ACQUISITIONS EDITOR JOB DESCRIPTION

An Acquisitions Editor finds books worth publishing before they exist as books. This person scouts authors, evaluates proposals against market demand and P&L projections, and takes on the financial and editorial risk of bringing a new title to contract. The role sits inside an editorial team but operates with real commercial accountability: a misjudged acquisition costs budget, schedule, and imprint credibility. Managing a portfolio of 12 to 30 titles simultaneously, across trade and general-market lists, is what makes this work genuinely demanding.

As the Acquisitions Editor, you own the full author-to-contract pipeline for a defined imprint or subject area, evaluating proposals on both editorial merit and financial viability to build a commercially sustainable list. You work within an acquisitions team alongside editorial, marketing, and production colleagues, with direct relationships across the author and literary agent community.

Career Impact: Acquisitions experience, specifically the ability to evaluate manuscripts against P&L benchmarks and negotiate author contracts, is the qualification that separates editors who rise to Editorial Director from those who remain in development roles.

Business Impact: The titles an Acquisitions Editor commits to today define an imprint's revenue, reputation, and catalog depth for the next three to five years, making this one of the few editorial roles where individual judgment directly shapes the financial trajectory of a list.

Growth Opportunity: Editors who build a track record of commercial acquisitions move naturally toward Senior Editor and Editorial Director titles, where they define subject-area strategy and manage junior acquisitions and staff.

• Solicit and evaluate manuscript proposals and unsolicited submissions against editorial merit, market demand, and financial benchmarks.
• Negotiate and execute author contracts, including initial offer, agent negotiation, and contract completion within financial parameters.
• Build and maintain author, agent, and industry contact networks through ongoing outreach and conference representation.
• Develop publishing plans for acquired titles, including market positioning, target audience definition, and revenue projections.
• Coordinate the handoff of signed titles to editorial production, ensuring scope, schedule, and content expectations are fully documented.
• Oversee title lifecycle management across the list, including revisions, new editions, ancillary formats, and discontinuation decisions.
• Partner with marketing, sales, and production teams on promotional strategy, publication scheduling, and catalog planning.
• Monitor competitive titles, subject-area trends, and sales performance data to inform ongoing acquisition priorities.

• Bachelor's degree in English, publishing, journalism, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 3 or more years of acquisitions, editorial development, or trade editing experience, with demonstrated success bringing titles to contract.
• Proven ability to evaluate manuscripts and proposals on both editorial quality and commercial viability, including P&L analysis.
• Experience negotiating publishing contracts with authors and literary agents.
• Strong author relationship management skills, including the ability to provide constructive developmental feedback.
• Knowledge of trade publishing industry structures, standard contract terms, and imprint dynamics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present acquisition proposals to internal stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple active projects simultaneously across different stages of development.

• Experience managing a portfolio list spanning multiple imprints or subject categories, including backlist oversight and edition planning.
• Familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style and standard US trade publishing style conventions.
• Demonstrated commitment to acquiring diverse voices and underrepresented authors within a defined subject area.
• Prior attendance or participation at trade shows, writers' conferences, or publishing industry events as a professional representative.

• Titles acquired per year against the annual list plan, measuring pipeline productivity relative to imprint targets.
• Contract execution rate, reflecting the percentage of approved acquisitions successfully closed within financial benchmarks.
• On-time manuscript delivery rate across the managed author portfolio, indicating author relationship and project management effectiveness.
• Backlist revision and new-edition publication rate, measuring lifecycle management of existing titles.
• Author and agent relationship retention rate reflects the long-term health of the acquisitions network.

• Base Salary Range: $60,000 to $90,000 annually, depending on seniority and list size
• Bonus: Performance-based, typically 5 to 10% of base, tied to list revenue
• Equity: Uncommon in trade publishing; occasionally offered at larger media groups
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision; employer contribution varies by publisher
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually, plus standard publishing industry holidays
• Common Perks: Conference travel budget, book stipend, hybrid work options

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Reasonable accommodations are available to applicants and employees with disabilities throughout the hiring process and in the workplace upon request. Employment in this role is contingent on satisfactory completion of a background check. All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Acquisitions Editor shapes a portfolio from pitch to publication, coordinating author solicitations, manuscript reviews, P&L projections, and contract negotiations to build a commercially viable list aligned with the company's mission. Working alongside editorial and sales teams, the Acquisitions Editor ensures product lifecycles are actively managed and represents the company at industry conferences to strengthen its market presence.

