Editorial Assistant (12 month FTC)

Who we are and what we do

At Orion, we believe every story matters. Open, agile, passionate and innovative, our mission is to bring the best publishing to the greatest variety of people. Ambitious to continually raise the bar, we believe good stories can come from anywhere and so encourage and value contributions from everybody here.

Orion is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 11 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

Gollancz is the oldest specialist Science Fiction and Fantasy publisher in the UK. Founded in 1927, this imprint of the Orion Publishing Group is home to a galaxy of award-winning and bestselling authors. Combined with our long-running SF Masterworks programme and major digital initiative the SF Gateway, Gollancz has one of the largest and most prestigious ranges of Science Fiction and Fantasy of any publisher in the world. Our authors include Brandon Sanderson, Stephanie Garber, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, Leigh Bardugo, Ursula K. Le Guin, Terry Pratchett, Victoria Aveyard, Adalyn Grace, Nnedi Okorafor, Lex Croucher, Shen Tao, and many more. This is a chance to work with bestselling global superstars as well as some of the most exciting and original new voices writing today.

What you'll be doing

As a parental leave cover for a fixed term 12-month contract, you will work closely with our Editorial Director on one of the most exciting, successful, and prestigious SFF lists in the world. The position offers the opportunity to work on titles across a wide range of sub-genres for both global brand authors and debuts, engaging in every aspect of the publishing process. Responsibilities will include:

• Reporting to our Editorial Director and providing them with support across all aspects of the team’s publishing
• Handling the production of forthcoming books across print and digital, such as:
• Booking copyedits and proofreads
• Preparing prelims and putting books into production
• Collating proofs and checking eBooks
• Helping to project manage publications and campaigns:
• Booking calls and meetings
• Taking minutes
• Organising presentations and key communications with authors, agents, and consumers
• Providing editorial support, including but not limited to:
• Assisting with writing cover copy
• Contributing to wider creative briefs and projects
• Completing and optimising best-in-class metadata and TI sheets on Biblio
• Reading and assessing submissions
• Keeping progress trackers up-to-date ahead of our weekly editorial meetings
• Shadow editing
• Assisting with the organisation of material and logistics for key events, conventions, and festivals throughout 2025 and 2026, including attending events, where needed

Who we are looking for

We are looking for someone with a blend of organisation, creativity, and curiosity to join the Gollancz team. Candidates must be highly efficient and hard-working, with a close eye for detail, as well as a willingness to learn lots and fast. Someone with a can-do, enthusiastic attitude, who has a proven ability to work well under pressure and multi-task would be ideal. An interest in SFF publishing is essential, and an interest in wider cultural media and entertainment landscape would be useful.

What we offer

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London office, Carmelite House, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org