Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for E-Publishing Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

Step into the dynamic world of digital publishing as our new E-Publishing Assistant! This is an exciting opportunity for a tech-savvy and highly organized individual to become a key player in our digital production team. You will be at the heart of our eBook operations, responsible for the end-to-end process of creating, distributing, and maintaining our digital catalog. Working closely with editors, designers, and marketing professionals, you will ensure our digital products meet the highest standards of quality and are perfectly positioned for success across all major online retail platforms. If you thrive in a deadline-driven environment and get a thrill from seeing a project through from a simple file to a beautifully rendered eBook on a screen, we want to hear from you.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Publishing Intern or Apprentice
Editorial Assistant
Administrative Assistant (in a media or publishing context)
Digital Marketing Coordinator

Advancement To:

E-Publishing Specialist or Coordinator
Digital Production Editor
Digital Content Manager
Digital Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Digital Asset Coordinator
Metadata Specialist
Marketing Assistant (Digital Focus)
Junior Project Manager (Publishing)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage the end-to-end production workflow for a high volume of eBooks, from manuscript ingestion to final distribution.
Convert and format digital files into various eBook formats (EPUB, MOBI, PDF) using industry-standard software and platforms.
Perform rigorous quality assurance (QA) checks on all digital files across multiple devices and e-reading applications to ensure functionality, proper formatting, and a seamless user experience.
Upload and manage digital content and associated assets on a wide range of retailer and distributor platforms, including Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, and IngramSpark.
Create, manage, and optimize rich product metadata (including titles, author bios, descriptions, keywords, and pricing) according to industry best practices (ONIX) to enhance discoverability and sales.
Collaborate closely with editorial, design, and production teams to ensure timely delivery of all necessary components for digital publication.
Maintain and enforce digital production schedules, tracking key milestones and communicating status updates to all stakeholders.
Troubleshoot and resolve any file formatting errors, metadata conflicts, or platform-specific issues that arise pre- and post-publication.
Prepare and optimize images and cover art for various digital specifications and retailer requirements.
Implement price changes, promotional pricing, and pre-order setups across all relevant sales channels in a timely and accurate manner.
Oversee the process of updating and re-issuing backlist titles with new covers, corrected text, or enhanced metadata.
Archive and maintain a well-organized library of final digital assets, source files, and related production materials.
Ensure all digital content meets accessibility standards (WCAG) to be available to the widest possible audience.
Handle the intake and processing of digital files from external conversion vendors, ensuring they meet our quality standards.
Liaise with authors and agents regarding their digital editions, providing support and answering technical questions as needed.

Secondary Functions

Assist in generating and analyzing sales data and performance reports from various digital retail platforms to identify trends and opportunities.
Support the digital marketing team by providing optimized metadata, product links, and digital assets for promotional campaigns.
Research and stay current with emerging technologies, standards, and trends in the e-publishing industry.
Contribute to the creation and maintenance of internal process documentation, style guides, and best-practice workflows.
Provide general administrative support to the digital publishing department, including scheduling meetings and managing departmental records.
Monitor customer reviews and feedback related to eBook formatting and functionality, flagging issues for correction.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign and Photoshop.
Strong working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and ideally, XML.
Experience with digital distribution platforms (e.g., Amazon KDP, Apple Books, IngramSpark).
Familiarity with various eBook formats (EPUB2, EPUB3, MOBI) and the principles of reflowable and fixed-layout content.
Experience working within Content Management Systems (CMS) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems.
High level of proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel for data management and reporting.
Understanding of metadata standards and best practices, with experience using ONIX being a significant plus.
Knowledge of digital accessibility standards (WCAG) is highly desirable.

Soft Skills

Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to producing high-quality work.
Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical information clearly to non-technical colleagues.
A proactive, resourceful, and effective problem-solver.
Ability to work both independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively as part of a team.
Adaptability and flexibility to navigate changing priorities and new technologies in a fast-paced environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree with a certificate or specialized coursework in publishing.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Publishing
English
Communications
Journalism
Digital Media
Library and Information Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1-3 years of experience in a digital production, content management, or publishing role.

Preferred:

Direct, hands-on experience with eBook conversion and QA processes.
Prior experience working for a book publisher, literary agency, or digital content provider.
Demonstrable familiarity with the entire book publishing lifecycle.
Experience managing metadata for a large catalog of products.