Marketing Consultant Ben St. James has worked with hundreds of authors since joining Tellwell just over two years ago. While he can’t read every manuscript in its entirety, he enjoys engaging with the stories and previewing numerous books.
His debut picture book, Guinea Pig Power, has received multiple accolades, including Bronze in the Early Readers (6–8) category of the Reader Views Literary Award, Silver for Juvenile Bedtime Stories, and Bronze for Cover Illustration at the L.A. BookFest, and an Honourable Mention (4th place) in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards for General Picture Books, among others.
This August we’re excited to introduce Alfred, one of our in-house book illustrators who brings stories to life through his creative illustrations.
Get to know more about Alfred and the important role he plays in making each book unique.
What led you to become an illustrator, and how did your journey begin in the world of book illustration?
My journey as an illustrator began with a deep love for drawing and storytelling. Fascinated by how images bring stories to life, I was also inspired by watching anime, movies, and cartoons, and reading comics and manga, which led me to create my own art.
For the month of September, we are thrilled to introduce you to Mark, one of our team’s gifted book-marketing associates. In this interview you’ll learn what keeps Mark inspired creatively, what a typical day at Tellwell looks like for him, and how he enjoys spending his free time when he’s not bringing author visions to life!
Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hey there! My name is Mark and I’m one of the book-marketing associates here at Tellwell. I recently celebrated my first work anniversary with the company in July.
My journey in the marketing world began back in 2018. I kicked things off by working in digital marketing for a jewelry brand. After that, I took a detour and worked as a consultant in the government sector. Now, I’m thrilled to be a part of the amazing Tellwell team as a book-marketing associate.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My workday starts with my ritual cup of coffee. With my caffeine fix in hand, I dive into the day ahead. Firstly, I go through emails and over my to-do list, ensuring that no important tasks in my book-marketing projects are missed.
As a book-marketing associate, my role is all about collaboration. I work closely alongside our marketing consultants, offering a helping hand whenever they need it. Whether it’s creating book backgrounders, designing promotional materials, setting up ad campaigns, organizing book blog tours, or tackling various other marketing tasks, I’ve got my hand in the mix.
I also take care of our website section. It’s my responsibility to keep track of website renewals for our authors, providing them with prompt, helpful responses to any website-related queries, and keeping their websites updated.
In a nutshell, my days are a blend of coffee, collaboration/teamwork, and ensuring that our authors’ book-marketing journeys are as seamless as possible.
