Editorial Assistant, Dell Books, Romance (Hybrid)

The editorial department at Ballantine Bantam Dell, an imprint of Random House, seeks an Editorial Assistant to join the team. The assistant will support the editor-in-chief and a senior editor on the Dell list. Dell is the imprint at BBD that publishes romance of every kind—rom com, romantasy, dark romance, cozy fantasy, sports romance, historical, contemporary—we strive to publish books for every reader in this growing and dynamic space. Some of our authors include Sarah Adams, Adrienne Young, Demi Winters, Hannah Bonam-Young, Hazel McBride, Stephanie Archer, Joss Richard, Mila Kane, Nadia El-Fassi, Tessonja Odette, Elissa Sussman, and Olivia Rose Darling. 

 

Founded in 1925, Random House is the proud publishing house of the world’s most acclaimed storytellers, thought leaders, and innovators. Our host of imprints—including Ballantine, Bantam, Delacorte, Del Rey, The Dial Press, Harmony, Hogarth, One World, and Random House—publish fiction and nonfiction in all formats with the mission to entertain, educate, and inspire readers. 

 

At Dell, the Editorial Assistant acts as a liaison between authors, agents, and the many different departments within the publishing group. Daily responsibilities include all-around project support for the editors, calendar and meeting management, proposal/manuscript reading and submission management, drafting flap and catalogue copy, and brainstorming creative publishing approaches and solutions to help authors/books through the publication process. 

  

Our ideal candidate is highly motivated, enthusiastic about publishing, and enjoys reading romance and commercial fiction. We are looking for a detail-oriented, meticulous self-starter who loves books of all types and is invested in the process of bringing them to a wide readership, has strong writing and analytical skills, communicates clearly, is comfortable asking for help when needed, and wants to be an active participant on a collaborative team. If you can handle the details of immediately urgent tasks but also remember to step back, consider the big picture, and adjust your strategy when needed, you'll assume greater editorial responsibilities over time.

 

Specific responsibilities include:

Providing administrative support, such as tracking deadlines, organizing and scheduling meetings, filing expense reports, routing author payments, executing mailings, and drafting contract proposals

Evaluate proposals and manuscripts, log submissions, and draft rejection letters

Transmit manuscripts to production and liaise with authors, publishers, agents, and the managing editorial department to coordinate and keep track of the production process from finished manuscript to bound book

Preparing title information sheets, cover copy, profit & loss documents, and competitive title and trend research as needed.

 

Please apply if you meet the following qualifications:

Strong writing skills and a broad range of interests

Avid reader of romance and commercial fiction 

Exceptional attention to detail, the ability to prioritize, and strong and efficient follow-up skills

Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask across two editors’ desks

Strong communication skills, both verbal & written, used on timely follow-up over email and, phone, and chat 

A team player who treats others with respect and can build internal & external relationships with departments, authors, agents, and stakeholders

Ability to apply organizational methods and strategies to follow department processes, anticipate deadlines, and meet them

Ability to take initiative, be resourceful, and problem-solve creatively

Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook 

Social media savvy with a keen interest in current events and media 

Solutions-focused when met with challenges and can comfortably adapt to changes and anticipate needs when needed once familiar with the role of an Editorial Assistant 

 

The salary for this position is $51,000.  All positions are currently eligible for annual profit award or bonus, subject to Company results.

 

The position of editorial assistant at Ballan