Editor

University of Hawaii System; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Hawaii System seeks an Acquisitions Editor to manage high volumes of book proposals and manuscripts, assess style and substance, and guide publication decisions.

The role involves acquiring manuscripts, coordinating peer reviews, advising authors, drafting contracts, and collaborating with Marketing and Production to support book budgets and campaigns.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with 3 years of professional experience in acquiring scholarly book manuscripts.
• Experience evaluating proposals and coordinating reviews for publications.

Responsibilities

• Reads and reviews book proposals and manuscripts to determine publication potential.
• Identifies and acquires manuscripts; represents the UH Press at professional events.
• Evaluates manuscripts, selects peer reviewers, and presents recommendations to editorial board.
• Advises authors on manuscript organization, revisions, and development.
• Coordinates the review process and liaises between authors and Press departments.
• Drafts publishing contracts and negotiates terms with authors and publishers.
• Researches funding and markets to support publication costs and book series.
• Drafts promotional copy and collaborates on campaigns with marketing staff.
• Maintains editorial records in the Press database and oversees related projects.

Skills

Manuscript acquisitions

Editorial development

Communication

Contract negotiation

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Word processing

Database software

BiblioLive

Chicago Manual of Style

Job description

Editor

2026-08-04 University of Hawaii System Honolulu,HI Description:

Position Number: 0097672T

Hiring Unit: UHM LIBRARY SERVICES, UH PRESS, ACQUISITIONS (UH PRESS)

Location: University of Hawaii at Manoa, UH Press (2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, HI 96822)

Beaches & Islands

Band: B

Salary: salary schedules and placement information

Full Time/Part Time: Full-time

Month: 11-month

Temporary/Permanent: Temporary

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as Acquisitions Editor, responsible for reading a high volume of book proposals and manuscripts, conducting preliminary reviews independently, gauging stylistic and substantive problems, and determining which manuscripts the UH Press should pursue toward publication.
• Identifies and acquires book manuscripts with publishable potential; represent the UH Press at conferences and in other professional settings to cultivate author relationships.
• Evaluates proposals and manuscripts to determine publishable potential; select expert peer reviewers and coordinate the review process; present recommendations to the UH Press' editorial board.
• Advices authors on manuscript organization, revisions, and development; serve as liaison between authors and Press departments throughout the publication process.
• Analyzes manuscripts for editorial issues and communicate solutions to the Editorial-Design-Production Department.
• Writes publishing contracts and negotiate terms with authors, agents, and other publishers.
• Research and secures external funding to support publication costs for individual books and book series.
• Research and assesses potential markets; create book budgets based on marketing forecasts and production estimates.
• Drafts promotional copy and collaborate with marketing staff to develop promotional materials and marketing campaigns.
• Maintains accurate editorial records in the Press-wide database.
• Oversees projects in Asian studies and related disciplines as determined by the Executive Editor and the UH Press Director.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Professional Work Experience

Compensation & Benefits

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in arts, social science, arts and humanities, science, education, business or related field and 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience with responsibilities for acquiring scholarly book manuscripts; or any equivalent combination of education and/or professional work experience which provides the required education, knowledge, skills and abilities as indicated.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Considerable working knowledge of principles, practices and techniques in the area of acquiring scholarly book manuscripts as demonstrated by the broad knowledge of the full range of pertinent standard and evolving concepts, principles and methodologies.
• Considerable working knowledge and understanding of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and theories and systems associated with acquiring scholarly book manuscripts.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve wide ranging complex problems through the use of creative reasoning and logic to accurately determine the cause of the problems and the resolution of the problems in an effective, innovative and timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing, verbally and by preparation of reports and other materials.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders and members, and individuals.
• Demonstrated ability to operate a personal computer, apply word processing and database software.
• If applicable, for supervisory work, demonstrated ability to lead subordinates, manage work priorities and projects, and manage employee relations.

Supplemental Minimum Qualifications

• General knowledge of book production processes, including copyediting, design, and manufacturing.
• Ability to work with deadlines.

Desirable Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Arts & Sciences.
• Experience working with scholars and academic communities.
• Ability to translate scholarly value into language for sales and marketing teams and financial stakeholders.
• Understanding of academic book markets, Open Access models, and subventions.
• Ability to juggle multiple book projects at different stages.
• Knowledge of publishing databases such as BiblioLive and style manuals such as the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Ability to search and obtain funding for book projects.
• Understanding of publication processes, especially acquisitions and editorial processes.