Manager Production Editorial - Romance

Sourcebooks; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Prescription Drug Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account

401(k)

Job summary

Sourcebooks is seeking a strategic, highly experienced production editorial leader to manage a select list of romance titles while mentoring Production Editors and strengthening workflows from manuscript handoff through final print and digital production.

This role balances hands-on ownership of a focused list with team leadership, troubleshooting complex production challenges, maintaining high editorial standards, and partnering with editorial, production, vendors, and freelancers to move

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in editorial production, publishing operations, project management, or a closely related field.
• Advanced knowledge of copyediting, proofreading, and production editorial workflows.
• Demonstrated success managing high-profile book titles, complex projects, shifting priorities, and detailed schedules.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop team members through clear guidance, practical feedback, and growth opportunities.
• Strong strategic problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, with the judgment to navigate ambiguity and resolve issues proactively.
• Proficiency with project management tools such as Smartsheet and Basecamp, along with editorial tracking systems.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a consistent commitment to high editorial standards.
• A coachable, always-learning mindset and an interest in emerging publishing practices, workflow improvements, and process automation.

Responsibilities

• Own a select list of high-priority and complex romance titles, guiding each project smoothly through all production editorial stages.
• Oversee titles from manuscript handoff through final print and digital production, ensuring schedules, editorial consistency, accuracy, and quality standards are maintained.
• Anticipate and solve complex workflow challenges, assess scope changes, and communicate schedule risks or adjustments to senior leadership.
• Partner closely with Managing Editorial, Editorial, Production, the Freelance Resource Manager, copyeditors, proofreaders, vendors, and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Manage, mentor, and provide real-time feedback to Production Editors, helping them strengthen editorial judgment, project management skills, and confidence with increasingly complex work.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and the development of best practices for production editorial workflows.
• Analyze workflows, quality-control metrics, and available data to identify bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and recommend process refinements.
• Develop and document best practices for high-complexity projects and contribute insights on production editorial trends, challenges, and opportunities.
• Stay current on publishing innovations, workflow best practices, process automation, and professional development opportunities.

Skills

Editorial production leadership

Project management

Mentoring

Strong communication

Attention to detail

Strategic problem-solving

Change management

Tools

Smartsheet

Basecamp

Job description

Bring exceptional romance titles to life while helping a talented production editorial team grow. Sourcebooks is seeking a strategic, highly experienced production editorial leader to manage a select list of high-profile and complex romance titles while mentoring Production Editors and strengthening the workflows that move books from manuscript handoff through final print and digital production. This role is ideal for someone who combines rigorous editorial judgment, calm problem-solving, and strong project leadership with a genuine commitment to developing people and improving processes.

The Manager, Production Editorial – Romance will balance hands-on ownership of a reduced but highly strategic title list with team leadership responsibilities. You will troubleshoot complex production challenges, maintain high quality standards, communicate risks clearly, and partner across Editorial, Managing Production, vendors, and freelance resources to keep projects moving successfully.

The salary range for this role is $75,000 - $80,000. We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications.

This position can be hybrid or remote in New York or Naperville, Illinois, or remote based in any of the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

What you’ll do

• Own a select list of high-priority and complex romance titles, guiding each project smoothly through all production editorial stages.
• Oversee titles from manuscript handoff through final print and digital production, ensuring schedules, editorial consistency, accuracy, and quality standards are maintained.
• Anticipate and solve complex workflow challenges, assess scope changes, and communicate schedule risks or adjustments to senior leadership.
• Partner closely with Managing Editorial, Editorial, Production, the Freelance Resource Manager, copyeditors, proofreaders, vendors, and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Manage, mentor, and provide real-time feedback to Production Editors, helping them strengthen editorial judgment, project management skills, and confidence with increasingly complex work.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and the development of best practices for production editorial workflows.
• Analyze workflows, quality-control metrics, and available data to identify bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and recommend process refinements.
• Develop and document best practices for high-complexity projects and contribute insights on production editorial trends, challenges, and opportunities.
• Stay current on publishing innovations, workflow best practices, process automation, and professional development opportunities.

What you bring

• 10+ years of experience in editorial production, publishing operations, project management, or a closely related field.
• Advanced knowledge of copyediting, proofreading, and production editorial workflows.
• Demonstrated success managing high-profile book titles, complex projects, shifting priorities, and detailed schedules.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop team members through clear guidance, practical feedback, and growth opportunities.
• Strong strategic problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, with the judgment to navigate ambiguity and resolve issues proactively.
• Proficiency with project management tools such as Smartsheet and Basecamp, along with editorial tracking systems.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a consistent commitment to high editorial standards.
• A deeply collaborative, agile, and accountable working style, with strong communication skills across teams and with external partners.
• A coachable, always-learning mindset and an interest in emerging publishing practices, workflow improvements, and process automation.

Why Sourcebooks?

Sourcebooks is a thriving entrepreneurial publisher driven by our mission to change lives through books. The fifth-largest publisher in the U.S. by print units sold, we bring extraordinary authors to readers in dynamic, data-driven ways, leading to hundreds of national and international bestsellers. Our insight-driven approach has earned us recognition from Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company, a Best Workplace for Innovators, a Most Loved Workplace by Newsweek, a Best Workplace by Inc., and Publishers Weekly’s nod as “the most successful self-made publisher operating in the 21st century.” Story by story, book by book, we have changed more than 300 million lives. Join us as we change 300 million more!

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits includes, but is not limited to, Medical/Prescription Drug Insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account, 401(k), Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, and generous paid time off.

Sourcebooks values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.