Editorial assistant

Closing date: 1st October 2025 at 11.55pm

Salary: £28,500

Are you a passionate, inquisitive reader with a strong eye for detail?

Farshore is a children’s imprint of HarperCollins. Farshore’s mission is to make every child a proud reader through a broad and diverse portfolio of books that offers multiple ways into the joy of reading. It is the home to the UK’s leading authors and illustrators across fiction, non-fiction, picture book, brands and gaming imprints.

The Fiction team publish award-winning and bestselling fiction across the Farshore and Electric Monkey YA imprints, from playground stars in our young fiction chapter books to bestselling middle grade mega-brands to trailblazing, chart-topping and TikTok must-haves in our Young and New Adult novels. We publish across all genres and our books are for every reader.

We are looking for a new editorial assistant to join our dynamic fiction team – a passionate and inquisitive reader who will help facilitate the smooth and efficient running of the department, administratively supporting the team and creatively contributing to ideas. We are looking for someone to bring big energy, new ideas, be on top of the latest trends and social media-savvy with wide market and book community awareness. And then combine this with excellent time management, attention to detail and a can-do approach!

We are a team that is always looking for new ways of working and reaching our readers – as part of the team, you’ll be an integral part of that.

Responsibilities

• Assisting with general author and agent associated admin including ordering of and sending out advances and contractual copies and managing all author/ agent queries in a timely and efficient manner
• Read and report back on agent submissions
• In collaboration with editors, refreshing both key titles for continual metadata optimisation
• Sending out monthly metadata deadline reminders to the team
• Regularly check bestseller lists (inc. amazon and US/ Aus charts among others) for self-published or small publisher titles showing chart growth and rapidly increasing review numbers
• Monitor relevant trends on social media and noise around certain titles within book communities, chat groups and all social media platforms
• Draft cover copy in conjunction with editors
• After formal training, take on select proofreading tasks
• Sending out the publishing schedule to the division weekly (in rotation with other assistants)
• Processing reprints
• Contributing to IP ideas, content development and assisting in seeking out new writers
• Team general administration including (but not limited to) taking minutes at meetings, scheduling meetings, booking rooms and booking visitors in with reception
• Maintain the Fiction shelves, updating with new imprints and ordering copies from the warehouse
• Assisting with presentation decks when needed – e.gs inc. pitch decks, rights guides and sales conference slides
• Upkeep of our secure contact databases where authors and agents’ details are stored
• General ad hoc administrative duties to support the wider team

Knowledge, skills and experience

• A passion for children’s, YA and NA fiction
• A curiosity for trends and what makes a sales success
• Excellent attention to detail and time management skills
• Ability to manage workload and prioritise tasks
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Willingness to share ideas with the team
• Ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure and to strict deadlines
• Adaptability to learning new systems
• Advanced MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Quick learner and a pro-active attitude

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (3 days in the office)
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days)
• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
• Private healthcare cover and life assurance
• Summer Hours
• Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal
• Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme
• Relocation Rent Support Loan
• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work
• Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes
• Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers
• Gym membership discount
• Onsite physiotherapy (London only)
• Charitable donation matching and 2 volunteering days
• We're a certified Carbon Neutral company
• Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)
• With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire
• Free e-books and audiobooks, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books
• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts
• Onsite prayer room

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 internships or entry level positions. For more information visit https://www.btbs.org/

At HarperCollins, we value authenticity and integrity in our recruitment process. To ensure a fair and accurate evaluation of all applications, we ask that all responses to assessment questions reflect your own thoughts, experiences, and capabilities. This allows us to fairly assess your knowledge, skills, and experience to determine how they align with the role. We value diverse perspectives and genuine contributions, even if answers are not perfect. The use of AI tools or external assistance to generate responses is discouraged unless explicitly permitted for specific tasks.

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to tarni.crossley-lees@harpercollins.co.uk with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via the 'Apply' button. We do not accept email applications.

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