Editor (12 month FTC)

Closing date: 13 November 2024

Salary:  £30,000 - £32,000 dependent on experience (+bonus +benefits)

Bring your editorial expertise to the oldest sci-fi & fantasy publisher in the UK in this 12-month role.

At Orion, we believe every story matters. Open, agile, passionate and innovative, our mission is to bring the best publishing to the greatest variety of people. Ambitious to continually raise the bar, we believe good stories can come from anywhere and so encourage and value contributions from everybody here.

Orion is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 12 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

Gollancz is the oldest specialist Science Fiction and Fantasy publisher in the UK. Founded in 1927, this imprint of the Orion Publishing Group is home to a galaxy of award-winning and bestselling authors. Combined with our long-running SF Masterworks programme and major digital initiative the SF Gateway, Gollancz has one of the largest and most prestigious ranges of Science Fiction and Fantasy of any publisher in the world. Our authors include Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, Leigh Bardugo, Ursula K. Le Guin, Terry Pratchett, Victoria Aveyard, Adalyn Grace, Nnedi Okorafor, Lex Croucher, Nalini Singh, Sarah Hawley, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, and many more. This is a chance to work with bestselling global superstars as well as some of the most innovative and original new voices writing today.

What you'll be doing

On this fixed term 12-month contract, you will work closely with our Editorial Director on one of the most exciting, successful, and prestigious SFF lists in the world. The position offers the opportunity to work on titles across a wide range of sub-genres for both global brand authors and debuts, engaging in every aspect of the publishing process with a potential opportunity for a permanent role at the end, dependent on performance. Responsibilities will include:

• Reporting to our Editorial Director and providing key support on launching publications throughout 2025
• Project managing select publications on the Editorial Director and Commissioning Editor’s lists
• Commissioning within an agreed remit, if desirable
• Liaising with authors and agents to provide peerless author care and reporting on all aspects of their publications including organising presentations and taking part in campaign calls
• Assisting with the origination, management, and delivery of our D2C (direct-to-consumer) programme of special editions sold through The Gollancz Emporium webstore (store.gollancz.co.uk)
• Presenting projects in interdepartmental meetings
• Assisting with the organisation of material and logistics for key events, conventions, and festivals throughout 2025 including attending events, where needed
• Providing editorial support across the list, including but not limited to:
  • Writing cover copy
  • Preparing cover briefs
  • Contributing to wider creative briefs and projects
  • Completing and optimising best-in-class metadata and TI sheets on Biblio
  • Reading and assessing submissions
  • Structural and line editing
  • Running sales reports across a variety of reporting tools and dashboards and distilling information into regular stakeholder updates
  • Compiling and creating presentations
  • Ensuring processes are flawless and improving them, where possible
• Handling the production of forthcoming books across print and digital, such as:
  • Booking and reviewing copyedits and proofreads
  • Preparing prelims and putting books into production
  • Collating proof corrections and checking files for all formats

Who we are looking for

• We are looking for someone with outstanding attention to detail who is confident and comfortable with managing and delivering complex editorial projects from acquisition through to publication and beyond, including special editions and proactive author and agent communications
• Candidates must be exceptionally efficient and conscientious, demonstrating clear creativity and initiative with a flair for collaboration and delivering under pressure
• You might be an ambitious editorial assistant or assistant editor looking for your next step, or a passionate editor hungry to build experience in other genres, markets and/or with brand authors
• Applicants from other industries or departments are welcome but editorial experience will be an advantage
• Familiarity with Biblio and other key publishing systems would also be a particular bonus.

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
• 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!

The role will be based at our London office, Carmelite House, 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

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

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