What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the Publisher Non-fiction and Senior Commissioning Editor, you will be assisting the serious non-fiction editorial team in all aspects of the publication process – from managing the copy-editing, proof-reading and collating of proofs to maintaining the schedule. A flexible attitude and good time management skills are essential, as is the ability to prioritise under pressure. Your day will involve lots of detail-oriented work, but there will also be plenty of opportunities to develop and stretch your commercial and creative muscles. You’ll liaise directly with authors and literary agents, read submissions, attend author events, and get stuck into manuscripts and copywriting. This is a collaborative role which will see you working closely with staff in all other departments, contributing to marketing and publicity plans and maintaining our social media presence, so you will need to be an outstanding communicator and enthusiastic team player.

This is a busy, demanding, but above all really rewarding entry role in publishing. At least that is what Holly Purdham, who did the job before, says:

‘I joined Headline Non-Fiction as an editorial assistant in 2021. Back then I couldn’t imagine how different each day would be - one moment I’m working on a former PM’s book, the next a reality TV star’s! On top of the core administrative tasks, there is lots of scope to hone your editorial skills and you’ll be encouraged and supported to do so. If you enjoy a challenge and are keen to join an open and dynamic team, apply!’

Who we are looking for

First and foremost, we’re looking for someone who really loves books and wants to throw themselves into learning how the editorial side of publishing works. You’ll be full of creative energy, thriving on working with brilliant authors and amazing ideas.

There are a few other things that will also be really important:

• You’ll be interested in the world around you – from politics and current affairs to history, popular science, memoir and personal development – with your finger on the pulse of the latest trends.
• Your attention to detail will be meticulous.
• You’ll be super-organized and good at time management with the ability to prioritise a high workload, manage conflicting deadlines and keep a cool head under pressure
• You’ll be a good communicator, confident in chasing other departments, freelancers and authors as necessary.
• You’ll be motivated and enthusiastic, with a ‘can-do’ attitude.
• You’ll know your way around Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams etc.

What we offer

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years’ service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years’ (+ bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London office, Carmelite House, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Who we are and what we do

Headline Non-Fiction is an imprint of Headline - one of the most successful, dynamic and fastest-growing book publishers in the UK.

The Headline Non-Fiction list boasts an incredible array of award-winning talent from the worlds of entertainment, TV, music, sport, history, popular science, politics and current affairs, and personal development. In the past year we have strengthened our serious non-fiction publishing, with agenda-setting political books by the former prime minister Theresa May and the Sunday Times political editor Caroline Wheeler, and groundbreaking travel writing by Tom Parfitt.

Our Commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

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 junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org