Editorial Assistant, Editorial, Raven

Do you love stories that send a chill down your spine? Are you hooked on psychological suspense, obsessed with page turning thrillers, love nothing more than a locked room story and are desperate to read the detectives of the future?

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to assist the Publishing Director of the Raven Books imprint on their award winning and bestselling list of books. Raven Books is the home of authors including Sunday Times bestsellers, Stuart Turton and Rosie Andrews, as well as acclaimed writers such as Holly Watt, Laura Purcell, Femi Kayode and Katherine Faulkner. We are looking for a friendly, communicative and extremely organised individual keen to be part of a small and very busy team, who wants to be fully immersed in all aspects of the publishing process, from paying invoices to proofreading covers to reading the latest hot new manuscript overnight.

The role

Your responsibilities will include

• Systems admin across all titles on the list – from title management systems to writing catalogue copy to working with other departments internally to ensure the smooth running of the list
• Maintaining the Raven Books publishing schedule and ensuring that all deadlines are met
• Scheduling meetings both internally and externally, and taking minutes
• Logging, reading and reporting on submissions
• Reading key manuscripts alongside the Publishing Director and sharing thoughts
• Supporting the Publishing Director with author and agent communications, particularly when the Publishing Director is not in the office
• Working with the Publishing Director and the production team on all aspects of paperback publishing, from writing cover copy to collating corrections
• Once fully established in the role, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn all aspects of the editorial process, from briefing covers to editing books
• Bloomsbury work remotely and from our central London offices, so you will need to be comfortable working with a variety of departments in person and over Teams, depending on the circumstances

Knowledge, skills and experience 

• The successful candidate will be energetic, meticulous, curious and genuinely passionate about the books on the Raven Books list
• Extremely strong communication skills are essential, as is the ability to tailor your communications depending on the circumstances and urgency of the situation
• Confident at working both independently and alongside others, managing their time effectively, and prioritising tasks as necessary. You must be able to show initiative and self-motivation
• Publishing experience is not essential but you must have a demonstrable interest in publishing, and in the types of books published on the Raven Books list; while many of our titles at Raven Books are prize winners, this is not a job working on literary fiction
• Office or administrative experience is vital, as is the willingness to learn new systems
• Able to work quickly and efficiently while demonstrating strong attention to spelling, grammar and punctuation

Additional information

The role is a full-time permanent position with a salary of £24,000 per annum

The role is based at our London office 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP on a hybrid working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred).  Allocated office days for this role are: Monday and Tuesday

As an Assistant role, this position is eligible for Bloomsbury’s Rental Deposit Loan Scheme. To assist candidates who want to start and to establish a career in publishing, Bloomsbury offers an interest-free rental deposit to support securing somewhere to live. The rental deposit loan can be up to £3,000 and will be paid back over 2 years.

Please apply with a CV and covering letter addressed to Human Resources (Word or PDF format only) via the ‘APPLY NOW’ button, plus an additional document detailing in no more than 300 words an example of a book recently published in the crime, thriller, suspense or gothic areas that you couldn’t put down and that is not published by Bloomsbury.

Close date for this role is Monday 2nd May 2022.

Bloomsbury reserve the right to close the role early if we exceed the required number of applications

Bloomsbury Benefits

As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers the following competitive benefits package:

Working Pattern

• hybrid working pattern of: 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred)

Holidays

• 25 days holiday
• 3.5 days Christmas company holiday
• 2 Personal Wellness days

Other Benefits:

Flexible Fridays – take Friday afternoon off by working an additional 3 hours and 45 minutes earlier in the week

Season Ticket Loan

Sharesave Scheme

In-house Doctor

Eyecare Voucher Scheme

That Day – online fitness classes, mindfulness, cookery classes, workshops etc.

Company culture! – Employee Voice Meetings, Staff Networks (BAME, Disability, Mental Health, LGBTQ+ and Parents, Guardians and Carers), 15 Mental Health First Aiders trained across the UK offices, Publishing Events and access to free Publishing Resources

For additional benefits see below

Bloomsbury is a place where anyone of any background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, or socio-economic status can thrive, feel comfortable, and be heard and accepted. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please flag to the recruitment team if required

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

The Book Trade Charity provide financial assistance for people looking to get into the publishing industry; you can find more information and talk directly here: http://booktradeentrysupport.org

The Company

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, with authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer and Booker Prizes, and is the originating publisher and custodian of the Harry Potter series. Bloomsbury has offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford and Sydney. Within Bloomsbury’s Academic division, it publishes under Bloomsbury, as well as under a number of prestigious and historic imprint names. Read Our Story for how it all began. 

 Bloomsbury is committed to creating a working environment that stimulates creativity and collaboration, is respectful of difference, is inclusive and ethical in its practice, and promotes well-being. We are determined to nurture and develop our employees to reach their highest potential, and we know that our success is down to the passion, commitment and hard work of our talented people. We recognise the urgent need to attract and support applicants from all backgrounds and identities to become part of the global publishing industry, allowing diverse voices to reflect and shape our culture and society.

Please read more on our Missions and Values here.

Please read our environmental policy here.