EDITORIAL MANAGER
Location: London (Hybrid working)
Reports to: Editorial Director
Salary: £33,500, plus bonus and benefits
Contract: Full-time, permanent
About Saqi Books
Saqi Books is a leading independent publisher with a proud history of championing bold, thought-provoking writing on the Middle East and beyond. Based in London, we publish across a wide range of genres—from politics and history to literary fiction and memoir—offering a platform for underrepresented voices and stories that challenge the mainstream. We are a small, dynamic, and growing team committed to excellence, originality, and cultural exchange.
The Role
We’re looking for a passionate, meticulous and highly organised Editorial Manager to lead and coordinate the editorial process across our publishing programme. This is a hands-on, multifaceted role ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and is excited by the opportunity to work on impactful, globally-minded books.
You’ll oversee the journey of each title from manuscript to finished book, working closely with authors, freelancers and in-house colleagues to ensure our publishing list continues to meet the highest editorial standards. This role offers the chance to help shape the voice and direction of a unique publishing house at an exciting moment of growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and drive the editorial workflow across all Saqi titles, ensuring high-quality content and timely delivery.
- Edit manuscripts (structural and line) and oversee freelance copy-editing and proofreading with a keen editorial eye and sensitivity to voice and cultural context.
- Collaborate closely with authors, supporting them through the editorial process with care, clarity and enthusiasm.
- Commission and manage freelance editors, proofreaders and indexers.
- Liaise with the production team to ensure a smooth handover of files and with marketing and sales teams to support positioning and metadata accuracy.
- Uphold house style guidelines and editorial best practices.
- Maintain editorial schedules, anticipating potential delays and proposing solutions.
- Support acquisitions and the development of new titles by providing editorial assessments and feedback on submissions.
- Play an active role in shaping Saqi’s evolving list, bringing energy and ideas to our publishing meetings and long-term strategy.
About You
- You bring several years of editorial experience in trade publishing, ideally with some project management or team coordination under your belt.
- You have excellent editing skills and are confident working on both narrative non-fiction and fiction.
- You’re organised, detail-oriented and calm under pressure, with the ability to juggle multiple projects at different stages of development and to work to deadlines.
- You have a strong sense of narrative structure, a good ear for language and an instinct for what makes a book sing.
- You’re an excellent communicator, equally comfortable giving thoughtful feedback to an author or briefing a freelance editor.
- You care deeply about representation and cultural sensitivity, and you bring that awareness to your editorial approach.
- You’re excited by Saqi’s mission and interested in the politics, cultures and stories of the Middle East.
Bonus Points For
- Knowledge of Arabic or another language.
- Experience with Onix systems and publishing software
- Familiarity with rights, contracts and permissions
- A love of typography and a good sense of layout and page design
To Apply
Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining your experience and why you’d like to work with Saqi Books to jobs@saqibooks.com, by 11.59pm on Sunday 13 July 2025.
Please note we are looking for someone to join the team as soon as possible, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to building an inclusive and diverse publishing team.