Hemlock Press is the tastemaker of award-winning books showcasing the very best voices within detective and espionage fiction, historical crime, thrillers and suspense. Our curated list offers unforgettable plots, immersive locations, and addictive hooks that intrigue the mind and thrill the senses. Some of our authors include the Sunday Times bestsellers Abigail Dean, A. J. Finn, S. J. Parris, Jane Casey, and Cara Hunter, and we have a growing list of exciting new voices such as Suk Pannu, Stig Abell, Kim Sherwood and Sam Holland.

As Commissioning Editor, you will be a key member of the Hemlock Press team, taking ownership of an existing stable of authors to see them through to publication for both physical and digital editions. There will also be the opportunity to commission your own titles for the list, in line with the acquisition strategy of the wider team. Although commissioning experience is desirable, more important is your ability to demonstrate that you have solid experience of owning and driving your own publishing successfully and strategically, and the market awareness, taste and hunger to commission for our list of upmarket crime & thriller titles. You will have an extensive range of industry contacts that you can call on, and the ability to build strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be commercially savvy, having an extensive knowledge of the crime and thriller markets and a passion for the books that Hemlock Press publishes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Taking ownership of and being the main point of contact for own stable of authors, seeing them through from first draft right the way through to publication for both physical and digital editions.

• Managing and editing a list of existing Hemlock Press authors, maintaining communication with authors and agents and developing publishing strategies.

• Acting as secondary editor for several of the Publisher’s authors, stepping in as and when needed editorially, on author/agent communication, on internal strategy meetings, and on all Production/metadata etc.

• Acquiring titles in line with Hemlock Press’s acquisition strategy, adding new crime and thriller voices to the stable.

• Negotiating deal memos and progressing contracts for all acquisitions.

• Liaising closely with the production team and pub ops director to keep all books in line with critical path, acting as primary point of contact for everything Production related on relevant authors.

• Understanding and wider reading of crime and thriller books, resulting in strong market knowledge and market-focused publishing strategies across the board.

• Briefing market-informed jackets and liaising with designers, seeing covers through from start to finish, particularly keeping in mind deadlines for retailer sell-in.

• Briefing, overseeing and checking sales/marketing material, e.g. catalogues, sales presenters, as necessary.

• Creating strategy documents for key titles and presenting these to the wider team as required.

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

• Writing cover/catalogue/copy as required.

• Continuing to build and foster relationships with agents, acting as one of Hemlock Press’s key ambassadors within the industry, cultivating the established relationships we have already, developing new ones and identifying more agencies to work with.

• Liaising with teams across the business including sales, marketing, publicity, rights and production.

• Attending launches, industry events and festivals as needed.

Skills required:

• Previous experience of working on fiction books

• Owning, devising and implementing publishing strategy

• Experience working at editor level or above

• Be able to demonstrate sound market knowledge of crime & thriller fiction

• Experience of desk editing processes

• Full knowledge of publishing processes

• Experience of working directly with authors

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

•   Global thinker -- someone able to think 'beyond the book' and help us develop digital, international and audio sales

• Hungry to own and drive own workload

• Ability to work individually and as part of a team

  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

  • Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)

  • With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire

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

  • Subsidised canteen and retail discounts 

  • Onsite prayer room 

  The 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 visit  https://www.btbs.org/

  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.