We’re excited to offer a fantastic opportunity to join our busy and friendly General Fiction team at HarperFiction. As an Assistant Editor, you’ll work closely with our Publisher to support a bestselling list that includes both established authors and exciting new voices. This role combines a wide range of editorial and administrative tasks, offering hands-on experience in all stages of the publishing process. We’re looking for someone who is passionate about popular fiction and can exhibit terrific author care and attention to detail in their work. 

We are looking for someone with trade publishing experience who is hungry to learn, is strongly engaged with the book world, its trends and its community, and is energetic, hard-working and a great team player.

The successful candidate will need strong editorial and desk editing skills, enjoy working on their own initiative, and to be able to juggle a variety of competing priorities to support the Publisher in best-in-class publishing, superb author care and on-time critical path delivery.

Core Responsibilities

Editorial

• Provide hands-on editorial support to the Publisher across their authors and titles, including communicating with authors, desk editing all titles, proof-reading jackets and other supporting material, and line and structural editing

• Manage production workflows to ensure titles meet critical path deadlines, including booking freelancers and coordinating page proofs.

• Check copy-edits, resolve editorial queries, and conduct ebook editorial checks.

• Write compelling cover briefs and cover copy, as well as creating Advance Information sheets and monitor key sales deadlines.

• Maintain and update metadata across all titles, including monitoring online platforms like Amazon to ensure accuracy and relevance.

• Proofread sales and marketing materials such as covers, catalogues, rights information, and author presentations.

• Prepare launch briefs, author questionnaires, reading group questions, and other supplementary content to support marketing and publicity efforts.

• Use AI tools within our internal systems to streamline editorial and administrative processes, with a proactive mindset to experiment and find innovative ways to simplify day-to-day tasks.

• Track and read submissions for the Publisher and draft responses or respond direct.

Administration

• Act as a key point of contact for authors, agents, and internal departments on behalf of the Publisher.

• Organize purchase orders, process invoices, and raise new contracts.

• Manage requests for gratis copies and distribute advance/sample materials to relevant teams.

• Compile sales figures and reports, including TCM and international sales data, to send weekly to authors.

• Arrange meetings, book fair appointments, and other logistical support for the Publisher.

• Take minutes at internal meetings when required.

• Manage submissions for prizes including ordering copies and monitoring submission deadlines.

Who We’re Looking For

• Experience in trade publishing, ideally within an editorial or assistant editorial role.

• Proven editorial skills, including desk editing work, copywriting and accurate proof-reading.

• Line or structural editing experience (desirable).

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle competing priorities and work independently.

• Experience liaising directly with authors, agents, and internal teams.

• A keen interest in the market, industry trends, and the wider reading community, including active engagement with social media channels related to books and reading.

• Enthusiasm for using AI and other digital tools to improve workflows and a proactive approach to experimenting with new technologies to enhance efficiency with admin.

• Excellent command of English, with strong attention to detail and accuracy.

• Proficiency in MS Word (advanced), with intermediate skills in Excel and Outlook.

• A collaborative team player with excellent communication skills at all levels.

Benefits

• Hybrid 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 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, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work

• 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, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books

• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts

• Onsite prayer room

At HarperCollins, we value authenticity and integrity in our recruitment process. To ensure a fair and accurate evaluation of all applications, we ask that all responses to assessment questions reflect your own thoughts, experiences, and capabilities.  This allows us to fairly assess your knowledge, skills, and experience to determine how they align with the role. We value diverse perspectives and genuine contributions, even if answers are not perfect. The use of AI tools or external assistance to generate responses is discouraged unless explicitly permitted for specific tasks.

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to stephanie.jemmett@harpercollins.co.uk 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.