Editorial assistant

Closing date: 16th April 2025

Salary: £27,00 based in London; £24,840 based outside of London (+bonus +benefits)

Location: 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.

This is an exciting opportunity for an organised and proactive individual to join our stellar editorial fiction team.

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

Working on our digital-focused commercial fiction list, you’ll be responsible for providing editorial and administrative support to the editorial team in the acquisition and production of new titles, and to assist with all aspects of administration, co-ordination and driving of the publishing programme in all media.

The successful candidate will be responsible for assisting at every step in the publication process, from manuscript delivery to final print/eBook, and will be able to offer exceptional author care.

The role will cover a range of editorial and administrative responsibilities, including:

• briefing freelancers, checking their work and collating corrections
• preparing prelims and working closely with production department to keep books on the critical path
• liaising with authors and agents
• updating systems and managing metadata
• copywriting and assisting with jacket briefs
• acting as the main point of contact internally between the editorial, art and production teams for allocated projects
• maintaining the submissions log
• organising meetings and taking minutes
• managing purchase orders and payments
• sending out advance copies

You will also assist in reading and reviewing fiction manuscripts and writing reading reports.

Who we are looking for

• We are looking for a highly organised and confident team player with meticulous attention to detail and a can-do attitude.
• This is a varied and creative role for someone with a strong interest in commercial fiction.
• As this is a busy and dynamic list, you will need to have excellent communication skills, be able to manage your time effectively, prioritise and work well under pressure, and to work well as part of a large team.
• A competent knowledge of Microsoft Office is required and knowledge of Biblio is a 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!

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