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in planning, developing, and implementing a publishing strategy to ensure overall publishing success.
• Network and source qualified authors, agents, and contacts for acquisitions.
• Monitor industry trends and issues, and share them with editorial and sales/marketing.
• Conceptualize new product lines, research new subject matters, conduct ongoing competition analysis, and source acquisitions related to mission and goals.
• Collaborate in managing the acquisitions process, including review of unsolicited manuscripts, author solicitations, and the criteria for evaluating them.
• Work with new and existing authors to develop book and series proposals.
• Assess the potential value of projects and prepare proposals for review by the editorial team and owners.
• Coordinate the feasibility process for new projects, including market research and analysis, product makeup suggestions, target market audience, and P&L projections.
• Make the initial offer on approved projects, and support the preparation and negotiation of author contracts to completion.
• Coordinate an organized hand-off to the editor upon signing of the contract.
• Complete developmental edits of contracted titles as needed.
• Ensure timely management of product lifecycles, including revisions, updates, ancillary products, new formats, and discontinuation.
• Represent the company at industry conferences and events.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in English, education, or a related field.
• Master's Degree a plus.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in trade acquisitions, development, or editing.
• Teaching or writing experience a plus.
• Experience working collaboratively with authors and providing constructive feedback.
• Knowledge of publishing industry policies and practices.
• Commitment to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in youth literature.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Ability to guide numerous ongoing projects simultaneously.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to clearly and concisely express concepts.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to deal with a variety of personalities in a professional and service-driven manner.

Embedded within the tech and maker editorial division, the Acquisitions Editor delivers a portfolio of approximately 25-30 books and videos spanning Swift, Xcode, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and related development topics. Working closely with editorial counterparts in the US, the UK, and India, as well as marketing, promotion, and production departments, the Acquisitions Editor builds a well-connected author and reviewer network that sustains long-term program growth.

Core Functions

• Acquire and publish approximately 25-30 books and videos in the Maker and Apple development topic areas.
• Create, implement, and maintain a publishing plan for the programming languages portfolio.
• Pursue an active and efficient acquisitions policy, requiring strong initiative and independent functioning.
• Prepare, negotiate, and execute publishing contracts.
• Work with authors to ensure the timely delivery of book manuscripts.
• Develop a network of technical reviewers and advisors that can be called upon for advice about the program and manuscript reviews.
• Maintain communication and a strong working relationship with editorial counterparts in the US, the UK, and India about immediate questions and long-term strategy.
• Travel to relevant conferences for acquisition purposes and to share information about publishing with attendees.
• Maintain continuous cooperation and dialogue with marketing, promotion, and production departments concerning individual projects and general questions.
• Review and discuss new projects and plans with editorial colleagues, particularly in overlapping areas.

Qualifications & Experience

• A degree or equivalent.
• At least 2-3 years of publishing experience, ideally in tech or academic publishing, strongly preferred, though candidates with a background in tech in a commercial role will be considered.
• Strong affinity with, and a natural interest in, the tech industry.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to work to strict deadlines and ensure delivery from multiple teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel to conferences and events when appropriate and as required.
• Availability for flexible/hybrid working, three days in the office and two days at home.

Reporting to the editorial leadership team, the Acquisitions Editor shapes the growth of ebook, audiobook, and multi-format publishing programs by soliciting and developing prescriptive nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, and learning content across high-profile and volume imprints. Partnering with Marketing, Analytics, and Product teams, the Acquisitions Editor builds and maintains the author, talent, and agency relationships that sustain a diverse and commercially successful content portfolio.

Primary Duties

• Leverage relationships, market trends, and sales data to identify, evaluate, and develop innovative ebook/audiobook titles and multi-format content projects.
• Solicit, evaluate, acquire, and develop both volume and high-profile manuscripts and proposals for prescriptive nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, and learning content imprints.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Analytics, Product, and other cross-functional teams on the development and growth of audio and text publishing programs.
• Manage editorial production and publication schedules.
• Oversee title/author metadata and cover images.
• Create promotional copy and review marketing and publicity materials.
• Maintain and expand extensive author, talent, and agency relationships.

Skills & Qualifications

• 5-10+ years of relevant editorial experience.
• Established literary and entertainment agency contacts and established writer and talent networks.
• Track record of nonfiction content successes.
• Deep knowledge of and passion for the digital content and publishing landscapes.
• Strong, succinct presentation skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and set priorities under pressure.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Champion for providing opportunities for diverse voices and viewpoints.

Sitting at the intersection of editorial judgment and automated content production, the Acquisitions Editor builds full-length articles using AI-powered products, executes a defined content workflow at scale, and loads finalized content into WordPress for publication. Operating across Editorial, SEO, Data, and Product teams, the Acquisitions Editor advances quality standards and contributes input that shapes ongoing platform improvement.

