Assistant Editor, HQ Non-Fiction

The Assistant Editor will provide broad editorial support for the Publishing Directors and team on the HQ Non-Fiction list. They will have a wide range of responsibilities, which will also include some administrative tasks. They will have direct contact with authors and agents, creative input on jackets and copy, will carry out some structural and line editing and work with stakeholders across the HQ team, including Sales, Marketing and Publicity. The authors the Assistant Editor will be working with include big brand authors and cover the full spectrum of the list.

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate strong desk editing skills, enjoy working on your own initiative, have the ability to juggle competing priorities and anticipate the needs of the Publishing Directors in delivering best-in-class publishing, publishing comms and author care. You will be an excellent communicator, who combines creative flair with an eye for detail, and can work co-operatively within the HQ team.

Core Responsibilities:

• Editorial

• Working closely with the Publishing Directors and Non-Fiction team on key authors
• Training and working with the Editorial Assistant in the team
• Writing cover and catalogue copy
• Managing all aspects of production on key authors and seeing them through the process
• Creating Advance Information sheets as requested, monitoring, and updating them
• Checking and collating proofs ebook editorial checks and creating briefs
• Structural and line edits
• Organising proofreads and indexing, and collating corrections
• Monitoring and inputting metadata across all relevant titles
• Monitoring Amazon to ensure copy and jackets are optimised
• Proof-reading and checking sales and marketing material, e.g., catalogues, rights sheets, presenters
• Proof-reading cover runouts, author presentations, short stories, and other texts
• Helping manage reprints: responsibilities include organizing the re-branding of covers, updating prelims
• Preparing cover and launch briefs
• Organising and creating back ads
• Creating author questionnaires, reading group questions and other extra content

• Liaison on Publishing Director’s behalf with authors, agents, other departments
• Provide advance/sample materials to other departments
• Tracking materials to/from designers and editors
• Organising purchase orders and processing invoices
• Looking up TCM figures
• Ordering Publication Day presents for authors
• Taking minutes, when necessary, at in-house meetings
• Any other ad-hoc tasks as instructed

Skills Required:

• Demonstrable experience of working in a publishing house or editorial
• Excellent attention to detail
• Proven ability to assess commercial non-fiction projects
• An effective multi-tasker, with the ability to cope in a pressurised environment
• Organised and able to juggle multiple tasks
• Excellent command of the English language
• Effective communicator at all levels
• Customer focused – ensuring the highest level of author care
• Advanced MS Word and Intermediate Excel and Outlook
• Experience in InDesign would be a bonus

Hybrid working model (3 days in the office). Private healthcare cover and life assurance. Summer Hours. Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal. Relocation Rent Support Loan. Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work. Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal. Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers. Onsite physiotherapy (London only). Charitable donation matching and volunteering days. Free e-books and audiobooks, newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books. Subsidised canteen and retail discounts. Onsite prayer room.

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to recruitment@harpercollins.co.uk with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days. Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via Applied. We do not accept email applications.