Publicity & marketing trainee

Closing date for applications: Sunday 9th August 2026 at 11.59pm

Salary: London Living Wage

Location: London, hybrid

Start date: 1st September 2026

Duration: 6 months

Working hours: Monday - Friday, 9:30 – 5:30pm

Interview dates: In-person interviews 20 - 25 August

Passionate about books and current affairs? Join an independent publisher and gain hands-on experience in publicity and marketing, promoting books that explore the ideas, events and issues shaping our world.

Hurst is an independently owned and run non-fiction press based in central London that publishes internationally. It produces approximately 75 new titles per year in the fields of history, politics, sociology, war studies, and religion, building on its strengths in African, Asian, East European, and Middle East Studies. Hurst aims to publish books that add meaningfully to conversations or start new ones. Although it's a small publishing house, Hurst consistently achieves coverage for its books in mainstream media. In an era when news moves at warp speed, often outpacing our ability to fully understand it, books remain essential tools for grasping the deeper forces shaping the world: regional conflict and regime change, public protest and economic upheaval. Hurst’s long established list in global affairs is dedicated to providing that context—rigorous, independent, and historically informed.

This traineeship offers a hands-on introduction to all aspects of publicity, marketing and sales. The publicity and marketing trainee will work closely with the team to learn how books are promoted on social media, via websites, and through podcasts, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, etc. Alongside administrative tasks like pulling review quotes and responding to media, the trainee will have the opportunity to contribute new ideas for promoting authors and books and undertaking original research. There is also room for the trainee to be creative when working with Photoshop and InDesign to develop marketing materials. The publicity and marketing trainee will also have the chance to attend book events and work directly with authors. This role is ideal for someone who wants to learn more about non-fiction book publishing and has a broad interest in current global affairs, helping them to understand Hurst's readers and related media.

Key activities

• Helping to develop ideas for promoting new authors and titles
• Crafting pitches and sales points
• Reading reviews and tailoring book descriptions
• Identifying and extracting strong quotes for promotional use
• Designing social media assets and promotional materials
• Updating book listings across our website and ONIX system
• Cleaning and improving metadata
• Assisting with general publicity and marketing administration
• Opportunities to attend book launches, author events or other industry events, which may occasionally take place in the evening outside normal working hours

What you will learn

• How books are promoted through social media, websites, podcasts, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, etc.
• How to use relevant publishing industry software, including ONIX (book metadata system), Mailchimp (email marketing platform) and WordPress (website management)
• How to use design software, including Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, to produce professional social media assets, book flyers, press releases, and other promotional materials
• An understanding of all aspects of book publicity and marketing, including:
  • Pitching books and authors to the media
  • Drafting and supporting publicity and marketing campaigns
  • Organising events such as book launches, author events and promotional activities
  • Creating professional social media assets and marketing materials
  • Liaising with the media, including journalists, reviewers and other media contacts

What we're looking for

• An enthusiastic self-starter who would thrive in a small, busy office
• A collaborative worker who can contribute fresh and creative ideas
• A strong command of written English and the confidence to write copy, sales points, letters and other promotional materials
• A broad interest in current affairs, international relations and global affairs, with an understanding of Hurst's readers and the media they engage with
• A strong news sense and an interest in, and awareness of, the changing landscape of the media
• A good general knowledge of the major social media platforms
• Curiosity, enthusiasm and a genuine interest in learning about non-fiction book publishing
• No previous publishing experience is required. However, experience contributing to a publication, working in a bookshop, or undertaking similar publishing or communications-related work (including voluntary work) would be beneficial
• A degree, particularly in the humanities or social sciences, or equivalent experience is desirable

Application instructions

As part of your application, please submit your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should include responses to the following questions:

1. Tell us about a recent publicity campaign for a non-fiction book that impressed you and why.
2. Choose a title from the Hurst list and explain how it connects to a current news story, including how you would promote it on social media.
   

To apply

• Log in to your Creative Access account or register today to apply for this opportunity
• Upload your CV and cover letter as one document (applications without a tailored cover letter will not be accepted)
• Once submitted, you can no longer amend your application, so proof-read carefully
• Do not contact the company directly
• Please email any queries about this role to Creative Access at this address: recruit@creativeaccess.org.uk

This opportunity is open to Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates.

This role is part-funded by the Mo Siewcharran Memorial Fund which supports internships for young talent from ethnicities that are under-represented in the theatre, publishing and music industries.