We are looking for a Non-Fiction Editor to join Bloomsbury General, the exciting new division formed a year ago under the Bloomsbury Adult Consumer umbrella.
We publish more commercial fiction and non-fiction than Bloomsbury has traditionally published, ranging across crime and thriller books (under the Raven imprint), romance, bookclub fiction, popular culture non-fiction, and sci-fi and fantasy. Authors include Samantha Shannon, Fred Sirieix, Celia Imrie, Stuart Turton and Laura Purcell.
Our Head of Bloomsbury General, Katy Follain, needs an Editor who understands and is passionate about the commercial Non-Fiction market. They will report into her, and project-manage new and existing Non-Fiction titles alongside Katy in line with our internal workflows, delivering final files to Production colleagues on time, within agreed budgets and to a high standard. They will work collaboratively with all internal departments so that they have the materials and resources they need to effectively sell and market the books; with authors; with agents; and with freelancers across the business. The role also offers the opportunity to commission 2-3 titles a year.
The perfect candidate will have a background in commercial Non-Fiction, have excellent organisational and communication skills, a genuine interest in popular culture, promising editing skills, an understanding of working with people in the public eye and the ability to work well independently and as part of a team. They will also be a problem-solver with the ability to multi-task and work to tight deadlines.
Relationships with agents and scouts, while not expected, would be an asset.
The role
- To help edit and publish non-fiction titles acquired by the Head of Bloomsbury General (approx. 8 original titles pa) to an exceptionally high standard
- To act as principal contact for authors and agents to ensure a high standard of author-care throughout the publishing process
- To manage structural and line edit stages of a book, ensuring manuscripts reach their full potential and on deadline
- To liaise with Rights, Audio, Digital, Sales, Marketing and Publicity to create and deliver publishing plans, including writing sparkling cover copy
- To work with the Design department to develop covers that reflect and are in line with the commercial Non-Fiction market
- To manage picture research, picture budgets & permission-clearing where required
- To read and report on the high-volume of submissions from authors and agents
- To contribute creatively to the list – including on titles, copy, cover ideas and in generating ideas for books by identifying publishing trends.
- To run Biblio reports and undertake market research on Bookscan as required
- To liaise with metadata leads to ensure the highest standards, making constant improvements and meeting targets set by metadata colleagues
Knowledge, skills and experience
- Previous editorial experience
- Exceptional copyediting ability and attention to detail – always able to spot typos and mistakes
- Understanding of trends and developments in popular culture
- Knowledge of Biblio and other publishing systems
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- A growing interest in structural- and line-editing
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently
- Great organisational skills to keep concurrent projects running on track
- Confident, enthusiastic and hard-working, who is able to self-motivate
Additional information
The role is a full-time permanent position
Salary Pay Point: £29,000
The role is based at our London office 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP on a hybrid-working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred). Allocated office days for this role are: Monday and Tuesday
Please apply with a CV and covering letter addressed to Human Resources (Word or PDF format only) via the ‘APPLY NOW’ button detailing how you meet the requirements outlined above for this role by Sunday 21st April 2024.
Bloomsbury reserve the right to close the role early if we exceed the required number of applications
Bloomsbury Benefits
As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers the following competitive benefits package:
Working Pattern
- hybrid working pattern of: 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred)
Holidays
- 25 days holiday
- 3.5 days Christmas company holiday
Other Benefits:
- Two paid Personal Wellness Days
- Flexible Fridays – take Friday afternoon off by working an additional 3 hours and 30 minutes earlier in the week
- Season Ticket Loan
- Sharesave Scheme
- AXA Healthcare Plan (Private Medical Insurance)
- In-house Doctor
- Eyecare Voucher Scheme
Company culture – Employee Voice Meetings, Staff Networks (Bloom (BAME), Accessibility, Mental Health, Pride, and Parents, Guardians and Carers, Multi-Faith) and 21 Mental Health First Aiders trained across the UK offices, Publishing Events and access to free Publishing Resources
For additional benefits see below
Bloomsbury is a place where anyone of any background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, or socio-economic status can thrive, feel comfortable, and be heard and accepted. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please flag to the recruitment team if required
Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.
The Company
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, with authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer and Booker Prizes, and is the originating publisher and custodian of the Harry Potter series. Bloomsbury has offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford and Sydney. Within Bloomsbury’s Academic division, it publishes under Bloomsbury, as well as under a number of prestigious and historic imprint names. Read Our Story for how it all began.
Bloomsbury is committed to creating a working environment that stimulates creativity and collaboration, is respectful of difference, is inclusive and ethical in its practice, and promotes well-being. We are determined to nurture and develop our employees to reach their highest potential, and we know that our success is down to the passion, commitment and hard work of our talented people. We recognise the urgent need to attract and support applicants from all backgrounds and identities to become part of the global publishing industry, allowing diverse voices to reflect and shape our culture and society.
