SUNY Press-Acquisitions Editor/Senior Acquisitions Editor
About The Position
SUNY Press seeks an Acquisitions Editor or Senior Acquisitions Editor to acquire scholarly and trade books in one or more of these areas: New York history, philosophy, music, and education. The editor solicits, evaluates, and secures book-length manuscripts and manages editorial activities for acquired manuscripts, ensuring published work meets established standards for appearance and content. Acquisitions must follow guidelines and objectives established by the Editor-in-Chief in conjunction with the SUNY Press Director and Leadership team, and meet the Press Editorial Board’s publication standards and approval process. The role contributes to long-range list planning and development and coordinates budget preparation and financial and contractual management for assigned titles. The Senior Acquisitions Editor may manage 35–40 books per year, work independently, resolve and negotiate higher-level issues, supervise lower-level employees where applicable, and help shape Press policies and direction. The level of appointment depends on experience, demonstrated expertise, and ability to perform the work at varying scales and levels of independence and complexity.
Requirements
- Acquisitions Editor: Bachelor’s degree and at least 1 year of scholarly, educational, and/or trade publishing experience.
- Senior Acquisitions Editor: Bachelor’s degree and 5–7 years of scholarly, educational, and/or trade publishing experience.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
- Knowledge of the acquisition process for book-length manuscripts and related publishing processes, procedures, and tools.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills.
- Senior Acquisitions Editor: Familiarity with publishing contracts, negotiations, rights, and permissions.
- Senior Acquisitions Editor: Ability to develop, plan, and implement short- and long-range goals.
- Senior Acquisitions Editor: Ability to work independently and resolve and negotiate higher-level issues.
- Applicants must submit a resume/CV and cover letter.
Responsibilities
- Acquire and develop scholarly publications by identifying and recruiting authors, evaluating proposals and manuscripts, and building relationships across academic communities.
- Manage peer review in collaboration with authors, reviewers, and series editors.
- Negotiate publishing agreements and oversee projects through the editorial approval process, including preparing materials for Editorial Board review.
- Develop and expand publishing programs and series; identify emerging areas of scholarship and cultivate partnerships with editors and academic leaders.
- Collaborate with Editorial, Production, Marketing & Sales, and Operations teams to guide manuscripts from acquisition through publication.
- Locate and negotiate funding opportunities to offset production costs, enable pricing models, or support open-access projects.
- Maintain accurate project records and contribute to departmental planning, goal setting, and operational initiatives.
- Represent the Press at academic conferences and professional events to promote publishing opportunities and strengthen scholarly-community relationships.
- Participate in long-range list planning and development and coordinate budget preparation and financial and contractual management for assigned titles.
- At the Senior Acquisitions Editor level, work independently, resolve and negotiate higher-level issues, and, where applicable, supervise lower-level employees.
- At the Senior Acquisitions Editor level, potentially help set Press policies and direction.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
