Managing Editor

SALARY:   £ Competitive

DETAILS:

A Managing Editor with an excellent knowledge of the publishing industry and a passion for novelty board books is required by Make Believe Ideas, a well-established children’s publishing company based in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire (30 minutes north of London with a direct train link to Euston).

Working at Make Believe Ideas is an opportunity to be part of an exciting story. We have grown year on year with an expanding market and staff team. The company prides itself on its family culture and we believe we are unique in the world of publishing with our speed to market approach.

This role is perfect for a highly creative Managing Editor who has a meticulous and organised nature, as well as a creative flair for novelty product and board books.

JOB OVERVIEW

As the Managing Editor, you will have a wide range of responsibilities, such as managing a list of books from initial brief to completion, maintaining third-party relationships, overseeing a team of editors, allocating workload, and ensuring each book that the team creates reaches the high creative and editorial standards required. Successful candidates will also possess a passion for innovation, with a desire to pioneer new ideas and product.

DUTIES

Your duties and responsibilities as the Managing Editor include:

• Managing the board book product list in partnership with a Managing Designer, liaising with Sales, Production and Senior Management when necessary
• Conceiving and developing new titles, novelties and products
• Tracking development of dummies and packaging requirements, and ensuring all specifications are accurate and suitable to the market
• Working with third-party contributors, such as illustrators, authors, editors, consultants, and Americanisers
• Planning content, managing text and editing books to the agreed brief and specifications, working alongside the editorial and design team
• Managing in-house schedules and workflow, and adapting to the needs of the business when necessary to hit critical targets and deadlines
• Line managing a team of editors and editorial assistants, helping with their training and development
• Managing the editorial content of the company catalogue and advance information sheets, as well as coordinating and checking written descriptions and product specifications

IDEAL CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

As the Managing Editor you will have the following skills and experience:

• Have expert technical knowledge of children’s novelty board books
• Have experience of managing lists of books and an advanced knowledge of publishing procedure and workflow
• Have an expert-level understanding of editorial duties, including copywriting, copy-editing and proofreading
• Must enjoy collaborating with others and brainstorming creative ideas
• Have experience managing and mentoring a team of editors
• Must be extremely organised, motivated and be able to work well under pressure
• Must have a meticulous nature with a keen eye for detail
• Have an advanced knowledge of InDesign, Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Excellent benefits including 25 days annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays, contributory pension scheme, life assurance, substantial discounts on our books, discounts to many high street and online stores and much more.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this opportunity, please submit a Cover Letter and CV to careers@makebelieveideas.com for review.