Commissioning editor

Closing date for applications: 25th July 2025

Salary: £32,000 - £36,000 dependent on experience (+bonus +benefits)

Commission the next big names in fiction at one of the UK's leading publishers in this newly created role.

With over 150 years of ground-breaking publishing from book lovers, original thinkers and market leaders, our unwavering mission has been to publish the most compelling voices in every genre. We continue to find new ground, new audiences and new voices with every title we publish. We are passionate readers and believe in the power of words to change lives.

Hodder & Stoughton is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 11 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

What you'll be doing

This newly created role is on the Hodder Fiction list, specifically focussing on the commercial women’s fiction titles. We are home to authors such as Lucy Score, Liz Tomforde, Meghan Quinn, Holly Bourne and Riley Sager, and this is an excellent opportunity to be a key part of a team that publishes globally-recognised names, as well as brands of the future. You’ll be working alongside the Deputy Publishing Director to expand this fast-growing area of the list, working on pre-existing popular fiction across genre as well as commissioning conversation-sparking and consumer-led titles that have high commercial and global appeal and ambitious sales targets.

High-volume romance publishing will be a prominent part of this role – and the ideal candidate should feel ready to embrace this part of the list with gusto – but this position will also involve acquiring more broadly, looking for anything from love stories to thought-provoking debuts, addictive thrillers to intense book club reads.

You will inherit a small number of authors to grow and develop for your own list, as well as commissioning more titles for future publishing – most importantly, you should be ready to start looking for the next best exciting names in fiction.

Responsibilities include, but aren’t limited to:

• Working alongside the Deputy Publishing Director to grow the commercial fiction list, looking for gaps, opportunities and market-trends
• Acquiring and publishing new titles across commercial fiction genres, with an eye to market-focussed titles with high commercial and global appeal
• Publishing a select list of pre-existing titles and authors with an aim to grow them, including managing the critical path, maintaining metadata, attending campaign meetings, and editing manuscripts
• Championing your own titles and authors, as well as the wide Hodder Fiction list and commercial fiction more broadly
• Communicating effectively with marketing, sales, publicity, production, design and rights teams
• Establishing strong relationships with authors and literary agents
• Maintaining impeccable global market awareness in order to identify exciting publishing opportunities, including trend-watching not just in the UK but in our international markets for fast-thinking and fast-moving publishing
• Author care in all its forms
• Internal and external outreach for the list in the wider industry

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a proactive, experienced and highly organised candidate who is ready to hit the ground running. The ideal candidate has experience in high-volume commercial publishing and feels confident in their editorial capabilities. It would be helpful to have had prior experience commissioning – either for your own list, or in support of senior team members – although commissioning experience is not essential: what is more important is a robust knowledge of commercial publishing, multiple years’ experience working on an editorial team, and impeccable desk editorial, project management and author care skills. You may have already led on a few publications, or otherwise offered exemplary support on others' lists, preparing you to take on a small list of your own.

A demonstrable, clear and tangible passion and enthusiasm for commercial fiction in all its forms is crucial here.

We are looking for:

• A genuine passion for commercial fiction, with extensive knowledge of the market and areas for potential growth
• An excellent understanding of the editorial process from start to finish, and experience supporting senior colleagues’ publishing, including communicating with and editing authors
• A commercially minded candidate with a proven ability to recognise opportunities
• Strong communication skills and a talent for organisation
• Experience working on a high-volume commercial publishing list, including briefing jackets, writing cover copy and metadata
• Ambition for growing the list and identifying the best authors to do this
• The ability to negotiate financially viable and favourable contracts with external parties
• The ability to project manage effectively and deliver on time
• Excellent administration skills
• Enthusiasm for working in a tight-knit team within a busy division

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)
• Private medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• 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
• 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

This role can 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.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

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 www.booktradeentrysupport.org

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.