HarperCollins
Job title:
Commissioning Editor/Senior Commissioning Editor, HarperNonFiction
Company
HarperCollins
Job description
Do you know your Chappelle from your Charli? Your SAS:WDW from your MAFSA? Your Traitors from your Faithfuls?HarperNonFiction is looking for someone entrepreneurial, creative and driven to join our team as a Commissioning or Senior Commissioning Editor. Working across our Entertainment list this will be someone with their finger on the cultural pulse, who can talent spot the next Delaney Rowe from a hundred paces.You should have excellent contacts with a wide range of brands, agents, authors and talent managers with whom we can develop publishing partnerships, or the ambition to grow such a network at speed. The role needs someone with excellent commercial instincts, a passion to pursue ideas and actively commission self-generated projects, strong desk editing experience, a meticulous eye for detail, and a passion for finding underrepresented voices. This is brilliant opportunity to join an exciting and vibrant team, publishing some of the leading non-fiction titles in the market – from Vogue Williams, Cher: the Memoir and The Good, The Bad and The Rugby by Alex Payne, James Haskell and Mike Tindall.The role is to commission interesting voices in celebrity memoir, comedy, music, humour, pop culture, TV tie-in, top-tier gift and puzzle books, and channel-driven content. It would suit digitally-savvy and commercially astute candidates with an eye to the zeitgeist, who have both the initiative and energy to disrupt the norm, thinking creatively about how we commission and publish our books in close collaboration with our market-leading Analytics team. And with a proven track record in publishing successful, bestselling titles in the categories above, the successful candidate will have the ability to develop and implement a profitable publishing strategy across a wide range of titles to build a strong list of their own.This is a fantastic opportunity to work on fresh and exciting books across a range of genres and be part of a growing, ambitious and collaborative team that publishes some of the biggest selling books in the market.Core responsibilities:Contribute to the Harper Non Fiction Entertainment commissioning team on a range of books, ensuring that the publication process is carried out to the highest standards of quality and accuracy, to budget and within deadlineResearch and prepare pitch presentations for new business, including liaising with designers internally and externallyTo read and respond promptly to agent submissions, build relationships with agents, with a view to bringing in the best talent to HNFTo negotiate deal memos and progress contracts as requiredTo commission, edit and publish titles successfully and profitably for the HNF listSeeing titles through from manuscript to finished copiesOwnership of and main point of contact for your own stable of authors across trend-led subject areas and brands with scope to grow.To maintain strong relationships with authors, providing regular updates on publishing strategy, sell-in and sell-out for ongoing authors.To work closely with the production team, desk editor and pub ops manager to keep both mono and 4-colour illustrated titles on critical path.Manage relevant editorial listings to ensure accurate and up-to-date title/list information is available internally and externally.Clear direction of metadata (AIS, BIC, Acquisitions, P&Ls) for individual authors, ensuring this fits with emerging trends in the market, and is completed in line with critical path.Prepare cover briefs, liaising with designers, seeing covers through from start to finished proof, write cover copy, and check proofsCopywrite and check sales and marketing materials, e.g. catalogues, presentersPresenting titles at monthly International, Rights meetings, sales and marketing meetingsWork with the project editorial team managing freelance copyeditors and proof-readers.Keep abreast of current publishing trends and market dynamics, as well as displaying intuition about future trend developments.Understanding and wider reading of UK commercial non-fiction market, ensuring strong market knowledge and market-focused publishing strategies.Creating strategy documents for key titles, and presenting these to the wider team as requiredExperience/ Skills required:Robust editorial experience in commercial non-fiction books, both black and white and illustrated titlesEntrepreneurial attitude and solid commercial awareness.Excellent brand, author and or agency relationships are desirable in this role as well.A global thinker, someone who can see beyond the book and help us to develop digital, international and audio sales.Strong and active interest in social media and digital developments within the industryWell organised with the ability to prioritise and manage workload, and ability to deal with a mixture of long and short-term demandsExcellent 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 listsA good team player who can work on their own initiative and carry through projectsDriven to exceed expectations.Adept team-player. Able to contribute to wider discussions of the Division’s publishing and businessPassion for innovative publishing, meaningful content, societal change and beautiful booksBenefitsHybrid working model (3 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 leavePrivate healthcare cover and life assuranceSummer HoursFree access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portalSeason ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work schemeRelocation Rent Support LoanEmployee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at WorkUnlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmesVirtual GP and eyecare vouchersGym membership discountOnsite physiotherapy (London only)Charitable donation matching and 2 volunteering daysWe’re a certified Carbon Neutral companyGreen Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hireFree e-books and audiobooks, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on booksSubsidised canteen and retail discountsOnsite prayer roomThe Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking internships or entry level positions. For more information visitIf you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to 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.
Expected salary
£32500 – 42500 per year
Location
London
Job date
Thu, 20 Mar 2025 08:39:02 GMT
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