The San Antonio Book Festival (SABF) seeks a Literary Director to join the SABF team on a contract basis. SABF celebrates national and local authors and their contributions to the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination.
SUMMARY: The Literary Director is responsible for curating the Festival lineup and schedule, as well as ancillary programs such as the GET LIT Author Series. SABF celebrates national and local authors and their contributions to the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination.
PROGRAMMING
- Selects the annual SABF author lineup and curates the Festival schedule of sessions, including moderator selection with counsel from Executive Director and Programming Committee
- Works closely with publishers to feature the year’s most compelling titles and authors at SABF events
- Selects and secures authors for the GET LIT Author Series
- Curates and develops ancillary programming (e.g., The Moth, Lit Crawl)
- Secures the keynote speaker for the Book Appétit Literary Feast
- Manages literary programming budget, striving for efficiency and cost savings
COMMUNICATIONS
- Serves as SABF spokesperson, along with Executive Director, to the organization’s audience, media, other organizations, and the general public
- Communicates with publicists, authors, moderators, etc. to secure participation in the Festival, assist in booking travel accommodations, and overall achieve a successful Festival
- Consults with SABF Programming Committee for assistance in curating Festival lineup and selecting moderators
- Assists SABF staff in ensuring all materials promoting authors are accurate and correct, including webpages and printed schedules
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
- Responsible for identifying and securing authors to conduct school visits throughout the year
- Works with publishers, authors, and SABF staff to ensure books are ordered, visuals are received, etc.
- Assists with on-site Authors in Schools programs happening during Festival weekend
ANCILLARY DUTIES
- Provides guidance for key volunteer positions, particularly those closely involved with SABF authors (e.g., VIP room coordinators, venue leads)
- Performs meet-and-greet duties at author events during SABF weekend (Author Breakfast, VIP room, Epilogue after party, etc.)
- Serves as backup moderator in the event a confirmed moderator is unavailable
- Supervises any seasonal literary support staff
- Maintains a working knowledge of significant trends and developments in the literary field and publishing industry
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred)
- Five or more years literary programming experience, including media relations
- Strong public speaking, written, and oral communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with staff
CLASSIFICATION & FEE: This is a contract position. The fee for this contract position is commensurate with experience and contingent upon contract term length.
LOCATION: This position is based in San Antonio, Texas. Candidates seeking remote employment are encouraged to apply.
INCLUSION STATEMENT: All applications and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.
TO APPLY: Send a cover letter, resume, and graphics portfolio/samples to sabf@sabookfest.org. Position will remain open until filled. Desired start date for this position is October 3, 2022.
