Terry Pratchett is one of the UK’s most successful and beloved authors. His bestselling Discworld series occupies a unique intersection in the canon of British literature and attracts a passionate global readership. We are looking for someone with a genuine enthusiasm for his books to take a leading role in shaping the future of Pratchett publishing at Penguin Random House.

As this is a very unique role, we are open to appointing at Editorial Director, Senior Editor or Brand Specialist level, depending on the experience and expertise of the successful candidate.

About Transworld

Home to bestselling and award-winning authors across fiction and non-fiction, Transworld publishes an incredibly varied range of books – from the biggest commercial brands, including Dan Brown, Paula Hawkins and Lee Child, and landmark, conversation-starting non-fiction such as Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, to literary bestsellers such as Kate Atkinson and John Boyne.

The role

This is a strategic role with responsibility for leading and growing our Terry Pratchett publishing at Transworld. You’ll oversee the adult publishing programme, developing new projects while ensuring Terry’s extraordinary existing body of work continues to thrive and reach new generations of readers.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a long-term strategy for our Terry Pratchett publishing, identifying opportunities to grow existing audiences as well as reaching new readerships.
• Overseeing both the sustained publishing of Terry’s existing body of work and the development of new frontlist projects and ideas.
• Work closely with the Terry Pratchett estate, building a strong, collaborative relationship and ensuring clear and effective communication.
• Act as a central point of connection across Terry Pratchett publishing within PRH, working closely with Transworld, PRH Children’s and Audio, as well as external publishing partners.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams such as marketing, sales and publicity.
• Depending on your background, oversee or work closely with editorial colleagues on new projects to see them through the editorial process.
• Ensure projects keep to the critical path and be responsible for liaison with other departments to ensure delivery of materials and information.

Qualifications

You’ll be excited by the opportunity to focus on this body of publishing for the long term, bringing creativity, strategic thinking and a real commitment to future growth.

We’re interested in hearing from people with relevant experience across editorial, marketing, brand or other publishing backgrounds.

Essential criteria

• Strong knowledge of and passion for Terry Pratchett’s body of work.
• A strong understanding of audiences and the market, with the ability to think strategically about how to reach and engage readers.
• An entrepreneurial approach: you’re a self-starter who can generate ideas, develop a vision and transform it into action.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of leading projects involving multiple teams and bringing people together around shared priorities.
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage a complex and varied workload and keep projects moving.
• Experience of developing, publishing, marketing or growing an established author, brand or intellectual property.
• Experience of taking publishing projects through the editorial process is a bonus but, as above, we are open to candidates from other areas of publishing.
• Knowledge of four-colour or illustrated publishing is a plus but not essential.

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.

Additional Information

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter (both in PDF format) outlining why you are a suitable candidate for the role by 11:59pm on 1st November. The cover letter should be uploaded as an additional document.

Please ensure you include a cover letter, as it is a crucial part of our assessment process. Typically, we expect the cover letter to be no more than one or two pages in length.

Salary

£40,000 - £60,000 dependent on how skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

We recognise that candidates may bring quite different experience to this opportunity, and the final level, job title and salary will reflect the skills and experience of the successful candidate. The role is also open to candidates wishing to work four days per week.

Hybrid working

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 we expect that you will work two to three days in the office.

AI

Here at Penguin, we believe in the power of authenticity and human creativity. When you apply for a position, we want to encourage you to showcase your unique voice. Throughout our recruitment process, please share your own thoughts, experiences and skills. This helps us get a true sense of who you are and what you might bring to our team.

We celebrate creativity and diverse perspectives, so please be yourself! While we recognise AI tools can be helpful, we recommend using them thoughtfully to ensure your responses reflect you.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the ‘What you’ll bring’ section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing [email protected]. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable with, for us to support your request.