Editorial Assistant, HarperNorth

Editorial Assistant, HarperNorth

Application Deadline: 28 July 2026

Department: Editorial

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Manchester

Compensation: £25,500 / year

As Editorial Assistant, you will facilitate the smooth running of the department and provide administrative and editorial support to the publisher and editors. There will be regular opportunities for the successful candidate to develop their editorial skills, working on edits alongside the editors, assisting with creative briefs for books, idea generation and writing cover copy and AI sheets. This role requires regular liaison with authors, agents and other departments, and handling multiple titles in all stages of their life cycle, so a cheerful disposition, good time management and a can-do attitude are essential.

HarperNorth, established in 2020, finds, nurtures and grows northern writing talent and brings the best voices to the widest national and international audiences. With a track-record of top-ten bestsellers and award-nominated authors, HarperNorth offers a dedicated editorial, marketing and publicity function rooted in the north. As a close-knit team, HarperNorth offers the opportunity for team members to contribute to discussions across the imprint, ensuring constant learning and development opportunities. Based in the centre of Manchester, HarperNorth publishes bestselling fiction and non-fiction across the market. From crime to rom-com and memoir to history, we are looking for the best writers to reach the broadest possible readership.

Please note: this vacancy will close once 200 applications have been received. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to Sign in to view email with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

Key Responsibilities

Administration

• Managing the editorial tracker to ensure all titles’ progression through the critical path is monitored

• Agenda building and circulation for Editorial and Acquisitions meetings

• Organising/diary management of HarperNorth meetings: Editorial, Acquisitions, Publishing Operations, Focus and Launch

• Taking minutes at divisional meetings, as required

• Arranging author/ agent meetings and presentations, and preparing documents

• Use of other general office admin/systems

• Helping HN’s Marketing and Publicity assistant with general enquiries inbox management

• Liaising with freelancers, raising purchase orders and processing invoices

• Onboarding new editorial suppliers/ freelancers

• Liaison on Publisher’s behalf with authors, agents, other departments etc.

• Providing advance/sample materials for other departments e.g. sales, marketing, rights, audio

• Tracking materials to/from designers, editors and production

• Placing author/ agent book orders

• Completing prize submissions

• Collating sales data for sharing with authors and agents

Editorial

• Researching the book market as required, including Bookscan, chart and competitor research

• Raising new contracts, managing new contracts through the system

• Creating/managing advanced information sheets, including bibliographic data

• Monitoring Amazon to ensure copy and jackets are up to date

• Monitoring and amending metadata in line with promotions

• Looking up sales figures and data, creating sales reports for internal usage

• Writing up physical and e-book copyright pages

• Completing Editorial to Production forms

• Completing audio briefing forms

• Preparing and circulating cover briefs

• Occasional picture research for internals/ covers

• Management of open submissions inbox: turn downs and fielding potential submissions to editors

• Writing reader reports for submissions

• Researching new authors/ concepts for IP projects

• Working closely with the Production team to ensure books are on schedule and files signed off by all relevant parties

• Booking and managing freelancers for copy-edits and proofreads, including collation and marking up files

• E-book editorial checks

• Creating back ads for cross promotion in e-books

• Helping to manage reprints/ second outings: responsibilities include organising the re-branding of covers, updating prelims, back ads and reading group notes etc.

• Sending copies to authors/agents

• Proofreading jacket copy and catalogue copy

• Creating and monitoring timelines for key publications

• Working closely with Sales and Marketing to help promote titles across the list

• Communicating with authors about promotions

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Previous work experience, not necessarily in publishing

• Solid administrative & organisation experience or knowledge with a high level of computer literacy

• Reliable

• Excellent time management skills

• Ability to multi-task

• Effective communicator at all levels (within the team, author/ agent facing)

• Familiar with MS Word; Excel; Outlook; Powerpoint

• Have a high level of accuracy and attention to detail

• Be a book lover

• Broad literary taste and interest in the media and cultural landscape and trends

• Have a real passion for regional diversity within the publishing industry