Canelo - Editor

Bertelsmann; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days paid holiday entitlement

Volunteering policy

Employee assistance programme

70% discount on company books

Cycle to work scheme

Flex Fridays

Remote working up to 30 days abroad

Tree planting for new employees

Job summary

Dorling Kindersley Limited. is seeking an organised editor to join the Canelo team in London, working on Canelo and Canelo Crime lists. You’ll collaborate with authors, designers and production to shape bestselling titles in a hybrid work setup.

The role emphasizes editing, copywriting and project management, with a path from assistant editor or editor toward greater responsibility. Salary £32.5k–£35k with bonus and benefits.

Qualifications

• Editor role on Canelo and Canelo Crime lists
• Experience with crime and thriller titles desirable
• Open to assistant editors progressing to a senior role

Responsibilities

• Brief freelancers on editorial and design projects
• Check structural edits, copyedits, and proofreads
• Write cover and sales copy for each title
• Maintain strong relationships with authors and agents
• Nurture existing relationships within DK to ensure books are primed for success
• Manage the critical path for editions, ensuring timely press deadlines and material deadlines
• Update Biblio and internal systems to maintain accurate metadata

Job description

Work Location: London, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, United Kingdom

Work Location Type: hybrid

Company Description

We're looking for an organised, proactive, and motivated editor to join Canelo, at an exciting time in our publishing journey. If you are looking to be a part of a team that brings stories to life for readers around the world, keep reading…

The editor appointed to this role will work on the Canelo and Canelo Crime lists, reporting into the publisher, and will need to hit the ground running. They will have demonstrable knowledge of fiction genres including crime, psychological thriller and mystery. They will have excellent attention to detail and be able to work under pressure. This is not a commissioning role, but the editor will be part of a creative and collaborative team and significantly contribute to making bestsellers on the list. The editor will work closely with authors, designers, and production teams on a variety of exciting projects.

Our ideal candidate will be confident in managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting strict deadlines. They will be resourceful and solution-focused, able to identify potential issues in projects before they occur. They will be a strong communicator with great interpersonal skills.

The editor must be confident in successfully completing tasks including:

Brief freelancers on both editorial and design projects

Check structural edits, copyedits, and proofreads

Write cover and sales copy for each title

Maintain strong relationships with authors and agents to facilitate smooth project execution

Nurture existing relationships within DK to ensure the books in their care are primed for success and presented in an engaging manner

Manage the critical path for the editions under their care is met, that titles are sent to press on time and deadlines for material are met

Update Biblio and other internal systems to ensure accurate metadata is maintained

Experience of working on crime and thriller titles is highly desirable and knowledge of the genres will need to be proven by the successful editor. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a solid grasp of how to engage those readerships.

The editor will play a crucial role in shaping high-quality, engaging books on the reputable, highly successful Canelo and Canelo Crime lists. The role will best suit someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and enjoys working with others to achieve shared goals. They will have a clear understanding of each book’s vision and the commercial opportunity it presents.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an assistant editor looking for the next step in their career or a proven editor with experience to join a leading fiction publisher. If you have experience as an editorial assistant, assistant editor or editor and want to build upon your love for commercial fiction, this role is a brilliant opportunity to learn a lot about successfully publishing across a variety of genres, formats and territories. Please apply with your most recent CV and cover letter!

Salary: £32.5k - £35k depending on experience, plus bonus and benefits.

Closing date for applications: Midnight on 14 October 2026

We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our people, some of which are:

25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus bank holidays

Volunteering policy and charity matching

Employee assistance programme

70% discount on company books

Cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership

Flex Fridays (1pm Finish*)

Up to 30 days remote working from abroad*

*Subject to certain criteria being met.

And we plant a tree for every new employee to our business

DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities that read our books across the world. We encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of age, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or social background. DK is proud to announce that we have adopted The Halo Code.

DK is a member of the disability confident scheme. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.

DK supports flexible working and has introduced a new ‘smart-working’ policy with a hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in DK’s office. This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in our Pimlico office. As this is non-negotiable, please ensure you are within a reasonable commuting distance of London before applying.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade, but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews or undertaking internships. For more information, visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org

Additional Information

Disclosure requirements pertaining to the collection of your personal data:

Responsible for processing the information provided in your application is the company specified in the job advertisement, with its registered office as indicated. The company processes your data for the purpose of establishing an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 (1) b GDPR / Section 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG.

The retention period for your data is determined by the statutory time limits applicable in the respective country, beginning upon completion of the recruitment process. You can find these here .

You can contact the company’s Data Protection Officer at the above-mentioned postal address.

Further information on data protection and your rights can be found here .