Senior Editor (Children’s Books)

Senior Editor

Department: Editorial

Reports to: Head of Editorial

Based: Units 1-4, Tolwell Road, Leicester, LE4 1BR/ Remote

The role: Sweet Cherry, recently awarded Small Press of the Year, is looking for a driven, flexible and creative individual to join our editorial team in Leicester to work part time or full time. We are looking for a quick learner who is an adaptable team player to work effectively to read, edit and evaluate our ongoing children’s books list. This role is ideal for an editor looking for a fun new challenge to progress their career.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

● Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts to develop new and exciting content for Sweet Cherry Publishing.

● Editing, copy-editing and proofreading projects to ensure they are ready to go to press.

● Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.

● Communicating with authors to discuss deadlines, creative concepts and work.

● Working with the Design team to ensure that imagery accurately represents content and communicates the author’s vision.

● Working with the Design and Production departments to sign-off material for publication.

● Liaising with the Sales and Marketing departments and ensuring that material such as blurbs, synopses and manuscripts are kept up to date.

● Implementing and maintaining house style.

● Researching and understanding the current children’s book market.

● Negotiating contracts with guidance from line manager.

● Filling in author contracts, working with the Managing Editor to get these approved by the MD, sending them out, and keeping other team members aware of the contract status.

● Helping to train new starters within the editorial team where asked.

● Writing copy including blurbs and synopses.

● Working with external contacts in order to commission new projects from authors or solicit manuscripts from agents.

Experience and Interests:

● Experience as an editor preferably in a publishing house.

● The ability to quickly pick up and work to various style guidelines.

● Excellent verbal and written skills both in communication with colleagues and with external companies, clients and customers.

● Creative and out-of-the-box thinking.

● Commercial awareness and drive.

● An understanding of the children’s book market.

● A positive, can-do attitude and a team player.

● A quick learner with the ability to work from your own initiative.

● Ability and confidence to reach out to external contacts to source new content.

● Excellent organisation skills with the ability to manage workload with competing priorities and to ensure tasks are completed to deadlines.

What We Offer:

● Training and development.

● Free onsite parking.

● Workplace pension.

Working Hours:
40 hours a week Monday to Friday/Part time

Holiday:
20 days plus bank holidays

Starting salary: Based on experience

To apply: please send your CV and cover letter to recruitment@sweetcherrypublishing.com by 18th August 2025.

Sweet Cherry is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome and encourage job applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experience.