Duties

• Use AI-powered products to build full-length articles from scratch.
• Edit content at scale by executing a defined content workflow.
• Rewrite content as needed, then load it into the CMS (WordPress) for publication.
• Implement editorial guidelines to ensure content meets high-quality standards.
• Partner with leaders on Editorial, SEO, Data, and Product to solve problems and build a positive culture.
• Adapt to changing editorial guidelines.
• Contribute editorial input for continued product improvement.
• Help create and promote an inclusive environment where team members feel comfortable and empowered.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in content, media, or a related field, with experience working with automated content preferred.
• Experience editing and/or consuming personal finance content.
• A passion and fascination for automated content.
• Solid understanding of AP style.
• Ability to learn and contribute to a content generation platform.
• A process-minded operator who can effectively oversee automated content production from start to finish.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• An astute sense of appropriate style, voice, tone, and content flow.
• Creativity and a passion for editing, with a sharp eye for detail in copy.
• Comfortable making frequent prioritization decisions and shifting focuses.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative attitude.

A key member of the newsroom team, the Acquisitions Editor leads daily news coverage by confirming details, booking interviews, assigning crews, and publishing across digital and social platforms in response to both breaking and planned news events. Collaborating with journalists, government sources, hospital systems, and first responders, the Acquisitions Editor enables the newsroom to deliver accurate, timely content across traditional and emerging channels.

Functions

• Gather and distribute accurate, timely news updates and content to support all aspects of the newsroom.
• Respond quickly to both breaking and daily news to confirm details, book interviews, and assign crews.
• Execute daily news coverage and plan for major events.
• Produce and publish to multiple platforms daily, including writing and editing for the website and posting on social media.
• Monitor traditional and emerging technologies to receive, filter, and share content.
• Develop sources in government, hospital systems, first responders, and more.

Experience & Qualifications

• 1-3 years of newsroom experience working as an assignment editor or other newsroom content role.
• Demonstrated exceptional core journalism skills, including writing short articles for digital media and scripts for television.
• Extensive knowledge of social media, online, mobile, and other content-gathering tools and technologies.
• Sound judgment with the ability to work under tight deadlines and in stressful situations.
• Strong organizational skills in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment.
• Strong communication, conflict management, and customer service skills.
• Ability to direct a diverse team of experienced journalists.
• Creative, forward-thinking, and takes a proactive, hands-on approach.

Long-term growth across Christian and general-market fiction imprints depends on the Acquisitions Editor, who oversees developmental editing of 12-15 new titles annually, evaluates proposals, negotiates with agents, and coaches authors through the substantive editing process. Based within a collaborative acquisitions team and representing imprints at writers' conferences and trade shows, the Acquisitions Editor applies strong editorial judgment and financial analysis to build a commercially viable and culturally resonant list.

Accountabilities

• Oversee editorial development of 12-15 books annually, including the delivery of expert and timely substantive/macro edits and strong author management.
• Create pitch materials for new projects to gain support from internal stakeholders.
• Shepherd the titling, packaging, and cataloging process for titles.
• Provide timely communication with current and potential authors and their agents regarding the status of their proposals and/or contracted projects.
• Meet or beat deadlines to ensure that titles are published on time and on budget.
• Exhibit strong editorial judgment about which authors to acquire and resign.
• Work with other members of the acquisitions team to evaluate proposals and negotiate with agents and/or authors in a fair manner and within financial benchmarks.
• Represent the imprints persuasively within the company and the broader publishing community, including at writers' conferences and industry trade shows as needed.
• Possess expertise in cultural, entertainment, and publishing trends.
• Travel as needed based on the needs of the business.

Technical Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in English, writing, journalism, publishing, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2-3 years' editorial experience with at least 1 year of manuscript development/substantive experience required.
• Acquisitions experience preferred, with proven success in acquisitions preferred.
• Working knowledge of the Christian and general-market publishing industry and marketplace strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style preferred.
• Ability to work with an author through the development/substantive editing process is required.
• Proven ability to maintain strong relationships with internal and external constituencies.
• Proven editorial skills in shaping excellent written text, with analytical ability to judge the financial viability of projects and identify areas of manuscripts that aren't working.
• Proven leadership ability, with the ability to manage and coach creative people, and a desire to see them thrive.
• Strong negotiation and public speaking capabilities.
• Well organized and able to manage multiple tasks/priorities, with time management skills capable of meeting deadlines and following schedules.
• Competent computer software skills.
• Good interpersonal skills, and able to work with others in a team environment.
• Intrinsically motivated and able to come up with creative ideas and solutions to problems.

