Senior Content Strategist

StoryTerrace; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

StoryTerrace is seeking an experienced freelance Senior Content Strategist to shape books from early stages, working with authors, ghostwriters, development editors and project managers to define purpose and audience. This senior editorial role blends publishing judgment with diplomacy and market awareness, with the engagement primarily remote and a minimum of 5-7 projects per strategist per year.

The strategist will lead development sessions, approve the editorial blueprint, and guide

Qualifications

• Experience as commissioning editor or senior editor in nonfiction/memoir.
• Ability to lead author and editor collaboration, and strategy sessions.
• Strong sense of market trends and book positioning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Research authors and subject areas before project kickoff.
• Lead a Book Development Strategy Session with authors and editors.
• Define book purpose, audience, positioning, structure and themes.
• Approve a clear Book Strategy Blueprint for editorial work.
• Recommend appropriate ghostwriters and editors for each book.
• Review milestones: outlines, sample chapters, manuscripts.
• Provide strategic feedback to writers to meet standards.
• Ensure manuscript aligns with strategy and evolves direction as needed.
• Contribute editorial insight to titling, cover design and positioning.
• Give final editorial approval before copyediting/production.

Skills

Editorial judgement

Strategy leadership

Content strategy

Communication

Publishing industry knowledge

Job description

StoryTerrace is looking for an experienced freelance Senior Content Strategist to work across selected titles within PRO, our premium publishing program.

The Senior Content Strategist plays a pivotal role in shaping each book from its earliest stages. Working with authors, ghostwriters, Development Editors and Project Managers, they establish the book’s creative and commercial direction, articulate its central purpose and audience, and ensure that the finished manuscript delivers on that original vision.

This is a senior editorial role suited to someone who combines strong publishing judgement with confidence, diplomacy and an instinctive understanding of what makes a book compelling and market-aware.

Rate

We work with a fixed rate based on manuscript length. While we cannot guarantee a set number of projects per year, we work with a limited number of strategists on an ongoing basis that understands how we work and knows our team. At this point, we aim for a minimum of 5-7 projects per strategist per year.

Key Responsibilities

• Researching each author, their proposed subject and the wider publishing category ahead of the project kickoff
• Leading a Book Development Strategy Session with the author, Writer, Development Editor and Project Manager
• Identifying and articulating the book’s purpose, target audience, positioning, structure, principal themes and intended reader experience
• Approving a clear Book Strategy Blueprint that provides the editorial foundation for the project
• Providing direction and giving feedback on profiles suggested by the project manager for the most appropriate ghostwriter and developmental editor for each book
• Reviewing and approving key editorial milestones, including the initial and complete outlines, sample chapter and manuscript drafts
• Providing constructive, strategic feedback to Writers and Development Editors where work does not yet meet the required standard
• Ensuring that the manuscript remains aligned with the agreed strategy while recognising when the book’s direction should evolveActing as the senior editorial point of escalation when concerns arise regarding structure, positioning, voice, content quality or market suitability
• Contributing informed editorial and commercial insight to titling, cover design and book positioning
• Giving final editorial approval before completed manuscripts move into copyediting and production

You will ideally have substantial experience as a commissioning editor, senior editor, literary agent, book strategist or publishing consultant, with a strong record of developing high-quality nonfiction and memoir.

• Excellent editorial judgement and a sophisticated understanding of narrative, structure, voice and audience
• A strong working knowledge of the contemporary book market, including positioning, comparable titles and category expectations
• Experience working directly with authors and helping them articulate ideas that may still be complex, unformed or evolving
• The confidence to lead senior-level editorial conversations and make clear, well-reasoned recommendations
• The ability to give candid but constructive feedback while maintaining positive relationships with authors and freelance editorial professionals
• Experience assessing outlines, sample chapters and complete manuscripts
• A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively with Writers, Development Editors, Project Managers and design colleagues
• Strong written communication and the ability to turn a wide-ranging strategic discussion into a concise, practical editorial blueprint
• Experience developing business, thought-leadership, personal-development and narrative nonfiction titles would be particularly valuable. Experience with fiction is welcome but not essential

The Engagement

This is a freelance, project-based position. The workload will vary according to the number and stage of active PRO projects, so the role would suit an established publishing professional with the flexibility to attend online strategy sessions and complete editorial reviews within agreed timescales.

The role is primarily remote, although occasional meetings may be arranged where appropriate.