Editorial Assistant, Dial Books for Young Readers (Open to Remote) ID-5463

January 2, 2025

Are you organized, detail-oriented, resourceful, and passionate about books for ages two through teen? If so, become part of a team that’s determined to put great books in the hands of young people of all ages!

Dial Books for Young Readers seeks an Editorial Assistant to join the team. Supporting a Senior Executive Editor and a Senior Editor, this position will provide administrative and editorial support on a strong list of picture books, middle grade, and YA novels, as well as some graphic novels. You will provide administrative support and editorial backup for a wide range of titles, gaining practical bookmaking knowledge while being mentored in how editors choose, nurture, and promote the authors they work with. A passion for children’s books is a must. Previous office or intern experience is preferred, but publishing experience is not required.

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Dial Books for Young Readers publishes literary and commercial titles that aim to entertain, enrich, and encourage young readers of all ages. This includes an array of fiction—contemporary realistic, historical, romance, magical realism/fabulism—plus fantasy, dystopian, and mystery that you could hand to any reader, not just lovers of the genre, as well as nonfiction and picture book biographies. Dial does not frequently publish into the romantasy or high fantasy marketplace.

Some of our notable and award-winning titles include Printz Award winner I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson; Newbery Honor winners The War That Saved My Life and Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff, and Roller Girl by Victoria Jameson; New York Times bestsellers The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld and The Davenports by Krystal Marquis; Schneider Family Award winner Listen by Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth; National Book Award Finalist Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy; and other notable titles including Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram, Just Another Epic Love Poem by Parisa Akhbari, How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox, The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow, See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng, the Dory Fantasmagory series by Abby Hanlon, Agatha May and the Anglerfish by Jessie Ann Foley and illustrated by Mika Song, The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson, 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle and illustrated by Lian Cho, and I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Julie Kwon.

Our ideal candidate is highly motivated, enthusiastic about publishing, and enjoys reading broadly and often. We are looking for a detail-oriented, meticulous self-starter who is comfortable working independently, 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.

Please apply using our ATS system by September 24, 2024, and include your resume and cover letter for consideration. Before applying for any role at Penguin Random House we recommend you review our applicant resources page and FAQs page.

The Role:

Provide administrative and clerical support to supervisors and occasional support to the imprint overall
Assist with daily editorial activities, including proposal/manuscript screening and project follow-up
Track and maintain grid of agented submissions
Read and evaluate manuscripts, suggesting cuts or revisions and writing reader reports
Write jacket and catalog copy, Title Information sheets, and traffic books through all stages of production
Draft P&Ls, generate Contract Information Sheets, review contract drafts and request payments
Apply for cataloging numbers through the Library of Congress
Attend IT trainings and act as a point person for new intracompany systems
Attend and contribute ideas at editorial meetings
Read review journals and competition titles to be aware of trends and competitor's lists
Provide clerical support, including routing forms and other paperwork; filing; handling correspondence; mailing, expense reports, managing calendars, etc.
Proofread and copyedit as needed

The Essentials:

Are passionate about and have an interest in learning more about the ins and outs of children’s book publishing
Are a self-starter with strong multitasking and organizational skills and actively enjoy being organized
Have some office or internship experience (previous publishing industry experience is not required)
Have strong writing and critical thinking skills