Editor (12 month FTC)

Hachette UK Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 annual leave days per year

Generous pension schemes

Rent deposit loans

2 community days per year

Summer hours

Retail discounts through Hachette

Job summary

Weidenfeld & Nicolson, part of Hachette UK, is seeking a creative, organised backlist publisher to lead the reissues programme across Orion’s imprints with a focus on W&N. The role includes managing the reissues process, estate and agent communication, and growing the backlist’s visibility and profitability.

You will head up reissues, manage permissions, and contribute to W&N Essentials and White Rabbit Deep Cuts, with a 12-month fixed-term contract. London/Sheffield offices, hybrid work pattern.

Qualifications

• Prior experience in an editorial role, to at least Assistant Editor level.
• Confident understanding of publishing schedules and responsibilities.
• Demonstrable interest in literary publishing across fiction and non-fiction.
• Strong market awareness and ability to identify trends.
• Experience in classics/heritage publishing would be advantageous but not required.
• Biblio experience preferred but not required.
• Ability to write engaging and commercial copy.
• Ability to understand contracts and licences and work with agents.
• Able to brief market-appropriate covers.

Responsibilities

• Managing text schedules
• Briefing covers
• Writing cover copy
• Managing metadata
• Offsetting existing text files
• Pitching ideas to our company reissues meeting
• Communicating with agents, authors and literary estates
• Handling contractual discussions
• Managing licence renewals
• Running costings to assess each project’s profitability
• Championing our backlist publishing both internally and externally
• Owning the digital promotion strategy across our backlist titles
• Collaborating with our Sales and Rights departments to identify new reissue opportunities
• Handling reversion requests
• Commissioning introductions for reissues.

Skills

Editorial experience

Publishing schedules

Literary publishing

Market awareness

Copywriting

Contracts understanding

Cover briefing

Job description

Who we are and what we do

Weidenfeld & Nicolson is one of the most prestigious and long-standing imprints in the history of British publishing. Our books are agenda-setting, award-winning, best-selling and genre-defining. Since its inception in 1949, W&N has been widely recognised for its commitment to and track record of excellence in fiction and non-fiction publishing. In recent years, the imprint’s illustrious history has been reanimated by a new commissioning team, who have delivered multiple unmissable publications, and become known for their agility, ambition and dynamism.

Authors we have published include Antony Beevor, Sybille Bedford, Isaiah Berlin, Sarah Brooks, Oliver Bullough, Ed Caesar, Clare Chambers, Elinor Cleghorn, Richard Coles, Naoise Dolan, Ian Dunt, Gillian Flynn, Antonia Fraser, Helen Garner, Georgi Gospodinov, Madeleine Gray, John Higgs, Andrew Holgate, Bettany Hughes, Greg Jenner, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Vladimir Nabokov, Hettie O’Brien, Téa Obreht, Michael Palin, Adam Rutherford, Philippe Sands, Bernhard Schlink, Quentin Tarantino, Petroc Trelawny, Alice Walker and Malala Yousafzai.

What you'll be doing

As a 77-year-old imprint, the backlist at W&N is our most treasured possession and home to some of the most important authors of the last century, including Sybille Bedford, Isiah Berlin, J. G. Farrell, Gillian Flynn, Antonia Fraser, Adrian Goldsworthy, Adam Grant, Patricia Highsmith, John Irving, Henry Marsh, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Vladimir Nabokov, Bernhard Schlink, Philippe Sands, Vikram Seth, Ntozake Shange, Alice Walker, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and many more.

We are now looking for a creative, organised and proactive backlist publisher to take ownership of the backlist publishing programme across Orion’s three literary imprints, with a primary focus on W&N.

You will head up our exciting reissues programme, leading the publishing of each title, communicating with key stakeholders including estates, authors and agents, working with the Orion team to make these publications as visible and profitable as possible and creatively identifying new opportunities for rediscoveries on the extensive W&N backlist.

You will also assist with the W&N Essentials and White Rabbit Deep Cuts programme.

This role will be a 12-month fixed term contract.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing text schedules
• Briefing covers
• Writing cover copy
• Managing metadata
• Offsetting existing text files
• Pitching ideas to our company reissues meeting
• Communicating with agents, authors and literary estates
• Handling contractual discussions
• Managing licence renewals
• Running costings to assess each project’s profitability
• Championing our backlist publishing both internally and externally
• Owning the digital promotion strategy across our backlist titles
• Collaborating with our Sales and Rights departments to identify new reissue opportunities
• Handling reversion requests
• Commissioning introductions for reissues.

Who we are looking for

This role is ideal for an early-career editor seeking to expand their publishing experience at a prestigious literary imprint.

Experience/Knowledge

Prior experience in an editorial role, to at least Assistant Editor level

• Confident understanding of publishing schedules and responsibilities
• Demonstrable interest in literary publishing across fiction and non-fiction
• Strong market awareness and ability to identify trends
• Experience in classics/heritage publishing would be advantageous but not required
• Biblio experience preferred but not required
• Ability to write engaging and commercial copy
• Ability to understand contracts and licences and work with agents
• Able to brief market-appropriate covers

Personal Attributes/Skills

• Confident and thoughtful communicator
• Highly organised and systems-oriented
• Creative and innovative
• Enthusiastic, proactive, problem‑solving attitude
• Ability to work independently and efficiently

What we offer

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• An active range of staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including AgeWise, Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing, Women in Techand religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London or Sheffield office, with a blend of in‑office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio‑economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, you can let us know at the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section of your application. We’ll make sure you’re supported throughout the process.

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 and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit https://btbs.org/grants