Position: Commissioning Editor
Report to: Publisher
Division: Non-Fiction
Location: Midrand | Cape Town
Penguin Random House South Africa, one of South Africa’s biggest trade publishers, is looking for a Commissioning Editor to conceptualise and commission commercially viable books for the South African book market in the fields of current affairs, politics, biography/memoir and business.
Key responsibilities
Acquisition and Development:
- Identifying and acquiring projects: Conceptualising and commissioning commercially viable books for the South African book market in the fields of currents affairs, politics, biography/memoir and business.
- Working with authors and agents: Liaising with authors and agents and building author relationships and networks.
- Developing projects: Working with authors, editors and other internal teams to shape manuscripts into publishable form.
Editorial and Production:
- Editing and proofreading: Ensuring the highest standards of quality in writing and editing when required.
- Collaborating with internal teams: Working closely with the senior managing editor as well as editors, production, design and marketing teams to bring projects to fruition.
Commercial and Strategic:
- Market research and trend analysis: Keeping informed about market trends and potential audience interests.
- Building and maintaining relationships: Cultivating relationships with authors, agents and industry professionals.
- Project management: Ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget, as required.
- Collaborate with authors to refine and enhance their manuscripts, offering constructive feedback on plot or structure, character development, pacing, and overall storytelling.
Minimum requirements include:
- A relevant tertiary qualification.
- Publishing experience, including commissioning and project management in book publishing.
- A love of reading and a passion for South African stories, with a specific focus on non-fiction.
- Sound knowledge of the book market.
- Excellent communication and editorial skills in English.
- A good command of Afrikaans would be an advantage.
This role demands a person who possesses a keen understanding of the non-fiction subjects that appeal to South African readers, along with an extensive professional network or a demonstrated history in the publishing sector. The ideal candidate will exhibit outstanding planning and organisational capabilities, strong business insight, effective interpersonal skills and a creative mindset.
Penguin Random House offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience.
If you meet the above criteria and have what it takes to become the newest member of our team,
please send your CV and a covering letter, clearly stating your salary expectations, to
please send your CV and a covering letter, clearly stating your salary expectations, to
Jason Daniels – applications@penguinrandomhouse.co.za
Closing date: Friday, 6 June 2025
NB: Only short-listed candidates will be interviewed, and previously disadvantaged candidates will be given preference in line with the company’s equity target.
If you have not heard from us within six weeks, you should regard your application as unsuccessful.
Penguin Random House is under no obligation to fill this position.
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Position: Fiction Publisher
Report to: Publishing Director
Division: Fiction
Location: Midrand | Cape Town
Penguin Random House South Africa (PRHSA), one of the largest trade publishers in the country, is looking for a dynamic, visionary, and commercially astute Fiction Publisher to lead our fiction list. This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a publishing professional with excellent editorial skills in both Afrikaans and English, deep industry insight, creative flair, and strong editorial judgment to shape the future of our fiction offering.
Key responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a compelling vision and publishing strategy for thefiction list in alignment with the company’s goals.
- List Development: Commission, acquire, and curate a balanced, diverse, and commercially viable listof titles.
- Author Relationship Management: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with authors, agentsand other parties of interest in the book industry.
- Team Collaboration: Lead a high-performing editorial team, guiding projects from acquisition throughto publication, and collaborating closely with other divisions like marketing, sales, production andfinance departments.
- Market Awareness: Stay attuned to trends in local fiction markets to identify new opportunities andensure the list remains fresh, relevant, competitive, and profitable.
- Financial Oversight: Be accountable to the Publishing Director for the division’s profitability as well asindividual titles’ profit and loss statements, negotiate contracts, set budgets, compile costings, deliveron key commercial targets, and ensure profitability of the fiction division.
- Brand Management: Uphold the editorial standards, creative values, and brand identity of PRHSA’sfiction division.
Key Requirements
- Minimum of 7–10 years’ experience in trade publishing, with a strong track record in fictioncommissioning and publishing.
- Degree in publishing or relevant tertiary qualification.
- Proven success in acquiring, editing, and publishing commercially and/or critically successful fictiontitles.
- Strong existing network in the Afrikaans and English literary, publishing and book community.
- Excellent editorial skills in both Afrikaans and English: Writing, manuscript development, editing, andproofreading.
- Efficient project management capability.
- Demonstrated leadership and team management skills.
- Passion for South African storytelling, a deep love of books, and a strong instinct for identifying commercially successful concepts.
- Ability to perform well under stress.
- Ability to continually align and realign the fiction division’s offering to match the company’s broader publishing strategy and commercial goals.
What We Offer
- A leadership role with significant creative and strategic influence.
- The opportunity to shape the voice of fiction publishing in South Africa.
- A supportive, passionate, and experienced team.
- Competitive remuneration package, including benefits.
- Flexible working arrangements.
Please submit your CV and a detailed cover letter outlining your vision for a compelling fiction publishing programme, as well as notable authors or titles you have worked on, to
Jason Daniels – applications@penguinrandomhouse.co.za
Subject line: Application – Fiction Publisher
Closing date: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
NB: Only short-listed candidates will be interviewed, and previously disadvantaged candidates will be given preference in line with the company’s equity target.
