Acquisitions Editor/Senior Acquisitions Editor - Arts & Crafts

Bloomsbury•New York, NY

13h•Hybrid

About The Position

To seek out and acquire the best possible authors for Bloomsbury’s arts and crafts imprint Herbert Press, working closely with the UK-based editorial and production teams and overseeing the titles through the editorial stages, from manuscript delivery to publication. Commissioning mainly color titles, the role requires building relationships and working with authors, museum and gallery clients, agents (occasionally), freelancers, photographers, illustrators, and designers. In addition, this position also includes seeking out partnerships with relevant associations and institutions such as museums and art galleries to build the Philip Wilson Publishers (PWP) list in the US market.

Requirements

Exceptional knowledge of the US arts and crafts book market and key industry figures
Excellent interpersonal skills – a confident and deft approach to communicating with authors, curators and others in the field in addition to in-house and external colleagues
Experience in art and crafts book publishing and a track record of acquiring books, ideally developing a list
Ability to negotiate effectively – contracts, schedules, editorial conflicts
Experience in project managing color books from manuscript delivery to publication
Exceptional organizational, time management and prioritization skills
Excellent writing, presentation, spreadsheet, and database skills
Eye for attractive and user-friendly design and layout
A commitment to, and highly developed skills in, assessing market needs
Excellent project management capabilities
Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher) necessary

Nice To Haves

General knowledge of InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator an advantage
Excellent copywriting skills

Responsibilities

Seek out and acquire new titles for Herbert Press
Seek out and acquire new partnerships and titles with American institutions and associations for PWP.
Monitor market trends and competitor activity, develop a network of contacts and represent Bloomsbury, Herbert Press and PWP at conferences and events as required
Establish and maintain good relationships with a wide range of authors and publishing partners.
Devise new series and stand-alone titles based on market needs.
Achieve short and long-term signing and publishing targets.
Ensure a timely and cost-effective front-list program.
Manage the subject-specific backlist and look for ways to repurpose content.
Seize opportunities to develop innovative digital products.
Oversee the completion of projects from proposal to publication by working effectively with other departments, primarily: editorial, marketing, sales, production, and design.
Be the dynamic face of the lists and Bloomsbury to authors and the wider arts and crafts community in the US.
Working closely with editorial colleagues in the UK to ensure a cohesive, strategically aligned publishing program.