Senior Commissioning Editor, Cornerstone Press

Job title:

Senior Commissioning Editor, Cornerstone Press

Company

Penguin Books

Job description

This is a new role and a rare opportunity to join and be part of the next stage in the life of one of the fastest-growing imprints in the UK.

The opportunity

Cornerstone Press is home to big ideas with practical applications, books to help you build the foundations of your life, whether you’re looking to change your day-to-day patterns or understand the world in which they happen. Our authors include Ali Abdaal, James Clear, Jim Collins, Amy Edmondson, Prentis Hemphill, Rahul Jandial, Philippa Perry, Kate Raworth and Chris van Tulleken.

Reporting to the Publishing Director for Non-Fiction, you will join an entrepreneurial, high-energy team committed to finding and publishing books that help readers build the foundations of their life. Proactive, culturally aware and looking to stay one step ahead of the game, this role offers you the chance to strengthen your market and publishing knowledge working at an award-winning, market-leading imprint.

Acquiring and publishing around 8–10 books per year, with a focus on psychology, relationships, health, and lifestyle, you will be working with around five authors already on our list as well as having the chance to take Cornerstone Press into new and untapped areas.

About you

Whether you’re an editor, a commissioning editor or looking to make a sideways move to expand your commissioning, the role will be particularly suitable to someone who has:

A deep knowledge and interest in the big ideas / practical non-fiction market – particularly in the areas listed above – and a track record of acquiring and publishing successfully into it.

An entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to proactively find the best new projects for Cornerstone Press (via both agents and direct commissioning).

A commercially-minded approach to editing and positioning books, with the ability to make a varied list of titles appeal to the right audiences.

Fastidious project management skills, including the organisational nous required to keep 8–10 books per year on schedule.

A knack for generating buzz around books both internally and externally, whether by leading the in-house publishing teams or by building excitement among journalists, booksellers and authors.

Impeccable author care – with the ability to tailor your approach to a diverse array of writers, be they academics, journalists, businesspeople or influencers.

Application instructions

This is an exciting chance to be part of an energised, fast-growing team. If this sounds like your next role, please apply with a CV and cover letter by Wednesday 20th March .

As part of your cover letter, please tell us about one book you would like to commission for Cornerstone Press. Please keep your answer under 500 words.

About Penguin:

We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.

Salary: Between £40,500 and £50,000 depending on how your skills and experience align with the role, plus bonus and benefits.

Competitive benefits package: Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.

Our benefits include:

Financial – income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance

Wellbeing – healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks

Lifestyle – enhanced parental leave, tech scheme,

For our full benefits list please visit:

Hybrid working: We’re experimenting with a hybrid way of working that suits the needs of each team. While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role, some meetings will need to be attended in person at our offices in Pimlico on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please note that over the course of 2024 all of our London-based teams will permanently relocate to our Embassy Gardens office in Nine Elms. We’ll be happy to answer any questions on this as part of the interview process.

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we’re part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can’t take all eligible candidates to interview. We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing . Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: Penguin Books Limited

Country: United Kingdom

State/Region: London

City: London

Postal Code: SW1V 2SA

Job ID: 268542

Expected salary

£40500 – 50000 per year

Location

London

Job date

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 23:56:52 GMT

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