Job Description

UW Press has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Acquisitions Editor to build upon and expand the press’s successful Pacific Northwest nonfiction regional trade publishing program. This program includes books that showcase the histories, cultures, and natural history of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho with the possibility of expanding the list with titles about Northern California and the Mountain West. The Senior Acquisitions Editor may also have an opportunity acquire select academic and crossover titles, depending on experience and interest. The editor will be responsible for acquiring and transmitting 15-20 high-quality trade manuscripts each year, a mix of narrative nonfiction and illustrated books, for regional and national audiences.

Responsibilities will include collaborating with writers, journalists, faculty, agents, regional organizations and others to evaluate and commission projects for the press; traveling throughout the region to scout new projects; providing developmental guidance on book concepts and manuscripts; managing peer review and presenting proposed books to the faculty press committee; and preparing financial information on all prospective titles and negotiating contracts.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Acquisitions outreach and recruitment

Acquire and transmit 15-20 new manuscripts per fiscal year. Actively and strategically recruit new book proposals and manuscripts by contacting prospective authors. Develop and sustain a strong network of press authors, prospective authors, agents, community contacts and other advisers. Attend select conferences, and travel regionally to scout new projects. Correspond with prospective authors to answer questions about the publication process. Solicit and evaluate book proposals and manuscripts, assess market potential, and determine suitability for publication.

Working with manuscripts

Provide developmental support and feedback to authors. Identify and engage outside readers to provide peer review. Recommend revisions to authors of manuscripts under review; work with authors on implementing revisions. Participate in weekly acquisitions and biweekly interdepartmental editorial meetings to review proposals and manuscripts, and recommend further review, rejection, or presentation to the press committee for formal approval. Prepare materials for presentation to the faculty press committee. Attend press committee meetings. Work with authors on revisions and preparing final manuscripts and illustration programs for copyediting.

Collaborative interdepartmental responsibilities

Negotiate contracts in consultation with Director and Editorial Director. Prepare budgets for manuscripts proposed for publication. Collaborate with press grant-writing and development staff to seek underwriting as needed; Work collaboratively with authors and other press colleagues to develop appropriate and effective packaging, publishing, and marketing plans for titles acquired.

Other duties as assigned

Job Tags

Full time, New year,

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