12 Editorial / Writing / Storytelling Opportunities in England

Closing date for applications: 16th July at 23.59pm

Salary: London Living Wage

Dates: from September 2022 – June 2023

Love the sound of learning the publishing process from top to bottom via a 9-month internship across several departments at Simon & Schuster?

No prior experience is required for this entry-level traineeship with Simon & Schuster!

Simon & Schuster is one of the most successful global publishers in the world. Its adult fiction list in the UK includes bestselling authors such as Philippa Gregory, Santa Montefiore, Kathy Reichs, Colleen Hoover, Graham Swift and John Irving. The Adult non-fiction list ranges from Number One bestsellers Bob Mortimer, Dave Grohl and Rupi Kaur to John Nichol, Laura Bates, Anita Anand and Walter Isaacson.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books is one of the UK’s most vibrant and fast-growing publishers for young people. Its children’s fiction and YA list features an array of bestsellers and rising stars, from Ben Miller and Adam Silvera to Nadia Shireen, Benjamin Dean, A.F. Steadman and many more, with successful series including Dragon Realm and Dork Diaries. The picture book list is world-renowned and they are the proud home of the smash-hit Supertato series by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet as well as stand-out author-illustrators such as Benji Davies, Tom Percival, Beach and Steve Small.

In addition to publishing a wide mix of literary and commercial fiction and non-fiction, and an award-winning children’s list, we also provide sales and distribution services to several award-winning independent Client Publishers from the UK, USA and Australia. These include VIZ Media, Andrews McMeel, National Geographic Adult and Elliott & Thompson.

Months 1 – 3, Adult Publishing

What you'll learn

• The publishing process from the perspective of an editorial team
• How a book is edited and produced
• How the editorial team liaises with other departments
• How decisions are made around acquisitions

What you'll be doing

Supporting the fiction and non-fiction editorial teams across all editorial functions, including:

• General admin and editorial admin, including running reports (TCM, TMM, etc)
• To assist as required with copy editing, proof reading, collations, creating prelims and endmatter, checking permissions
• Checking copy for electronic sales kits, marketing material, catalogues, websites and newsletters · Reading and reporting on manuscripts
• Writing cover briefs and cover copy and completing TIs (with manager approval)
• Developing and maintaining content on the databases
• Taking minutes in meetings and circulating them promptly

Months 4 – 6, Group Sales

What you'll learn

• A basic understanding of the UK retail landscapes for books across all formats and genres
• The strength and sales potential of various areas in the market
• How to tailor presentations of different customers according to the strengths of each
• The value of relationship building when dealing with external retailers
• You'll gain an understanding of the tools needed in order to sell books effectively and the value of sales analysis in that process

What you'll be doing

• You will work alongside the sales team and assist in the creation of sales presentations as required
• You will also help to create and maintain sales databases and customer sales spreadsheets
• You will attend a wide range of customer presentations, including one or more day(s) out on the road with a regional sales rep presenting to independent bookshops
• You will also attend key account presentations to supermarkets/WHS/digital customers (exact retailers dependent on sales cycles and timings)
• You will attend internal sales meetings and be asked to give feedback on potential sales outlets for books
• You will attend Client publisher presentations
• You will also spend time within the Export sales department and help prepare international sales presentations

Months 7 – 9, Adult Marketing & Publicity

What you'll learn

• In Marketing and Publicity, the focus is on getting the books into the hands of readers everywhere, whether through press coverage, advertising or social media
• You will learn how to think critically and creatively about marketing and publicising books, and what the process involves
• You will learn about different media outlets and how Simon & Schuster put their authors forward
• Gain an understanding of the media and advertising landscape
• Learn how author events work and how the department works alongside its editorial and sales colleagues

What you'll be doing

• You will be shadowing marketing and publicity managers and helping them bring some of its biggest campaigns to life
• You will be given your own campaign to work on from beginning to end and coached through the whole exercise
• Assist with general departmental administration
• You will create assets and write copy for social media and press releases and help to pitch titles to journalists
• You will have the opportunity to attend author events and book festivals

Who we're looking for

• Someone with a love of books and people, and the desire to learn about all areas of the publishing industry
• No specific work experience is required but a desire to work in publishing and a personal understanding of social media is a plus
• A basic knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint would be helpful

To apply

• Log in to your Creative Access account or register today to apply for this opportunity
• Upload your CV and cover letter as one document (applications without a tailored cover letter will not be accepted)
• Once submitted, you can no longer amend your application, so proof-read carefully
• Do not contact the company directly
• Please email any queries about this role to Creative Access at this address: recruit@creativeaccess.org.uk

This opportunity is only open to individuals from a group that is under-represented in the creative industries. This includes, but is not limited to Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates, disabled people, and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

The successful candidate for this opportunity will also participate in a Creative Access support programme that sits alongside workplace training. This includes a programme of induction training, monthly masterclasses, wellbeing support, buddying / mentoring and more.