If you have not heard from us within six weeks, you should regard your application as unsuccessful.
Penguin Random House is under no obligation to fill this position.
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Position: Uitgewer: Fiksie
Report to: Uitgewershoof
Division: Fiksie
Location: Kaapstad | Johannesburg
Penguin Random House Suid-Afrika (PRHSA), een van die land se grootste uitgewershuise, is op soek na ’n dinamiese Fiksie-uitgewer om sy fiksielys suksesvol te bestuur en uit te bou. Hierdie pos bied ’n gulde geleentheid aan diegene in die uitgewerswese wat beskik oor sterk bestuursvermoë, leierseienskappe, kreatiewe flair, uitmuntende redaksionele vaardighede in Afrikaans en Engels, vlymskerp kommersiële oordeel en ’n diepgaande insig in die Suid-Afrikaanse boekwêreld en -mark.
Sleutelverantwoordelikhede
- Strategiese Leierskap: Ontwikkel en vestig ’n inspirerende en haalbare publikasiestrategie vir die fiksieafdeling en – lys wat strook met die maatskappy se kommersiële doelstellings.
- Bestuur van die Fiksielys: Stel ’n gebalanseerde, diverse en winsgewende lys van fiksietitels saam deur ’n kombinasie van kreatiewe opdragwerk, strategiese manuskripwerwing en oordeelkundige manuskripkeuring.
- Skrywerverhoudings: Handhaaf bestaande verhoudings en vestig nuwe verhoudings met skrywers, agente en ander belanghebbendes in die boekbedryf.
- Spanbestuur: Lei ’n redaksionele span wat winsgewend is, fiksietitels van hoogstaande gehalte lewer, kommersieel presteer, goeie werksverhoudinge handhaaf, projekte doeltreffend bestuur, en ten nouste met ander afdelings soos bemarking, verkope, produksie en finansies saamwerk.
- Marknavorsing: Bly in voeling met neigings in plaaslike fiksie en identifiseer voortdurend nuwe geleenthede om die fiksielys vars, relevant, mededingend en winsgewend te hou.
- Finansiële Oorsig en Aanspreeklikheid: Doen verantwoording aan die Uitgewershoof oor titels se wins-en-verliesstate, onderhandel kontrakte, stel sakeplanne en begrotings vir boeke op, haal kommersiële teikens, en verseker die fiksieafdeling se winsgewendheid.
- Handelsmerkbestuur: Voldoen aan hoogstaande redaksionele standaarde, kreatiewe waardes, en behou die handelsmerkidentiteit van PRHSA se fiksie-afdeling.
Sleutelvereistes
- ’n Minimum van 7-10 jaar ondervinding in die uitgewerswese met ’n sterk vertoning van veral fiksietitels.
- ’n Graad in uitgewerswese, tale of ’n relevante tersiêre kwalifikasie.
- Bewese ondervinding in manuskripwerwing, -ontwikkeling, redigering en die uitgee van kommersieel suksesvolle fiksietitels.
- ’n Sterk bestaande netwerk in die Afrikaanse en Engelse literêre wêreld, uitgewerswese en boekwêreld.
- Uitmuntende redaksionele vaardighede: Skryf, manuskripontwikkeling, redigering en proeflees.
- Doeltreffende projekbestuursvermoë.
- Bewese leierskaps- en bestuursvaardighede.
- 'n Passie vir Suid-Afrikaanse verhale, ’n liefde vir boeke, en ’n sterk aanvoeling vir boeke watkommersieel sal slaag.
- Die vermoë om goed onder druk te werk.
- Die vermoë om die afdeling se redaksionele strategie voortdurend te verander om in pas te bly metdie maatskappy se kommersiële strategie en doelstellings.
Wat ons Bied
- ’n Bestuursrol met betekenisvolle kreatiewe en strategiese invloed.
- Die geleentheid om die aanbod van fiksietitels in Suid-Afrika te help rig.
- ’n Ondersteunende, doeltreffende, en ervare span.
- ’n Mededingende vergoedingspakket met voordele.
- ’n Buigsame werksomgewing met die moontlikheid om ook van die huis af te werk.
Stuur asseblief jou CV en ’n dekbrief waarin jy jou visie vir die fiksielys en -afdeling deeglik uiteensit.
Lys ook asseblief gerekende skrywers saam met wie jy al gewerk het en titels wat jy al uitgegee het. Stuur aansoeke per epos aan
Lys ook asseblief gerekende skrywers saam met wie jy al gewerk het en titels wat jy al uitgegee het. Stuur aansoeke per epos aan
Jason Daniels – applications@penguinrandomhouse.co.za
Onderwerp: Uitgewer: Fiksie
Sperdatum: Dinsdag, 10 Junie 2025
NB: Kandidate van voorheen benadeelde gemeenskappe sal voorkeur geniet.
As jy ná ses weke nog nie van ons gehoor het nie, aanvaar asseblief dat jou aansoek onsuksesvol was.
Penguin Random House is onder geen verpligting om hierdie pos te vul nie.
As jy ná ses weke nog nie van ons gehoor het nie, aanvaar asseblief dat jou aansoek onsuksesvol was.
Penguin Random House is onder geen verpligting om hierdie pos te vul nie.
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