Assistant Editor, HQ Non-Fiction

Be Applied Ltd; London; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in publishing is seeking an Assistant Editor to provide editorial support for the Non-Fiction team. The role involves managing production for key authors, liaising with various stakeholders, and ensuring high-quality publishing standards. Candidates should have strong editing skills, excellent communication abilities, and a keen eye for detail. This position offers a hybrid working model and numerous perks, including wellness programs and private healthcare.

Benefits

Work from home option

Wellness programs

Employee Assistance Programme

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Cycle to work scheme

Private healthcare cover

Life assurance

Unlimited training

Free e-books and audiobooks

Subsidised canteen

Qualifications

• Experience in a publishing house or editorial.
• Excellent command of the English language.
• Ability to assess commercial non-fiction projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide editorial support for the Publishing Directors.
• Manage all aspects of production on key authors.
• Liaise with authors, agents, and other departments.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Communication

Multi-tasking

Customer Focused

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

InDesign

Job description

Salary £29,500 - £31,500 (GBP) Depending on skills and experience

Team HQ Non-Fiction

Seniority Mid-level

• Closing:11:55pm, 28th May 2025 BST

Perks and benefits

Work from home option

Wellness programs

Employee Assistance Programme

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Mentoring/coaching

Cycle to work scheme

Candidate happiness

8.66 (29684)

Job Description

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

Working cross-functionally across Sales, Marketing and Publicity teams

Administration

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 and2 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 [e-mail] 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.