Editorial Director - HQ (Maternity Cover FTC)

Introduction to the role

Specialising in commercial fiction and innovative digital publishing, HQ publishes a wide range of fiction titles including crime, thriller, contemporary fiction, historical and book club, alongside our bestselling non-fiction list, and thriving digital-first imprint. Combining rapid growth with commercial success, HQ has a stellar record in launching fiction debuts such as Nadine Matheson’s The Jigsaw Man, Christina Dalcher’s Vox, and This Lovely City by Louise Hare, along with an array of outstanding Sunday Times bestsellers such as Adele Parks, Linwood Barclay, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Erica James and Sarah Morgan.

This maternity cover role will suit commercially astute, highly organised candidates who have both initiative and energy, who are excited to think creatively about how we publish our books and can deliver excellent author care and editorial support. You will have a clear understanding of the fiction market, and the chance to work with a growing, ambitious, collaborative team. You will be responsible for covering for the Editorial Director, who will be on maternity leave. You will be responsible for the Editorial Director’s list of authors and publishing, seeing titles through from acquisition to publication in all formats. You will be working with key teams to create effective publishing strategies, successful launches and build long-term sales. You’ll already have strong agent relationships, and will have experience managing your own projects. You will represent HQ at trade events and help grow HQ’s presence in the fiction market.

The ideal candidate will have strong editorial experience, and will be confident liaising with editors, designers, sales, marketing, production, and art teams to bring a touch of bestseller magic to every publication. We’re looking for someone truly passionate about all kinds of commercial fiction, with the ability to develop and implement a profitable publishing strategy across all their titles, contributing to our success.

Key tasks and accountabilities

Editorial

• Ownership and superb author care of the Editorial Director’s stable of authors, along with their agents working across categories including women’s fiction, psychological suspense, crime/thriller, book club and historical as required

• Managing and negotiating the Editorial Director’s repeat-author acquisitions

• To read and respond promptly to submissions from agents

• To structurally edit the Editorial Director’s list of titles

• Plan, champion and execute a profitable and market-orientated publishing strategy for each of the Editorial Director’s titles, running to critical path, while bringing an insightful, collaborative approach to the team.

• To maintain strong relationships with authors and agents, providing regular updates on publishing strategy, sell-in and sell-out for ongoing authors.

• Understanding and wider reading of UK commercial fiction market, ensuring strong market knowledge and market-focused publishing strategies

• To work closely with the production team and pub ops manager to keep titles on critical path; desk-editing some of the Editorial Director’s titles, and collating author and copyeditor queries on to manuscripts when necessary

• Briefing jackets and liaising with designers, seeing covers through from start to finish

• Copywriting and checking sales/marketing material, e.g. catalogues, sales presenters, etc.

• Ownership of metadata/AIs for individual authors, ensuring this fits with emerging trends in the market, and is completed in line with critical path

• To raise and check contracts as required

• You will have good industry contacts and represent HQ at external events

• To present titles at regular meetings, both internally and externally

• With strong communication skills, you will foster good relationships with colleagues, particularly junior members of the editorial team by reading material which is of interest to them and supporting them in their decision-making.

• When required, you will deputise for the Publishers by chairing and attending meetings, and in delegated tasks.

Digital

• Developing strategies for digital front-list and raising backlist opportunities for promotion across the HQ list.

• Publishing your digital titles effectively.

• Ensuring best-in-class metadata at all times.

• Liaising with in-house digital teams to ensure understanding of digital promotions, and securing selections for books on the list

Sales

• Ensure a strong awareness of what physical retailers require in terms of packaging and positioning

• Maintain a strong awareness of what physical retailers are looking for and supplying sales team with material required for timely sell-in.

• Create content for customer presentations and other presentations where necessary (e.g. R&J submissions, Australia presentations, etc)

• Ensure that Sales, International Sales, Audio, Digital Sales and Rights teams have all the advance sales information that they require

Publicity

• Work closely with the in-house publicity team to ensure maximum exposure for authors, according to agreed priority list

• Work in conjunction with the publicity team on author events/launches where necessary.

• Attend launches, workshops and festivals as required

 Experience required

• Solid knowledge or experience in commercial fiction

• Proven track record of successful publishing in the genre

• Strong structural editing experience

• Strong understanding of the publishing process and relationship management

• Delivering exceptional author and agent care

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Negotiation skills

• Extremely organised

• A keen eye for detail

• Interpersonal and diplomacy skills

• Computer skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (2+ days in the office) 

• 26 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 

• 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 

• 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 volunteering day 

• 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 our Talent Acquisition Manager at [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.