Senior Editor, Fiction — Shape Bold, World‑Class Prose

Macmillan Learning; United States; On-site; USD 80,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

Farrar, Straus and Giroux seeks a Senior Editor to acquire primarily for the fiction list. The ideal candidate brings broad knowledge of fiction and a commitment to helping excellent works reach their audience.

You will edit manuscripts at structural and line levels and build authors’ careers across titles. You will publish 8–10 books per year, develop acquisitions with strong market potential, and mentor colleagues while coordinating across departments.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of book publishing experience or the equivalent
• Highly developed editing and copywriting skills
• Extensive contacts in writing, journalism, agent communities and beyond
• Understanding of P&Ls, production schedules and terms, the
• Deep engagement with the fiction landscape and market, across a range of readerships
• Familiarity with negotiating and contract language
• Experience and interest in working collaboratively and supporting the success of the team as a whole
• Managing a variety of needs and perspectives and communicating in a highly professional manner, with diplomacy, discernment, and care

Responsibilities

• Publish 8-10 books per year, including lead titles
• Commission and acquire a range of titles with strong critical, commercial, and backlist potential
• Build relationships with literary agents, writers, and subsidiary rights directors and directly negotiate major terms for potential acquisitions
• Develop and edit manuscripts at the structural and line level
• Help to shape and build an author's career across titles
• Seek out opportunities for growth and think programmatically to build a cohesive list
• Act as a liaison between in-house and external partners
• Work closely with in-house colleagues, as well as authors and agents, to position books to their broadest and best audiences
• Prepare materials for and present at launch meetings as well as other key moments in the publishing cycle; support colleagues in other departments through key selling points, jacket briefs, and persuasive pitches
• Maintain publishing schedules for a full list of titles
• Coordinate in a collaborative, positive, timely manner across departments
• Contribute to the editorial team and paperback program via mentorship, reading and giving feedback on projects for others on the team, and generating ideas
• Partner with one editorial colleague to supervise one employee

Skills

Editing

Copywriting

Industry contacts

P&L understanding

Production schedules

Fiction market knowledge

Negotiation

Collaboration

Professional communication

Job description

Farrar, Straus and Giroux seeks a Senior Editor to acquire primarily for the fiction list. The ideal candidate brings broad knowledge of fiction and a commitment to helping excellent works reach their audience.

You will edit manuscripts at structural and line levels and build authors’ careers across titles. You will publish 8–10 books per year, develop acquisitions with strong market potential, and mentor colleagues while coordinating across departments.