Lead the HQ Digital publishing list by executing strategy, commissioning and editing commercial fiction, managing schedules, acquisitions, author and agent relationships, and coordinating sales, marketing, rights, audio, and international teams. Identify market opportunities, oversee metadata, promotions, pricing, backlist reissues, and digital growth across the UK and international markets. Represent the imprint internally and externally while supporting commissioning editors and developing profitable publishing programmes.
HQ Digital is the digital-first list of HQ, specialising in innovative digital publishing across the commercial fiction market, from contemporary fiction, romance, historical fiction to crime and thrillers. Combining rapid growth with commercial success, we’re proud to have launched stellar careers for a host of digital bestselling authors both in the UK and internationally, including Rebecca Raisin, Portia Macintosh, Faith Martin and Neil Lancaster.
A key role in the HQ division, the Senior Commissioning Editor/ Editorial Director will execute the strategy for HQ Digital as outlined by the Publishing Director and will oversee the smooth running of the HQ Digital list. This includes identifying opportunities and promotions for forthcoming titles, making changes to the schedule as required, representing HQD at internal meetings, identifying gaps in the list and supporting the two HQ Digital commissioning editors in their acquisitions.
You will also be a conduit to the wider team for digital best practice, updates and advice, sharing your knowledge and understanding of the rapidly changing digital space. Using your knowledge and experience, you will help drive growth for the Digital list, advising on author strategy and backlist management.
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious individual with a creative approach to digital publishing to join a fast-growing and dynamic imprint.
Key Responsibilities
- Execute the Publishing Director’s publishing strategy for HQD.
- To commission, edit, desk-edit and publish titles successfully and profitably for the HQ Digital list
- Support the commissioning editors in acquisition and in their publishing strategy for individual titles.
- Identifying gaps on the list and jumping on emerging digital trends, both home and internationally, ensuring our team of editors is fully aware of each opportunity.
- Build relationships with agents, with a view to bringing in the best talent to HQ Digital.
- To foster strong relationships with authors, providing regular updates on publishing strategy and sales.
- Briefing covers and liaising with designers on covers and copy.
- Identifying opportunities for HQD titles in physical retailers, including supermarkets and The Works.
- To liaise with Commercial Finance to ensure that HQD meets divisional targets; setting and sticking to publishing schedules, responding to changes in the market when needed.
- With support of the Editors, managing HQD’s submissions inbox.
- Presenting titles and the imprint at key meetings in-house, including the Audio meeting and QPR, where you will advise on priorities for the list.
- Ensuring best-in-class metadata at all times.
- Exploring backlist opportunities and overseeing the ongoing reissue of key authors.
- Building HQD’s presence at trade events, such as Book Fairs and Festivals, and to author communities.
- Sharing your understanding of the UK digital publishing market, competitor awareness and helping our editors build market-focused publishing strategies for their own titles.
Sales and Marketing:
- Building our international digital publishing; helping our editors find the best routes to market and developing long-term plans for author growth in the US and Canada; building strong relationships with our international partners – 360, Australia, India and Canada.
- Working closely with our senior team to explore opportunities afforded by world rights, including Rights, Audio and Harper 360.
- Liaising with Digital Sales to plan key promotions and pricing strategies throughout the year.
- Ensuring other teams (Digital Sales, Pricing, International Sales, Audio and Rights) have all the advance information that they require to deliver on all opportunities.
- Work with the Marketing team to maintain and share advice and best practise to authors and colleagues.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
- Proven commissioning and editorial experience within commercial fiction publishing.
- A strong track record of acquiring, editing and publishing commercially successful fiction titles.
- Experience developing publishing strategies and managing profitable publishing programmes.
- Strong knowledge of the UK digital publishing market, including current trends, consumer behaviour and competitor activity.
- Experience building and managing relationships with authors, agents and key internal stakeholders.
- Experience working collaboratively with Sales, Marketing, Rights, Audio and International teams to maximise publishing opportunities.
Additional Information
HarperCollins operates a hybrid working policy where employees are expected to work from our London office three days per week.
Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates are required to have the right to work in the UK at the stage of application to be considered.
If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position, please contact [email protected] with the subject line 'Vacancy Query' followed by the job title. We aim to respond within 5 working days.
About
HarperCollins UK is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 15 countries. With over two hundred years of history and more than 120 unique imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year, in 16 languages, and has a print and digital catalogue of more than 200,000 titles. Its authors include Our bestsellers include Bernard Cornwell, Adele Parks, Max Hastings, Rebecca F. Kuang, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It is the publisher of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy, George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series., and legendary titles by legacy authors J.R.R. Tolkien, Agatha Christie and C.S. Lewis. It is home to Paddington and Winnie-the-Pooh, and beloved books by Judith Kerr, Rob Biddulph and Michael Morpurgo, and brands such as Mr Men & Little Miss, Thomas & Friends and Minecraft. The Collins education division is a pioneer in reference publishing and develops market-leading dictionaries, atlases and bibles as well as state-of-the-art online learning platforms which supplement its award-winning books for primary and secondary school students.
HarperCollins UK London, England Office
London, United Kingdom
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