Acquisitions Editor for North Atlantic Books
Location (please note if this is remote): We are based in the unceded Ohlone territory (East Bay, CA) but are working remotely so this job is remote.
Salary: $62830
To Apply: Please review our website for the types of books we publish, and in your cover letter tell us which NAB books resonate with you and why. Email your resume and cover letter to Alison Knowles (jobs@northatlanticbooks.com) with the subject “Acquisitions Editor.”
No phone calls, please. We look forward to hearing from you!
Position Overview: The Acquisitions Editor is responsible for acquiring, developing, and managing approximately 14 books per year, working closely with the Associate Director of Acquisitions to strategically develop seasonal lists. This position reports to the Associate Director of Acquisitions.
The Acquisitions Editor attends weekly leads meetings and acquisitions committee meetings and pitches their own titles for consideration, running P&L statements and conducting market research to prove viability. Additionally, they steer acquired titles through the launch and pre-sales process, working with design, marketing, and sales to develop covers, titles, and Title Information (TI) sheets, and are responsible for handing off finished manuscripts and art to the production editor as well as editing final back-cover copy.
This position is 40 hours a week and remote/hybrid-optional. The ideal candidate is US-based and can generally be available during 9-5 Pacific. Although we have a small office in Berkeley, CA, we are currently fully remote and candidates do not need to reside in the Bay Area. The annual salary is $62,830. Excellent benefits package: full health, vision, and dental plan; 401k; paid sabbatical; and flexible spending plan. In addition to PTO, we offer all employees 1 paid volunteer day, 4 grief/bereavement days to grieve any impactful event, and 22 paid holidays per year, including International Workers’ Day, Juneteenth, and the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Duties:
*Contribute to the short and long-term growth of the publishing program by soliciting, acquiring, and developing 8-10 titles per year as well as managing 2-4 projects acquired by others (the publisher, copublished/distributed titles, other editors), for a total of 14 titles per year
*Network with potential authors and keep track of developments in North Atlantic’s niches and categories, including attending conferences
*Evaluate proposals and manuscripts and provide authors with editorial feedback/development
*Participate in weekly leads meetings and acquisitions committee meetings; pitch and present projects at acquisitions, launch, and other meetings as needed
*Negotiate initial terms of publishing contract with author and/or agent
*Conduct and analyze sales research, including P&Ls *Develop and maintain strong agent and author relationships
*Edit back-cover copy, other sales copy as needed
*Work with authors and others in-house to develop title, subtitle, book specs
*Research comparative titles and cover art *Hand off final manuscript and art files to production editor with directions for copyediting, permissions status for artwork, etc.
*May supervise and manage the internship program
*May, if desired, participate in the racial equity committees or other committees
*Give editorial feedback to authors, as needed
*Coordinate reviews by sensitivity readers, if needed
*Occasionally hires freelance writers, editors, or illustrators to assist with book projects
*Works with Associate Director of Acquisitions to discuss long-term acquisitions goals and strategies and to update or create procedural documentation for the department
Requirements: *Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience
*A background in working with authors, content creators, artists or equivalent; prior experience in publishing or other media a plus
*Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
*Ability to multitask and prioritize within a deadline-oriented environment
*Comfort working both independently and in collaboration with a team
*Excellent verbal and communication skills Interest and experience in amplifying diverse voices
*Experience with and/or affinity for the subject areas we publish
*Google Suite, MS Office Suite
*Competence in MS Word and Excel a plus
*Familiarity with Chicago Style a plus
