Job Description

 Assistant Editor – Gift & Specialty

Reports to:  Editorial Director             

Position Overview:

TheAssistantEditor will support the Executive Editor of Puzzlewright and the Editorial Director of the Gift & Specialty group, spanning Union Square Gift, Knock Knock, and Em & Friends, publishing 150-170 titles per year. Union Square Gift, launching Fall 2025, publishes a range of commercial and trend-driven gift titles, merging bestselling authors and iconic brands into thoughtfully curated collections and dynamic new formats.Puzzlewright is a leading publisher in the industry, with a strong commitment to quality, accuracy, creativity, variety, inclusivity, and above all, fun! We publish 18-30 puzzle books per year, including top-selling series such as Martial Arts Sudoku, Sit and Solve, Easy as Pie Crosswords, and others.

This role is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a diverse list of titles and formats and requires a creative entrepreneur with exceptional attention to detail, a love of puzzles and gift titles, and a keen sense of trends across gift categories.

The Assistant Editor will support a blended list of puzzles and gift titles, manage delivery dates with authors, participate in the manuscript review/editing process (including testing and fact-checking puzzles, along with drafting gift proposals), research new trends and opportunities, and assist with all aspects of seasonal meetings. Reporting into and supporting the Editorial Director of the Gift & Specialty group as well as supporting the Executive Editor of Puzzlewright, this role will be exposed to every level of the publishing process, from strategy and acquisition to development and delivery.

Excellent organizational skills are a must, as well as an ability to manage complex deliverables with shifting priorities, ensuring consistent and meticulous communication between departments.

Position Responsibilities:

• Edit and manage approximately 8-10 gift titles/season with varying levels of content
• Learn the basics of book layout and the editorial process
• Test-solve and fact-check puzzle books (crosswords, sudoku, etc.)
• Proofread manuscripts and galleys at various stages of development
• Coordinate deliverables from authors, illustrators, licensors, brands, and agents
• Traffic projects and maintain schedules between the editorial, design, and production teams
• Create profit and loss statements, draft contracts and title setup forms, track project budgets
• Coordinate, create, and manage all seasonal sales materials for the Gift & Specialty group
• Write fact sheets, cover copy, and catalog/marketing copy
• Perform other related duties, administrative tasks, and support functions as needed

Position Requirements:

• Strong interest in gift products and stationery
• Familiarity and enthusiasm for a wide variety of word and logic puzzles, such as sudoku, crosswords, word searches, trivia, IQ puzzles, etc.
• Excellent organizational skills with a proven track of meeting publication deadlines with a demanding list of concurrent projects
• Exceptional communication skills, verbal and written, with broad general and pop culture knowledge
• Proactive in reaching out for direction, tasks, and guidance
• Ability to coordinate deliverables across a variety of creative contributors—including licensors, writers, brands, illustrators, and others—along with ability to communicate effectively with multiple internal stakeholders across departments
• Ability to set priorities under pressure and multi-task effectively
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with the team when needed
• Thoughtful care and awareness in interpersonal communications, both internally and externally

Position Qualifications:

• 4-year college degree or equivalent working experience
• Prior work or internship experience within gift publishing, within another editorial capacity, or as a puzzle constructor, editor, or tester
• Tech savviness and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and proficiency with or willingness to learn Adobe InDesign or Illustrator

As a leading book publisher, we believe that including and representing diverse voices in all aspects of our business is fundamental to what we do. Our publishing programs must reflect the broad range of backgrounds, experiences, political views and ideas that shape our society and publish books for all readers.   
 
Hachette Book Group provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.   
 
The compensation for this position is $50,000-$55,000. Salary can vary based on a number of factors including skills, experience, and location — talk with your recruiter to learn more. There may be times that you will be required (or requested) to work overtime due to the nature of your role or exceptional workload issues or special projects.  

The following benefits are offered by the company: medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life, short-term and long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, critical illness, hospital indemnity, long-term care, health and dependent care FSA, commuter benefit plan, employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement, travel assistance, 401(k), discretionary bonus program, PTO (15 vacation days, 3 personal days, 10 holidays and generous sick leave) and group discounts on auto and home insurance and legal services. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification, hours worked and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.   

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