Agent's assistant

Closing date for applications: 29 September 2025

Salary: Starting from £27,000, depending on experience

Break into publishing with this entry-level role! Join a leading literary agency and gain hands-on experience supporting bestselling authors and top literary agents.

RCW is a leading UK literary agency based in London, representing a globally acclaimed list of bestselling and award-winning clients across every genre, from Zadie Smith and Kazuo Ishiguro to Holly Jackson and Julia Donaldson. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a proactive, highly organised assistant to join our team. This is a fast-paced, detail-focused role supporting two directors, Jon Wood and Claire Wilson, as well as a primary agent, Eleanor Birne, and working on a wide range of authors—from children’s and YA bestsellers Katherine Rundell and Alice Oseman, to crime and thriller giants Ian Rankin and Steve Cavanagh, as well as celebrated literary fiction voices such as Louise Kennedy and Róisín O’Donnell.

We are offering an entry-level role ideal for someone who is excited by the challenge of working for a busy office, quick to learn, adaptable, and highly organised. With lists covering commercial and literary fiction, adult and children’s books, YA, non-fiction, and literary estates, this position is a unique chance to gain broad exposure across the publishing world. You might be a recent graduate, or someone who’s long been passionate about books and looking for your first opportunity in the industry. Full training and handover will be provided. The assistant will work alongside an associate and another support staff member. Previous office experience is preferable and the ability to work well in a team is essential.


Responsibilities

• Anticipating needs and streamlining workflow across the agency
• Negotiating deals for audio rights, speaking engagements, permissions and journalistic assignments and drawing up letters of agreement meticulously
• Contracts: managing all administrative aspects of the contractual process (deal memos, DocuSign, Bradbury Phillips). Reviewing contracts in cases where the publishers draft, liaising with the manager
• Accounts: responding to author queries, invoicing, chasing overdue payments, drafting correspondence, collating annual budget
• Foreign rights: liaising with foreign rights team and co-agents (film and US) providing manuscripts, proofs, blurbs and author information. Filling in quote sheets with news and reviews
• Updating the agency’s website’s client page, and the individual client biographies, as well as providing content for the agency’s Instagram page
• Diary management: planning book fair schedules and trips, organising meetings with editors and clients, managing the publication schedule
• Smooth running and organisation of agent’s office, including file management, handling author approvals, drafting catalogue and managing requests
• Submissions and reading: organising submissions inboxes and providing editorial notes on manuscripts
• Events: organising book fair and Christmas parties (with front desk), setting up, hosting, helping with any other company events or parties (DRF, salons, Anniversaries etc.) Attending book launches and prize ceremonies

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written
• Exceptional organisational and multi-tasking skills
• Dynamic, positive approach
• Analytical skills and a keen eye for detail and accuracy
• Ability to work well under pressure in order to meet deadlines and adapt to the demands of the role
• Ability to prioritise and time manage tasks
• Good IT skills (Excel/MS Office/PowerPoint)
• Confidence working in a small team and with a wide range of clients and industry colleagues
• A passion for reading

Compensation and benefits

• Discretionary annual bonus
• Hybrid working arrangement
• Paid time off: 23 paid holiday days + bank holidays; agency closed between Christmas and New Year; summer hours with early finish on Fridays from 9am-1pm

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.