Senior / Commissioning Editor | Romance Fiction | London | Permanent
Are you a Commissioning Editor with experience acquiring romantic fiction or a Commissioning Editor truly passionate about the romance genre, from small town romance through to dark romantasy? We would love to hear from you if you’re looking for an opportunity to bring your commissioning skills, network and knowledge to shape and drive the growth of a commercial romance list.
Our partner: Our partner is an established independent fiction publisher with a strong reputation for commercial storytelling across romance, crime, and contemporary fiction. Known for combining editorial quality with digital publishing expertise, they work closely with authors to build successful long-term careers and publish books with strong reader appeal across print and digital formats.
Responsibilities:
- Acquire standout romance fiction with clear commercial and readership appeal across a range of subgenres.
- Develop strong working relationships with authors, agents, and internal publishing teams.
- Edit manuscripts to a high standard, focusing on structure, pacing, emotional payoff, character development, and reader engagement.
- Monitor market trends, retailer performance, reader communities, and digital discoverability to support publishing decisions.
- Contribute to the strategic growth and positioning of the romance list, including series development and author branding.
Experience and skills that will deliver success in this role: The right candidate will bring significant experience within commercial fiction publishing, with either a track record in commissioning romance or a strong passion for romantic fiction. You’ll have a sharp commercial instinct, excellent editorial judgement, and a strong understanding of what connects with romance readers across both traditional and digital publishing channels.
Essential:
- Proven experience commissioning, editing, or publishing successful commercial fiction.
- Strong understanding of romance subgenres, reader expectations, tropes, and market trends.
- Excellent structural editing and author development skills.
- Experience managing multiple projects, stakeholders, and publishing deadlines effectively.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills with authors, agents, and colleagues.
Desirable:
- Experience with digital-first publishing, Kindle Unlimited and subscription reading platforms.
- Knowledge of BookTok, romance newsletters, retailer promotions, and online reader behaviour.
- Experience developing author brands or long-running fiction series.
- Understanding of international romance publishing trends and audiences.
- Experience shaping sales copy, blurbs, cover briefs, or positioning materials.
The opportunity: This is a genuinely exciting opportunity for a fiction Editor, Senior Editor, or Commissioning Editor who wants to play a visible role in shaping a growing romance list within a highly commercial and entrepreneurial publishing environment. The role offers a strong mix of acquisition, editorial development, and strategic influence, alongside the chance to work with a collaborative team that values creativity, innovation, and reader-focused publishing.
What’s on offer:
- Salary: c. £38-42k DOE
- Working pattern: Hybrid, 3 days in London office.
- Reports to: Head of Romance
Applications: (Click the button below. / Via our website here.)
Alternatively, send your CV to Helen at helen@wonderfulideasproject.com
If applying via email, please use the following as the subject line: Senior / Commissioning Editor |
JobID: ZR_361_JOB
Don’t delay in applying if this is the job for you! We’re not working to a fixed closing date, so we’re keen to hear from you as soon as possible.
We understand what it’s like when you don’t get a response to your application. Although we work hard to acknowledge everybody, many of our roles have a large number of applicants and we can’t always respond to all of you.
At Wonderful, we are dedicated to promoting diversity in all its forms. We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable environment that promotes equal opportunities for wonderful people. We actively encourage candidates from under-represented groups to apply and warmly welcome all individuals with exceptional abilities, irrespective of their background.
Find out more about Wonderful:
www.linkedin.com/company/wonderful-recruitment-and-development/
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