Acquisitions Editor

Bloomsbury Publishing Inc•New York, NY

just now•Hybrid

About The Position

This is an exciting opportunity for an Acquisitions Editor to join Bloomsbury Academic’s US-based team. Bloomsbury Academic is the publisher of scholarly and general interest books in the humanities and social sciences. This role is positioned within a broader team that publishes innovative and insightful scholarly interventions in music, literature, US politics, film, media, popular culture, among other subject areas, as well general interest series such as 33 1/3, Object Lessons, and Marvel Age of Comics. The Acquisitions Editor would acquire across a range of product categories in Music & Sound Studies, from research monographs and reference books to general interest and trade titles.

Requirements

Relevant academic editorial experience
Commissioning experience (successfully working to agreed commissioning targets)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong problem-solving abilities
High attention to detail
Collaborative and team-oriented mindset

Nice To Haves

Experience of working on a range of academic book types desirable (including textbooks, monographs and reference works)

Responsibilities

Provides the strategic direction and is commercially responsible for their list within Bloomsbury’s music and sounds studies publishing program in conjunction with direct line manager
Plays a key role in managing the music digital resource product working in collaboration with project teams, including acquiring and coordinating of ongoing editorial content
Researches new product lines and markets for print and digital products
May identify, manage, and secure new book and digital resource publishing partnerships
Ensures that their list meets key business goals: global growth plans, revenue, budgets, no. of projects, product mix, profit
Acts as a spokesperson for the list and the Bloomsbury Academic Division, representing its key values, objectives, and policies
Identifies and pursues lucrative new opportunities (markets, product types, partnerships) within subject areas
Develops knowledge of music and sound studies and builds a network of talented authors within this field
Develops market awareness by reading relevant academic/industry publications, visiting end-users; researching and analyzing competitive environment and activity, market trends, developments and channels
Utilizes market awareness and understanding to inform future publishing strategy for products/lists/portfolios
Commissions to pre-agreed annual turnover and product line targets
Commissions and assesses proposals for new projects according to an agreed no. of titles and product mix (reference works, monographs, edited collections, textbooks, supplementary/trade titles, backlist revisions)
Coordinates peer review and market research to progress proposals to approval
Negotiates contracts with authors and partners
Manages timetabling of projects under contract
Liaises with the Production Department to ensure that books are published to budget and schedule
Liaises with Marketing and Sales Departments for the effective promotion of the list and monitors sales performance
Attends academic conferences and represents the company at events as appropriate
Ensures all metadata relating to frontlist and backlist is accurately managed within the team to a high standard and according to Key Dates
May undertake direct line-management of Assistant Editor/Editorial Assistant/Intern and help them to meet key business objectives: Production schedule/publication targets (pipeline of product)
Ensures direct report/s adheres to editorial guidelines, procedures and best practice
Provides clear direction and SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and Time bound) targets for direct reports in order to enable them to meet publishing schedule, key dates and MS handover targets
May contribute to wider divisional initiatives (i.e. strategic working groups)
Oversees the annual frontlist and keeps titles to schedule, budgeted revenue and profit targets
Assesses and oversees reviewing process of all new proposals
Performs annual list budgeting and reforecasting duties to a high standard, keeping slippage well below the 10% tolerance threshold for no. of titles that have slipped out of the fiscal year
Demonstrates good time management skills, including, prioritization, assessing and managing own workload, meeting deadlines
Manages email and inbox effectively
Has sound knowledge of internal systems including Biblio, Focal Point, Cognos, and office management systems, Office, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Maintains databases and systems to ensure a high level of accuracy of information
Works to set procedures as required
Processes information quickly and effectively, and prioritizes subsequent actions promptly
Prioritizes more critical activities and assignments and adjusts priorities when appropriate to meet deadlines
Uses time effectively and prevents irrelevant issues or distractions from interfering with work completion
Develops avenues of questioning to ascertain correct information and ensure understanding
Generates innovative solutions in work situations; tries different and novel ways to deal with work problems and opportunities
Manages information systems for collection, retrieval, and use of data for decision-making