Publishing Director, Zaffre (Commercial Crime & Thriller)

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Job title: Publishing Director, Zaffre (Commercial Crime & Thriller)

Reporting to: Publisher, Zaffre

Location: 5th Floor, HYLO, 105 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8LZ

Working pattern: Hybrid - minimum of two days per week in the office; up to three days per week working from home

Department: Editorial

Imprint: Zaffre

Salary: £60,00 - £65,000 per annum, depending on experience

General Summary

Zaffre, the home of bestselling and award-winning commercial fiction at Bonnier Books UK is looking for a passionate, highly organised and proactive senior crime/thriller publishing director to work alongside the publisher to spot and seek out new talent and deliver exceptional publishing.

Zaffre was launched in 2015 and includes bestselling authors such as Lynda La Plante, Wilbur Smith, Rosie Goodwin, Robert Peston, Susie Dent and T. M. Logan. The successful candidate will make a significant contribution to the development of the crime and thriller list, nurturing and confidently publishing our existing authors, acquiring market-leading new talent and contributing towards making Zaffre a destination imprint.

This is a perfect opportunity for an experienced editor with a demonstrable track record of publishing successful, bestselling commercial crime and thriller fiction - from debuts to brands. It is a broad commissioning remit, but the successful candidate will prove themselves to be a champion of female voices and will have a particular interest in commercial psychological thrillers and suspense - both homegrown and international. They will also have a strong network of agents, authors and key industry figures.

They would be a strong team player and combine a keen eye for detail with high editorial standards along with plenty of ideas, enthusiasm and energy. They will enjoy working closely editorially with authors, leading the publishing of their books and inspiring the broader team.

Most importantly they will have a high market awareness and a strong sense of initiative. Our preferred candidate will have proven themselves to be a consistently good publisher with an eye for trends and the ability to publish books that combine commercial storytelling with high-quality writing for a mass market audience. They are likely already to have several bestsellers under your belt.

This role will suit candidates who are used to working in fast-paced and exciting environments, who are excellent communicators and strong team players, who are full of ideas and love to drive them through to fruition. If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.

Key responsibilities

• You will be a passionate publisher of crime and thrillers with exceptional taste and strong commercial acumen, with a view to acquiring 10-15 titles a year that support the vision and ethos of Zaffre.
• Full management of all parts of the publishing process: contract negotiations; structural editing; first-class creative oversight; liaising with authors and in-house editorial, design, production, sales and wider comms teams to deliver highly effective and best-in-class publishing.
• Reporting into the Zaffre Publisher, you will provide leadership across Bonnier's commercial fiction list. Working alongside the Zaffre editorial team and the wider business you will have significant input in list strategy, branding and awareness.
• Maintain a strong eye on new market trends across home and international markets, and identify key opportunities.
• Proactively feed into our IP generation strategy to create original fiction projects suitable for both UK and international audiences.

Qualifications and Experience

• A proven track record of demonstrable commissioning experience across debut launches and brand authors
• You will have substantial experience within a trade publishing team
• Exemplary literary agent, author and industry network
• Exemplary attention to detail
• High level negotiating experience
• An expert understanding of the print and digital markets, as well as IP generation
• Both a strong creative mindset and a keen understanding of and passion for data
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload to meet multiple deadlines

Company Benefits

• Private health insurance
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Lively social committee hosting regular events
• Group Life cover - including 24-hour GP service
• Company-funded gym membership for all trade staff
• Comprehensive staff training and mentorship programmes
• Flexible working and flexible hours from day one of employment
• Additional holiday allowance accrued for long service - and a full bonus week of holiday to celebrate your 10th year at BBUK
• Enhanced family leave - with equal six months' paid leave for all new parents
• Employee assistance programme available to all employees and their families
• Dedicated volunteering hours each year to support charities promoting literacy and reading for pleasure
• Cycle to work scheme with bike storage and changing facilities on-site at our London HQ
• Wellbeing programme and daily benefits such as fresh fruit and porridge in the office

If you are interested in this role, please apply via our website. We look forward in hearing from you.