Editorial Assistant - Children's Picture Books, Fiction and Non-Fiction

Job Description

Company: Simon & Schuster UK

Location: London (Central)

Type: Editorial

Status: Permanent, Full time

Salary Description: Competitive plus Benefits

Reference: S&S EDASSCHDRN22

Simon & Schuster is one of the most successful global publishers in the world. Our Adult fiction list in the UK includes bestselling authors such as Philippa Gregory, Santa Montefiore, Kathy Reichs, Colleen Hoover, Graham Swift and John Irving.
Our 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.
Our 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.
Our picture book list is world-renowned and we 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.

Job Profile:

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly organized self-starting Editorial Assistant to join our dynamic Editorial team, supporting us administratively on delivering our bestselling and award-winning programme of picture books, fiction and non-fiction. This is an opportunity for anyone with a passion for children's books looking to develop a strong understanding of the editorial process and lifecycle of a book, to work across a wide range of titles and begin to build their editorial skills and relationships. It is a crucial and wide-ranging role as part of a busy team, and a terrific opportunity to be part of a list that's packed with bestselling, acclaimed and stand-out books for children.

The Role:

Reporting to the Picture Books Publisher and Fiction Editorial Director, you will provide full administrative support to the Editorial team, helping with the smooth running of the Editorial department and the delivery of our programme, and begin to develop your editorial skills. You will also provide some administrative support to the Managing Director.

Examples of tasks include:
• Organising and minuting key meetings as well as diary support for the Managing Director
• Administrative support for the senior editorial team including title setup and management, organization of bookfair schedules, freelancer paperwork and invoice processing
• Supporting the Publisher and Editorial Director on the preparation of books for print, including checking proofs and plotters, maintaining production schedules and managing reprints
• Copywriting, proofreading and metadata management
• Liaising with internal departments including design, production, sales and rights, as well as authors and agents
• Maintaining the submissions log, reading and reporting on manuscripts and contributing to the creative discussion of the editorial team

The Candidate Profile:

You will have a demonstrable passion for children's books and an enthusiasm to learn about the editorial process. Strong understanding of administrative tasks is highly desirable, and some knowledge of the publishing industry is useful but not essential. Exceptional organizational and communication skills, a meticulous eye for detail and the ability to prioritise across a wide-ranging and fast-moving list of tasks are essential. We are looking for an enthusiastic, energetic, collaborative and committed team player to join our busy and highly successful department.

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a successful and growing publishing house with an impressive list of authors and illustrators across its Adult and Children's imprints, in a key role within the publishing process.

Simon & Schuster UK is an equal opportunities employer committed to the goal of building a culturally diverse workforce. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Please apply with a cover letter and CV.

Closing date: 8th July 2022

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gwb61n-18-189-178-34-42 in your application.