Editor, Lifestyle and Thorsons, Harper NonFiction

Would you like to work on across a range of wellbeing and lifestyle titles that range from cookery and personal development to health and self-help? Are you ready to work with authors that range from high-profile chefs and upcoming influencers to world-famous podcasters?

HarperNonFiction is looking for an editor to oversee a number of books from initial concept to finished product while covering a period of parental leave.  The role will encompass all genres of lifestyle publishing, including those of our health and wellbeing imprint, Thorsons.

The editor should be creative, entrepreneurial and dynamic, and able to demonstrate excellent commercial instincts, strong desk editing skills and a meticulous eye for detail.  There is also scope to commission new titles across the breadth of the Lifestyle list.  The role will suit digitally-savvy and commercially astute candidates who have both initiative and energy.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the HNF Lifestyle commissioning team on a range of titles, ensuring the publication process is carried out to the highest standards of quality and accuracy, to budget and within deadline

• Prepare cover briefs, write cover copy and information sheets, and check proofs

• Keep abreast of current publishing trends, cultural and social shifts and market dynamics, as well as displaying intuition about future trend developments.

• Copywrite and check sales and marketing materials, e.g. catalogues, presenters

• Research and prepare pitch presentations for new business, including liaising with designers internally and externally

• Full desk editorial responsibilities – copy editing, proofreading, copywriting and writing design briefs – for a range of titles, including digital formats. Seeing titles through from manuscript to finished copies

• Support weekly team Lifestyle meeting – taking and circulating weekly minutes and keeping publishing title tracker for list up-to-date

• Manage budgets, schedules and critical paths

• Manage relevant editorial listings (AIS, BIC, Acquisitions, P&Ls) to ensure accurate and up-to-date title/list information is available internally and externally

• Liaise with authors, artists and agents and working with the project editorial team managing freelance copyeditors and proof-readers

• Commission a small range of titles of your own, creating strategies in conjunction with key team members to launch your books to the top of the charts.

• Ownership of your stable of authors, seeing their books through to publication for physical, digital and audio editions.

Experience and Skills Required

• Demonstrable editorial experience in commercial non-fiction books, both black and white and illustrated titles

• Strong and active interest in social media and digital developments within the industry

• Proven copy editing and proof reading skills

• A good eye for detail

• Strong visual awareness

• Well organised with the ability to prioritise and manage workload, and ability to deal with a mixture of long and short-term demands

• Excellent communication skills (presentation) and strong written skills  (catalogue and cover copy)

• Financial awareness. Full familiarity with budgeting and cost-control processes in relation to specific projects and lists

• Highly self-motivated/ self-starting

• Calm under pressure

• A good team player who is capable of working on their own initiative and carry through projects

• Driven to exceed expectations.

• Adept team-player. Able to contribute in wider discussions of the Division’s publishing and business

• Passion for innovative publishing, meaningful content and beautiful books

Benefits 

• Hybrid working model (2+ 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 and Pride at HC 

• 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 

• Free e-books and audiobooks, newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books 

• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts 

• Onsite prayer room 

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to [email removed - click apply for more details] 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 Applied. We do not accept email applications.