Daniela Schlingmann Literary Scouting Ltd - 12-month Scouting Traineeship

Daniela Schlingmann Literary Scouting Ltd - 12-month Scouting Traineeship

DSLS is offering the exciting opportunity for a recent graduate with an international outlook to join the team of scouts for one year, with a view to establishing a career in publishing.

Literary scouting is one of the most exciting disciplines in publishing, but also one of the least well-known. We work with a host of international publishers from around the world in order to find the very best of UK fiction, non-fiction and children's books to be published in translation. Our overview of the UK market, its trends, and key agencies and publishing houses is unparalleled, so a scouting traineeship offers a fantastic opportunity to gain a strong understanding of the industry. The work is varied, fast-paced and requires a can-do attitude, an eye for detail and the ability to quickly process a high volume of information under pressure.

Successful candidates will work at DSLS for one year as part of the programme. They will be trained to work alongside the team of scouts and will be able to have a real creative input, learning all about UK and international publishers, literary agents and translation rights. The position is a hands-on role, working with a variety of contacts in the UK and international publishing world and providing general support to our team of scouts. Candidates will be mentored by the company director for the duration of the traineeship.

The first few months of the programme will focus on preparations for the London Book Fair, which will provide the first opportunity for the successful candidates to develop contact with the international publishing world.

The second half of the programme will focus on developing confident evaluation of manuscripts and reporting directly to clients, as well as preparing for the Frankfurt Book Fair - the annual key event in the international publishing world. Candidates will be given the opportunity to join the team of scouts at Frankfurt 2018, meet international publishers and the agency clients and explore the fair independently.

Suitable candidates will be well-read, excellent communicators and highly-organised. We are looking for people with a can-do attitude, a curiosity to explore new areas, think outside the box and take initiative. Good knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook and strong general IT skills are essential. Foreign languages or a specific interest in children's books or non-fiction would be an advantage.

Candidates are paid £18,000 per annum. Successful candidates will start their traineeship in November 2017. If selected, you will be expected to commit to the entire 12-month period.

Please send a CV, meaningful covering letter and a two-page sample reader's report on a book that you have recently read, including a plot summary, a review and an assessment of its suitability for international markets. Applications should be sent via email, stating that you are applying for DSLS TRAINEE in your subject line, to the following address: office@schlingmann.co.uk.

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are only able to get in touch directly with shortlisted candidates.