As the Acquisitions Editor, this role leads the development and delivery of a global publishing strategy across Tech Regulation, Competition, IP, and EU Law, encompassing contract negotiation, data-driven market research, and digital product content strategy. The legal and academic publishing team relies on this work to expand author networks, enhance online product scope and diversity, and sustain innovation across cross-functional initiatives.

Activities

• Develop and deliver a global publishing strategy in the areas of Tech Regulation, Competition, IP, and EU Law.
• Pursue and develop innovative publishing opportunities.
• Propose and develop new content according to academic quality, market appeal, and financial criteria.
• Use data reporting, market research, and sales analysis to identify insights.
• Define and manage the content strategy for the online product offering, with a view to enhancing scope and diversity.
• Build and leverage extensive author networks and reviewer pools, and guide authors in strategies to amplify content and usage.
• Draft and negotiate contracts to secure competitive IP, including for complex projects, and optimize flexibility and future publishing models.
• Collaborate with Content Development to improve the publishing process, contribute subject knowledge and experience, and support the delivery of content post-contract.
• Take a leadership role in internal projects, promote innovation, and contribute to cross-functional initiatives and committees.

Position Requirements

• Experience with Open Access publishing, along with the launch and development of digital products.
• Experience with law schools, scholarly societies, and/or professional bodies.
• Experience of mentoring.
• Solid knowledge of practitioner and/or academic publishing.
• Proven experience in managing content acquisition.
• Experience conducting market research and data analysis.
• Knowledge of tech regulations, competition, IP, and/or EU law.
• Proven ability to create and maintain valuable author/other key stakeholder relationships.
• The ability to adapt to new systems and processes, and confidence in working with data.

Acquisitions Editor owns the technical editing and quality control of all channel content, including in-house productions, series, movies, and programs, while managing equipment and applying aspect ratio and standards converters to ensure files meet broadcaster specifications. Success in the position means delivering assigned tapes and files on deadline, providing cutting recommendations, and operating within a collaborative production facility where Arabic and English fluency support client communication.

Operational Focus

• Ensure high quality of content through technical editing.
• Ensure the highest standard of content editing is maintained.
• Deliver assigned tapes or files promptly.
• Edit all channels' content, including in-house production, series, movies, and programs, changing content formats, compiling content, and creating content for second runs, as per guidelines or procedures.
• Follow procedures for defined/systematic technical editing to ensure world-class quality of content.
• Provide recommendations about cutting and technical editing alternatives.
• Ensure that the content of tapes and files meets the correct technical specifications.
• Manage equipment and identify faults, utilizing aspect ratio converters and standards converters.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Editing or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in content and TV editing.
• Good technical knowledge of editing, understanding of media formats, and editing systems and graphics within each facility.
• Able to identify what is acceptable for which media and broadcaster, and their different technical specifications.
• Understanding of compression and the ability to utilize VT Recorders (VTRs) in normal and abnormal settings.
• Ability to solve technical problems, and knowledge of the topology of the edit suites.
• Linear and non-linear editing (machine-to-machine).
• Quality control and assurance for edited stories.
• Ability to operate, patch, and un-patch equipment, with relevant computer skills to move media around the facility.
• Avid, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere.
• Customer orientation, able to assert clients' needs and problems, and to identify appropriate solutions.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Fluency in Arabic/English.

The Acquisitions Editor produces a growing print and digital list for legal education by soliciting manuscripts, negotiating contracts, and maintaining a backlist of approximately 500 published titles through supplements and timely new editions. Collaborating with authors, production staff, marketing teams, and Account Managers, the Acquisitions Editor develops law school products and ensures manuscript delivery remains consistent with publishing plan objectives.

Key Deliverables

• Acquire new print and digital products by soliciting manuscripts, reviewing proposals, performing market research, negotiating contracts, and assisting authors in content development.
• Ensure updates of a backlist of approximately 500 published titles through supplementation and timely publication of new editions.
• Ensure manuscripts are received and produced consistently with publishing plan objectives by maintaining constant communication with authors and production staff both before and during manuscript production.
• Work with authors and the marketing team on promotional pieces for law school products.
• Educate Account Managers on the features and attributes of products.

Professional Experience

• Experience in legal education, academic publishing, editorial, or related business experience preferred but not required.
• Interest in legal academia and/or academic technology.
• Exceptional editorial judgment and attention to detail.
• Ability to interpret, analyze, organize, and communicate complex legal material.
• Strong writing and analytical skills.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with a high level of professionalism and poise required.
• Ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with all contacts.
• Ability to perform well both independently and in a team setting.
• Some travel is required (25-30% during the academic year).