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COMMISSIONING EDITOR
Watkins Media Ltd

Do you love books about personal development, spirituality, alternative health and wellbeing, and other mind-body-spirit topics? Do you have sound commercial sense and experience of commissioning illustrated and mono books in this field?

Watkins, one of the world’s leading independent mind-body-spirit publishers, is looking for a creative and dynamic commissioning editor with an ambition to publish innovative, high-quality and commercially successful books in this fast- growing sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Commissioning new books for Watkins, including coming up with new project ideas and searching out new talent
• Identifying and developing reuse projects from the backlist
• Negotiating contracts with agents and authors
• Liaising closely with authors at all stages from the first spark of an idea to promoting the published book and beyond
• Concept development, including creating and pitching new project proposals, briefing authors, structural editing, flatplanning, and briefing covers and internal design
• Creating and managing P&Ls
• Briefing and working closely with in-house project managers
• Writing sales copy
• Taking responsibility for the success of your books by liaising closely with the Marketing & Publicity and Sales departments, identifying promotional opportunities and generally being the champion of your books

Key Skills & Expertise

• Knowledge of the mind-body-spirit market (e.g. who publishes what, what is selling well, what future trends might be)
• Contacts in the field (e.g. agents, potential authors)
• A track record of commissioning commercially successful books
• A sense for what makes a great book
• The vision and patience to turn an idea into a book
• Great editorial skills
• Fantastic communication and a love of collaborative teamwork
• Self-motivation and ability to work independently

To apply for this full-time role, please email a CV and covering letter to Fiona.Robertson@WatkinsPublishing.com

 

PROJECT EDITOR
Watkins Media Ltd

Do you love project-managing books, making sure the finished product is the very best it can be? Do you have at least 1–2 years’ experience working as Assistant Editor or Project Editor, and the skills to steer a range of titles from post-commissioning through to printing? And do you have knowledge of and an interest in the subjects of personal development, spirituality and alternative health and wellbeing? If so, this is a fantastic opportunity to join the small, friendly team at Watkins, one of the world’s leading independent mind-body-spirit publishers.

This is a pivotal role within the company, involving close liaison with the Design, Production, Sales and Marketing & Publicity departments. You will need to be able to think creatively, work independently and proactively, manage multiple tasks at once and meet very tight deadlines.

Previous experience of managing illustrated books, including editing in layout in InDesign and handling freelancers, is essential, and you will also need to demonstrate outstanding editorial skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing a range of illustrated and mono titles from post-commissioning to printing, delivering them on time and on budget
• Commissioning, briefing and managing freelancers (editors, proofreaders, indexers, etc), including assessing their work for quality
• Editing in layout, including rewriting and reshaping as necessary to meet the highest standards
• Working closely with authors, designers and other members of the creative team
• Assisting commissioning editors as required (e.g. writing sales copy, creating and managing P&Ls, some development of new ideas)

Key Skills

• Ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload to meet deadlines
• Great communication skills and willingness to work in a team
• Self-motivation and ability to work independently, taking ownership of projects and solving problems
• Keen eye for detail
• Natural feel for what works well editorially and visually
• High standards and willingness to demand these of others
• Speedy and accurate use of InDesign
• 1–2 years’ experience in a similar role
• Interest in and familiarity with the areas in which Watkins publishes

To apply for this full-time role, please email a CV and covering letter to
Fiona.Robertson@WatkinsPublishing.com

 

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