Senior Acquisitions Editor, Fiction Books

Tyndale House Publishers; Carol Stream (IL); On-site; USD 58,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Tyndale House Publishers in Illinois is seeking a Senior Acquisitions Editor to manage a portfolio of fiction authors from proposal to publication, negotiating deal terms and guiding editorial development.

Reporting to the Publisher and working with editorial, design, marketing, and sales, you will build relationships with authors and agents, assess manuscripts for quality and market appeal, and represent titles at cross-functional hand-offs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, English, Marketing, or Business.
• Previous publishing experience desired.
• Knowledge of and appreciation for CBA fiction and content.
• Experience with spreadsheets and word processing software desired.
• Self-motivated and able to take initiative, managing multiple projects independently in a fast-paced creative environment.
• Strong negotiation, leadership, and problem-solving instincts.
• Fast reader with strong writing skills.
• High emotional intelligence and diplomatic communication style.
• Personal alignment with and adherence to the Bible as Gods Word, and agreement with our Statement of Faith.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end project management for assigned fiction titles, coordinating across Editorial, Design, Manufacturing, and Marketing from concept through release.
• Build and manage relationships with authors and agents, negotiating deal points and guiding communication on deadlines and manuscript feedback
• Evaluate manuscript proposals for content quality and marketability, making acquisition recommendations to the Publisher and team - including declining projects with care when needed
• Research CBA/ABA publishing trends, bookstore merchandising, and reader demographics to inform which fiction stories and authors Tyndale invests in next
• Guide manuscripts from acceptance through development, working directly with authors to strengthen content and prepare back-cover copy and sales materials
• Represent assigned titles at Product Development, sales, and marketing hand-off meetings, and attend industry events and writers' conferences to build relationships with prospective authors and agents

Skills

Negotiation

Leadership

Problem-solving

Writing skills

Relationship-building

Fast reader

Diplomatic communication

Emotional intelligence

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Spreadsheets

Word processing

Job description

Description

For more than 60 years, Tyndale has helped readers discover the life-giving truths of Gods Word. Today we're one of the largest independently owned Christian publishers in the world. Though our business has grown, our mission remains the same: to open Gods Word to as many as possible in language they can relate to and understand.

As part of the Fiction Team, you'll work closely with editorial, design, and marketing colleagues who care as much about story craft as they do about serving readers well - and about doing that work with excellence, creativity, and mutual trust.

As Senior Acquisitions Editor, you'll help shape which fiction voices and stories Tyndale brings to readers next. Reporting directly to the Publisher, you'll manage a portfolio of authors from proposal through publication, negotiate deal terms, and bring both editorial instinct and market insight to every recommendation you make. This is a role for someone who thrives on relationship-building, has strong negotiation instincts, and wants their storytelling judgment to shape what gets published.

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end project management for assigned fiction titles, coordinating across Editorial, Design, Manufacturing, and Marketing from concept through release
• Build and manage relationships with authors and agents, negotiating deal points and guiding communication on deadlines and manuscript feedback
• Evaluate manuscript proposals for content quality and marketability, making acquisition recommendations to the Publisher and team - including declining projects with care when needed
• Research CBA/ABA publishing trends, bookstore merchandising, and reader demographics to inform which fiction stories and authors Tyndale invests in next
• Guide manuscripts from acceptance through development, working directly with authors to strengthen content and prepare back-cover copy and sales materials
• Represent assigned titles at Product Development, sales, and marketing hand-off meetings, and attend industry events and writers' conferences to build relationships with prospective authors and agents

Skills and Qualifications Needed

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Communications, English, Marketing, or Business
• Previous publishing experience desired
• Knowledge of and appreciation for CBA fiction and content
• Experience with spreadsheets and word processing software desired
• Self-motivated and able to take initiative, managing multiple projects independently in a fast-paced creative environment
• Strong negotiation, leadership, and problem-solving instincts
• Fast reader with strong writing skills
• High emotional intelligence and diplomatic communication style
• Personal alignment with and adherence to the Bible as Gods Word, and agreement with our Statement of Faith

After an initial training period, this role is open to a hybrid work schedule, which means you'll be given the flexibility to split time between working from home and in the office.

We want to hear more about you and why you are interested in Tyndale and this role, so we highly recommend including a cover letter.

Tyndale has been repeatedly certified as a Best Christian Workplace. Learn more about us and what we believe at www.tyndale.com/our-mission.

The hiring range for this position is $58,000 to $70,000 annually. Actual offers will take into consideration the candidate's education, experience, industry knowledge, technical skills, and other relevant factors. A summary of Tyndale's comprehensive benefits is: https://www.tyndale.com/careers/.