Editorial assistant (children's division)

Closing date for applications: 29 August 2025

Salary: Starting from £27,000

Kickstart your editorial career in children's publishing by gaining hands-on experience bringing captivating stories to life for young readers.

Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, is dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. Simon & Schuster Children’s Books is one of the leading children’s publishers in the UK, dedicated to immersing children of all ages in diverse and creative reading experiences, encouraging a lifelong love of reading. Founded in 1998, it has a record of continuously strong sales, prestigious awards, and numerous high quality and bestselling titles and series. Much-loved authors and illustrators include Lauren Roberts (Powerless), A. F. Steadman (Skandar and the Unicorn Thief), Ben Miller (The Night I Met Father Christmas), Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet (Supertato), Benji Davies (The Storm Whale) and many more. Simon & Schuster Children’s Books won Children’s Publisher of the Year at the 2023 British Book Awards.

The S&S Children’s publishing team is looking for an editorial assistant. Reporting to the editorial director for picture books and supporting the whole children’s editorial team, comprising the fiction, gallery kids, picture books and pre-school lists, this is an exciting role for someone who loves children’s books and wants to work with authors and illustrators who will reach a wide audience.


Responsibilities

This role would involve close involvement in all editorial administration activities leading to publication across children’s titles, including (but not limited to):

• Managing divisional launch meetings and rights catalogues
• Running reports and checking sales data
• Developing and maintaining content on the databases
• Divisional diary management
• Organising author publication gifts
• Organising schedules for fairs and overseas trips.

There are also creative responsibilities, including:

• Reading submissions, reading and assessing manuscripts
• Shadowing senior editors on select projects
• Copyediting and proofreading
• Writing illustration briefs
• Writing effective sales and back cover copy
• Maintaining best-in-class metadata
• Briefing and managing freelancers and liaising with authors and agents

Knowledge, skills and experience

• A can-do attitude, ability to take initiative and thrive in a busy and varied role
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, with an exceptional grasp of spelling and grammar, and a meticulous eye for detail
• Be a keen team player with an ability to interact at all levels, who can understand and respond to team needs, shifting priorities, and work collaboratively to meet deadlines
• This role doesn’t require prior publishing experience, but someone who is passionate about children’s books, eager to learn and excited to take the first step in their publishing career

Additional information

Please apply with a CV and cover letter detailing why you are interested in the role via the 'Apply' button.

Candidates hired for this or any other posted Simon & Schuster UK role will be employees of Simon & Schuster UK Ltd subject to all policies, including the Workplace Privacy Notice, and eligible solely for the benefits plans thereof.

Simon & Schuster UK is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity and gender expression. At Simon & Schuster UK, the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything that we do, we believe that opportunity, access, resources and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all.

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