Backlist Manager, Scribner Books

Simon & Schuster; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k)

Life insurance

Disability benefits

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Broad Based Ownership program

Job summary

Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, seeks a Backlist Manager to unlock the full potential of its deep catalog. You will develop long-range strategies across print, digital, audio, and direct-to-consumer channels, identifying opportunities and shaping campaigns that elevate timeless and contemporary works.

Collaborating with Editorial, Sales, Marketing, and Rights teams, you will lead cross-functional initiatives, analyze sales data, and craft innovative programs that connect readers with a

Qualifications

• Five or more years in book publishing, bookselling, marketing, brand strategy, media, or related field.
• Deep appreciation for literary fiction and narrative nonfiction; understanding Scribner’s identity.
• Ability to translate ideas into practical, commercially viable programs.
• Strong analytical skills using sales reports, market research, consumer insights, and performance data.
• Excellent editorial, writing, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong visual judgment; understanding how packaging and positioning influence reader discovery.
• Exceptional project-management skills with multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Collaborative mindset to align across departments.
• Curiosity about changing reader behavior, digital discovery, and new retail opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a year-round backlist strategy across print, digital, audio, retail, academic, and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Identify opportunities using sales history, market trends, inventory, pricing, formats, metadata, and competition.
• Establish annual priorities for authors, titles, franchises, and thematic programs.
• Build a pipeline of initiatives with clear revenue goals and metrics; monitor results for future campaigns.
• Partner with Editorial, Sales, Marketing, Publicity, and other teams to bring ideas to market.

Skills

Publishing experience

Marketing strategy

Data analysis

Editorial and writing

Communication & presentation

Project management

Collaboration across teams

Creative thinking

Reader engagement

Job description

Simon & Schuster was named to Forbes magazine list of America's Best Mid-Size Employers 2022. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world's most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Scribner is seeking a creative, strategic, and commercially minded Backlist Manager to unlock the full potential of one of publishing’s most distinguished catalogs. Home to timeless literary works, modern classics, bestselling authors, and books of enduring cultural importance, Scribner’s backlist offers extraordinary opportunities to reach new generations of readers.

The Backlist Manager will develop and execute an ambitious strategy for optimizing Scribner’s deep catalog. This person will identify books with renewed sales potential; conceive innovative repackages, new editions, and publishing programs; and create imaginative campaigns that bring fresh attention to both literary landmarks and contemporary classics.

The ideal candidate will combine a genuine passion for books with strong editorial instincts, creative marketing ideas, commercial judgment, and fluency with sales data. This role calls for someone who views the backlist not as a static archive, but as a vital, evolving part of Scribner’s future.

Key Responsibilities

Backlist Strategy and Optimization

• Develop and manage a comprehensive, year-round strategy for growing Scribner’s backlist across print, digital, audio, retail, academic, and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Utilize data -- sales history, market trends, inventory, pricing, formats, metadata, cultural conversations, and competitive publishing -- to identify untapped opportunities.
• Establish annual priorities for key authors, titles, franchises, and thematic publishing programs.
• Build a pipeline of short-, medium-, and long-term initiatives with clear revenue goals and measures of success.
• Monitor results and use performance data to refine future campaigns and publishing decisions.

Repackaging and Publishing Programs

• Identify opportunities for redesigned editions, anniversary publications, format changes, new introductions or afterwords, reading-group editions, boxed sets, and other value-added packages.
• Conceive larger programs—including seasonal collections, author starter packs, thematic series, and other creative groupings that encourage discovery across the Scribner list.
• Ensure that new editions feel relevant and inviting to contemporary readers while honoring the literary significance and distinctive history of each work.

Campaign Development

• With the Scribner team, create inventive campaigns that breathe new life into Scribner’s timeless literary gems and modern classics via opportunities tied to anniversaries, adaptations, holidays, academic cycles, author milestones, awards, cultural moments, and emerging areas of reader interest.
• Find meaningful connections between frontlist and backlist titles, using new publications to renew interest in an author’s larger body of work.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the central champion and strategic resource for Scribner’s backlist.
• Partner closely with Editorial, Sales, Marketing, Publicity, Art, Production, Managing Editorial, Rights, Audio, and Digital teams to bring ideas from concept to market.
• Work with authors, agents, estates, literary organizations, and outside partners when appropriate.
• Present backlist strategies and recommendations clearly and persuasively to internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of relevant experience in book publishing, bookselling, marketing, brand strategy, media, or a related field.
• A deep appreciation for literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, along with an understanding of Scribner’s identity, history, and place in American publishing.
• Demonstrated ability to generate original ideas and translate them into practical, commercially viable programs.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with sales reports, market research, consumer insights, and performance data.
• Excellent editorial, writing, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong visual judgment and an understanding of how packaging and positioning influence reader discovery.
• Exceptional project-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• A highly collaborative working style and the ability to build enthusiasm and alignment across departments.
• Curiosity about changing reader behavior, new retail opportunities, digital discovery, and evolving ways to connect books with audiences.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is part literary enthusiast, part creative entrepreneur, and part commercial strategist. They can recognize the enduring value of a beloved classic while imagining an entirely new way to present it. They notice overlooked opportunities, make unexpected connections across a catalog, and understand how design, timing, positioning, and storytelling can transform a backlist title into a newly essential read.

Simon & Schuster US is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). At Simon & Schuster US, the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything that we do. From employee benefits/programs and social impact outreach initiatives, we believe that opportunity, access, resources and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression), age, citizenship status, marital status, and Veteran status where protected by law or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

The hiring salary range for this position applies to New York City, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other geographies. Starting pay for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• 401(k) plan
• life insurance coverage
• disability benefits
• tuition assistance program
• PTO or, if applicable
• industry-first, Broad Based Ownership program

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals in accordance with applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at [insert contact information]. Unrelated emails, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

Candidates hired for this or any other posted Simon & Schuster role will be employees of Simon & Schuster, LLC, subject to all policies, including the Workplace Privacy Notice, and eligible solely for the benefits plans thereof.