Editorial Director, #Merky Books

The opportunity has arisen for an Editorial Director to help us shape the future of the award-winning, growing and ambitious imprint, #Merky Books.

About #Merky Books

Part of the Cornerstone division of Penguin Random House, #Merky Books was founded with the aim to own – and change – the mainstream. A collaboration between Stormzy and Penguin Random House, it’s dedicated to amplifying new and under-represented voices. Our authors include Malorie Blackman, Jade LB, Will Hunter, Jyoti Patel, Monika Radojevic, Taylor-Dior Rumble, Caster Semenya  and Bola Sol.

About the role

This is a unique opportunity to shape the identity of #Merky Books. Heading up the imprint, you will be a key player in our publishing strategy and our wider community partnerships and goals. Working as part of a collaborative editorial team with an entrepreneurial spirit, you will work with a number of key authors on the list and acquire new authors to the list, whether via agents, in partnership with #Merky, or via direct approaches. While you will work particularly closely with our #Merky Books’ editor and marketing team, you will be thinking about the shape of the list as a whole and taking us forward into new directions, as well as working with the broader division to publish your own titles.

What you’ll bring 

We are looking for a brilliant commissioner – whether an Editorial Director already or a senior commissioning / commissioning editor looking to take the next step - with a vision for #Merky Books and a proven track record of publishing. Whether your passion lies in fiction, non-fiction or both, from the literary to the commercial, we would love to hear from you. As well as shaping your own commissioning you will be working with around six key non-fiction authors already on the list.

The Editorial Director will work with the Publisher in managing and developing the direction of our list. You will have a passion for discovering and developing new voices, a vision for building energetic campaigns, the hunger to seek out new publishing opportunities and a desire to connect writers with the widest possible audience. You will be able to build a community, both internally and externally, for your books and for the list.

 Candidate Profile

• A proven track record in editing, acquiring, proactively commissioning new ideas and profitably publishing fiction and / or non-fiction.

• Creativity, energy, sound commercial judgement and editorial flair combined with the ability to follow through and keep on schedule and budget. 

• Ability to build strong relationships with authors, agents and across the wider industry.

• Comfortable acting as an internal and external ambassador for #Merky Books, and as a leader within the imprint and as part of the wider editorial team. 

• A strong team player with interpersonal sensitivity and emotional intelligence.

• Professional curiosity, and an appetite for innovation and problem-solving.

• A good understanding of the marketplace: retailers, media, audiences and competitors. 

• Confident partner for Marketing, Publicity, and other internal teams to develop each book’s strategy, positioning, copy and design.

• Proven author care and negotiation experience. 

About Cornerstone

Cornerstone is a division within the iconic publisher Penguin Random House, our home. In turn, Cornerstone is home to five imprints: Century, Del Rey, Hutchinson Heinemann, #Merky Books, and Cornerstone Press, each with its own specific focus and remit. Every Cornerstone book also goes on to become a Penguin paperback.

Within publishing, Cornerstone has an enviable track record of bestsellers, prize winners and culture-shaping books, working with many of the world’s most interesting voices, often throughout their entire career. Our books span genres, categories and marketplaces globally.

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.

How to apply: Please apply with your CV & Cover Letter by 23:59 on Sunday 19th May. 

Salary: Up to £50,000 depending on how your skills and experience align with the role, plus bonus and benefits.

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

Our benefits include:

• Financial – income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance

• Wellbeing - healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks

• Lifestyle – enhanced parental leave, tech scheme,

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

Hybrid working: We’re experimenting with a hybrid way of working that suits the needs of each team. 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, some meetings will need to be attended in person at our offices in Pimlico on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please note that over the course of 2024 all of our London-based teams will permanently relocate to our Embassy Gardens office in Nine Elms. We’ll be happy to answer any questions on this as part of the interview process.

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're part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can't 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: The Random House Group Limited 

Country: United Kingdom 

State/Region: London 

City: London 

Postal Code: SW1V 2SA 

Job ID: 269677