University of South Carolina Press

The University of South Carolina Press, located in Columbia at the state’s flagship university, seeks a full-time Marketing, Sales, and Publicity Director to oversee all aspects of marketing, sales, and publicity for USC Press books.

The Marketing, Sales, and Publicity Director will:

• Be a key member of the leadership team of USC Press, responsible for marketing, sales, and publicity initiatives in support of approximately 35 new print and digital books each year, as well as a backlist of more than 1,200 titles.
• Set annual budgets, forecast sales, oversee department staff, and liaise with the Press’s partners in distribution and sales.
• Demonstrate leadership and collegiality, and a track record of creativity, growth, collaboration, and innovation.

The University of South Carolina Press, established in 1944, is one of the oldest, most distinguished publishing houses in the American South. Our editorial profile features critically acclaimed peer-reviewed books in South Carolina and Southern history and culture, African American studies, civil rights, Southern Jewish studies, literary studies, and rhetoric and communication. We are committed to sharing select projects with the world via our open access platform, Open Carolina, and we are expanding into new publishing formats. We publish regional trade titles in the categories above as well as cooking, nature, music, and memoir. By publishing works that educate readers, expand scholarship, and provoke community conversations, we further the mission of the University of South Carolina.

We encourage applicants to read our vision, mission, and values statements.

Primary responsibilities of the Marketing, Sales, and Publicity Director:

• Create, execute, and oversee all marketing, sales, and publicity strategies to distribute and promote scholarly and trade titles to wholesalers, retailers, and direct to consumers.
• Drive sales growth by ensuring strong market presence and adopting data-driven sales strategies.
• Work closely with bookstores and other key retail accounts in South Carolina. Manage house accounts and work closely with Southeastern Book Travelers, our contracted regional sales representatives, to reach sales accounts across the South.
• Develop and oversee publicity plans for all trade titles and/or guide the work of freelance publicists.
• Partner with authors to communicate marketing and publicity strategies.
• Forecast book sales and evaluate sales performance.
• Manage annual marketing, sales, and publicity budgets.
• Act as principal contact for and manage relationships with vendors, distributors, and other partners.
• Manage and oversee inventory and call reprints.
• Manage and inspire department staff, including performance evaluations and feedback, recruitment, and development of talents and skills.
• Collaborate with USC Press Director and other department heads to envision, collaboratively develop, and execute strategic plans and process improvements.
• Serve on the Press’s Acquisitions Committee, contribute to cover design planning, and support the development of book projects.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 5 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in any field.
• Five years of relevant marketing, sales, and publicity experience in publishing, scholarly communication, higher education, or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in all departments of an organization, including acquisitions, editorial/design/production, and finance.
• Experience in planning and managing a departmental budget.

The salary range for this position is $69,913 – $79,000.

View the complete job posting and apply via the USC careers portal.

Please submit a cover letter and résumé by March 15, 2026 to be considered for this position.

The University of South Carolina Press, established in 1944, is one of the oldest, most distinguished publishing houses in the American South. Our editorial profile features critically acclaimed peer-reviewed books in South Carolina and Southern history and culture, African American studies, civil rights, Southern Jewish studies, literary studies, and rhetoric and communication. We are committed to sharing select projects with the world via our open access platform, Open Carolina, and we are expanding into new publishing formats. We publish regional trade titles in the categories above as well as cooking, nature, music, and memoir. By publishing works that educate readers, expand scholarship, and provoke community conversations, we further the mission of the University of South Carolina.