Editorial Assistant - Viking, Penguin Books, Penguin Life, Penguin Classics (Hybrid)

Bertelsmann-Jobs•New York, NY

1d•$55,000 - $55,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Penguin Random House has an exciting job opening for an Editorial Assistant for the following imprints: Viking, Penguin Books, Penguin Life, and Penguin Classics. The Assistant will provide administrative and editorial support to an Executive Editor and a Senior Editor, and will work on a bestselling, prize-winning array of literary fiction, translated literature, upmarket to commercial genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, and romance), narrative nonfiction, wellness/inspiration, and literary classics. We are looking for a detail-oriented self-starter who reads voraciously across a diverse and eclectic range of categories and has a strong knowledge of the literary canon, a particular enthusiasm for genre fiction, and a keen interest in writing from around the world. The editorial assistant will work closely with two hiring editors responsible for acquiring and publishing such titles as The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani, Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno, Forest Bathing by Qing Li, Die for Me by Shirlene Obuobi, A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan, Tillinghast by Clare Cavenagh, The End of Romance by Lily Meyer, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan, Femme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger, For the Bride by Becca Grischow, and new editions of classics by such authors as Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner, Saul Bellow, June Jordan, Machado de Assis, Pedro Lemebel, Mikhail Bulgakov, George S. Schuyler, Younghill Kang, Wu Cheng’en, Osamu Dazai, and Angela Carter.

Requirements

Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Excellent attention to detail, organization, and follow-up skills
Ability to multitask and manage multiple assignments in a deadline-driven environment
Ability to work independently as well as within a team
Ability to take initiative and problem-solve creatively
Ability to manage multiple short- and long-term projects simultaneously
Familiarity with social media
Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel

Nice To Haves

Reading knowledge of a foreign language a plus

Responsibilities

Providing administrative support to an Executive Editor and a Senior Editor
Reading and evaluating submissions, writing reader reports, researching comparative titles, drafting rejection letters, managing blurb/endorsement campaigns, preparing manuscripts for production, anticipating project deadlines, routing and tracking P&Ls and contracts, preparing and fulfilling mailings, submitting check requests, processing expense reports, and scheduling meetings
Researching category-specific trends, including deep dives into consumer-driven outlets
Communicating with authors, agents, and a variety of internal departments, including Marketing, Publicity, Sales, Production, Contracts, Permissions, Subsidiary Rights, and Art
Writing and editing internal sales materials, online copy, cover copy, publicity releases, and reading group guides
Participating in weekly editorial meetings