Commissioning Editor, Penguin General (18-month FTC)

We are looking for a dynamic Commissioning Editor on an 18-month fixed-term contract. This role will partially cover a period of parental leave with responsibility for a small number of existing authors, as well as providing the opportunity to acquire and publish onto the Viking fiction list. Reporting to the Publishing Director, you will work within a self-motivated editorial team, liaising with authors, agents and other internal and external stakeholders accordingly.

About the team

Penguin General is one of the publishing divisions that make up Penguin Random House UK. There are six imprints at Penguin General: Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Business, Penguin Life, Viking and Sandycove. The latter is based in Dublin.

At Viking, we publish a select range of bestselling, prize-winning novelists to reach the broadest possible audience. We pride ourselves on our ability to launch brilliant new careers and take established authors to new heights, combining critical success with commercial ambition. Some of our bestselling authors from 2024 include Leigh Bardugo, William Boyd, Nick Harkaway, Emily Henry, Gabriel García Márquez, Richard Osman, Elif Shafak and Elizabeth Strout.

The role

This role is a chance to publish fiction across a varied and vibrant list, acquiring commercial genre and general fiction within a collaborative and supportive team. You will have a passion for championing new voices, the hunger to seek out new publishing opportunities over following trends, and knowledge about what certain audiences want to read and how to reach them. You will be able to generate buzz, both internally and externally, for your books and your list. At Penguin General, we strive for working life to be progressive, energising, motivating and rewarding for all our colleagues at every level.

What you’ll bring

Essential criteria:

• Able to confidently articulate your taste and passion and combine it with strategic, analytical thinking in relation to the Viking list and the wider market.
• Effective communicator, able to make convincing verbal pitches, write persuasive cover copy, brief covers with clarity, and fulfil a publishing vision for all aspects of a book’s package.
• Great relationship-builder, able to work effectively across departments including Sales, Rights, Marketing and Publicity to coordinate successful publications.
• Excellent organisation, time management and attention to detail, and an ability to work effectively under pressure.

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Wednesday 8th January 2025. As part of your cover letter, we’d like you to include a note on:

• The 5 works of commercial fiction (not published by Viking) you wish you’d published that exemplify your taste and market knowledge, with a brief commentary about your selection (max 500 words).

Please ensure you include a cover letter, as it is a crucial part of our assessment process. The cover letter offers an opportunity to show how your experience and interests align with the role requirements. Typically, we expect the cover letter to be no more than one or two pages in length.

Salary

Circa £38,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

What you can expect from us

Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.

Our benefits include:

• Financial – discounted shopping, season ticket loan, rental deposit loan
• Wellbeing – healthcare cash plan, employee assistance, gym loan
• Lifestyle – taste card, tech scheme, free and discounted books

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer/

Hybrid working

While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role, there are meetings and activities that you will need to attend in person at our offices in Embassy Gardens. We operate with a combination of days working from home alongside regular days in the office every week and can discuss this with you during the recruitment process.

About Penguin

We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.

The recruitment process

You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the ‘What you’ll bring’ section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: Penguin Books Limited 

Country: United Kingdom 

State/Region: London 

City: London 

Postal Code: SW11 7BW 

Job ID: 275890