Editorial Assistant – Penguin General/Viking

Job description

We have a rare opportunity for an enthusiastic, ambitious and efficient Editorial Assistant to join the fiction team at Viking, Penguin General. Penguin General is one of the publishing divisions that make up Penguin Random House UK. There are five imprints at Penguin General: Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, 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. Our fiction authors include: Richard Osman, Emily Henry, Elif Shafak, Yael van der Wouden, William Boyd, Jonathan Coe, Elizabeth Strout, Hisham Matar, Caleb Azumah Nelson and Alice Winn.

You will work as part of a collaborative and supportive team, curious and open to new and innovative ideas. At Penguin General, we strive for working life to be progressive, energising, motivating, and rewarding for all our colleagues at every level.

Reporting into the Publisher (literary fiction), the Editorial Assistant will be responsible for a wide range of editorial and administrative tasks which include:
• General office administration e.g. booking meeting rooms, arranging couriers, taking calls and minuting meetings, processing expenses, coding invoices, sending out proof mailings
• Diary management: organising meetings, organising schedules for book fairs and overseas trips
• Managing the internal book process under supervision, from acquisition to publication, to ensure that deadlines are met
• Reading submissions and sharing verbal and written feedback
• Writing persuasive cover copy and keeping all title data up-to-date
• Acting as a point of contact for authors and agents
• Managing the input and accuracy of data on our publishing systems
• Some general admin tasks for the Viking Fiction team (e.g. minutes, booking rooms, organising internal drinks)

Application instructions
If this sounds like you, please apply with a CV and cover letter (800 words at most) by 11:59pm on 22 nd July. As part of your cover letter, tell us about a recently published book you've read and why it stood out to you (no more than 300 words).

We’d love it if you had…

You won’t need to have had previous publishing experience as we’ll teach you all you need to know, so this is an exciting opportunity if you’re ready to get stuck into your first role in the industry. We’re much more interested in seeing a genuine curiosity to learn, a sincere passion for the kinds of books we publish at Viking, and an ability to work calmly and effectively as part of a team and in a fast-moving environment. You will get to work with some of the most creative publishing colleagues in the business, alongside a team of experts in a friendly and inclusive environment that values individuality, champions creativity, and celebrates individual and team successes.

What you’ll bring:
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Ability to work to, and meet, deadlines
• Ability to respond and adjust to fast-changing priorities
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent reading skills, and desire to learn about our audiences
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to work within the Viking and wider Penguin General teams, and with authors and agents

Employer details

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.