increase in book sales for publishers but at a sustainable cost for BookSource. 

 

The person we're looking for 

 

• You will have been involved in UK publishing for at least 10 years, preferably in Sales, Marketing, Production or General Management. Experience or knowledge of the distribution end of publishing would be a distinct advantage. 

• You will have an in-depth knowledge of the industry – of the key players, of the trends, and of any technological or cultural shifts taking place. 

• You will have a track record in spotting opportunities and making them happen. 

• You will previously have been responsible for marketing communications and you can demonstrate their reach and effect.  

• You will be active on all kinds of social media. 

• You are able to build relationships quickly and maintain them over prolonged periods. 

• You are confident with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and other productivity applications. 

 

Terms of the job 

 

This role is being advertised as a full time post (35 hours/week) but some flexibility could be considered. A reasonable balance between office and remote working is offered taking into account the needs of the business. 

 

The job attracts a competitive salary and a contributory pension arrangement. 

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The next step

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If this is you then we'd love you to apply for the job. You can do this by sending a comprehensive CV along with a covering letter (both as PDFs) to:

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Davinder Bedi - Managing Director

dav.bedi@booksource.net

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Closing date: Friday 31st March at 5pm

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