Assistant Editor, Fiction (12 month FTC)

News Corporation; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

News Corporation in London is seeking an Assistant Editor, Fiction for a 12-month FTC to support our General Fiction list, work with Publishing Directors and a Commissioning Editor, and help manage editorial and production tasks.

The role requires editing experience in a commercially focused publishing team, a love of popular fiction, romance and strong organisational skills, with duties spanning editing, proofreading, metadata, and liaison with authors.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in Trade Editorial.
• Proven project-management ability in a fast-paced publishing environment.
• Experience liaising with authors and internal departments.
• Editing and copywriting experience.
• Reliable, proactive and detail-oriented.
• Strong communication skills at all levels.
• Advanced MS Word and intermediate Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Support Publishing Directors on their authors' editorial needs.
• Manage production tasks and coordinate freelancers.
• Perform structural and line edits with editors.
• Check copy-edits and collate page proofs.
• Prepare ebook editorial checks and metadata updates.
• Create cover briefs and launch materials.
• Input and monitor title metadata across platforms.
• Organise purchase orders and process invoices.
• Take minutes at in-house meetings.
• Distribute proofs to authors and internal teams.

Skills

Editorial

Project management

Author liaison

Copy editing

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

Attention to detail

Communication

Time management

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

Job description

Assistant Editor, Fiction (12 month FTC)

Application Deadline: 6 September 2026

Department: Editorial

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract

Location: London

Compensation: £31,500 - £32,000 / year

Description

We have a brilliant opportunity to work with our bestselling General Fiction list, working to support our two Publishing Directors and a Commissioning Editor, as part of our busy, friendly General Fiction team. It’s a role that offers a broad range of responsibilities, with a focus on editorial support for some of our key brand authors, production support for the busy list, and some direct contact with authors and management of their publishing. The role also includes administrative tasks across the General Fiction team and an ability to prioritise is key. We’re looking for someone with practical editing experience in a commercially focused publishing team, who is passionate about popular fiction, romance and great storytelling.

Key Responsibilities

Editorial

• Working closely with the Publishing Directors to give editorial support on their authors
• Managing all aspects of production on their titles and seeing them through the production process, including booking freelancers
• Doing structural and line edits as needed or alongside the Publishing Directors and working with authors
• Checking copy-edits, resolving queries and collating page proofs
• Completing ebook editorial checks
• Writing and preparing cover and launch briefs, and cover copy
• Creating Advance Information sheets to key sales deadlines, monitoring and updating them
• Inputting metadata across all relevant titles and monitoring it – including checking Amazon - to ensure it remains relevant and up to date
• Proof-reading cover runouts, author presentations, short stories and other texts, as well as sales and marketing material, e.g. catalogues, rights sheets, presenters
• Creating author questionnaires, reading group questions and other extra content
• Reading and reporting speedily on submissions shared by the Publisher or Publishing Director

Administration

• Liaison on Publishing Directors’ behalf with authors, agents, and other departments
• Provide advance/sample materials to internal divisions
• Organising purchase orders and processing invoices
• Supplying TCM figures, international sales figures and overall sales analysis
• Raising new contracts
• Ordering gratis copies for authors
• Taking minutes when necessary at inhouse meetings
• Sending out proofs for advance quotes

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Previous experience in Trade Editorial
• Project-management experience – effective at multi-tasking, with the ability to cope in a pressurised environment
• Direct liaison with authors, agents, and other departments within the publishing company
• Editing and writing copy experience
• Reliable and demonstrates initiative
• Effective communicator at all levels
• A keen eye for detail
• Advanced MS Word and Intermediate Excel and Outlook