Senior Production Editor

Macmillan; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Macmillan is seeking a Senior Production Editor for Macmillan Adult Trade in New York. You will oversee production editing for 35–40 titles annually, managing freelancers through copyediting, proofreading, indexing, and jacket/cover checks.

You will guide the editorial workflow from manuscript assessment to final materials, ensuring quality and adherence to departmental procedures while applying strong style-rule discipline.

Qualifications

• Extensive background in adult trade fiction and nonfiction.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, prioritizing and troubleshooting.
• Strong grammar and punctuation with Chicago Manual of Style expertise.
• Meticulous attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines under pressure.
• 7–10 years’ experience as a production editor, preferably in adult trade.
• Copyediting and proofreading at a high level and familiarity with workflow systems.

Responsibilities

• Handle production editorial work for original fiction and nonfiction titles from manuscript to bound book, including paperback conversions.
• Electronic styling of manuscripts for design and composition.
• Hire freelance copyeditors, proofreaders, and indexers and review their work through all passes.
• Prepare copyedited manuscripts for design and typesetting and collate changes in proofs.
• Copyedit jacket/cover copy and marketing material and review captions and inserts.
• Collaborate with Production, Design, and Editorial teams on scheduling and revisions, complying with Legal directives.
• Update project progress in digital tracking systems and maintain proper file naming conventions.
• Provide task- and project-specific support to ensure coverage during vacations.

Skills

Production editing

Editorial workflow

Freelancer management

Chicago Manual of Style

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Adobe Acrobat

Workflow/Metadata systems

Job description

We are looking for a Senior Production Editor for Macmillan Adult Trade. This role will production-edit approximately 35 to 40 books a year, or 15 to 25 books at a time. They will manage the production editorial process from assessing manuscripts for copyediting needs to hiring and managing freelancers to proofreading and indexing page proofs as well as checking all stages of text, photo inserts, and jackets/covers throughout the bookmaking process. They will be responsible for quality control and compliance with departmental procedures. Proficiency with digital copyediting and routing required as well as knowledge of workflow systems.

What You'll Do:

• Handling production editorial work for original fiction and nonfiction titles from manuscript to bound book, as well as paperback conversions.
• Electronic styling of manuscripts for design and composition.
• Hiring freelance copyeditors, proofreaders, and indexers, and reviewing their work through all passes.
• Cleaning and preparing copyedited, author-reviewed manuscripts for design and typesetting.
• Collating changes from authors and freelancers in page proofs and resolving queries ahead of transmittal.
• Copyediting jacket/cover copy and ancillary marketing material, including sales quotes, reading group guides, bound galley cover copy, and proofreading jackets/covers, insert captions, and additional material.
• Frequent and ongoing collaboration with Production, Design, and Editorial departments as needed concerning scheduling; editorial revisions suggested by authors, copyeditors, or proofreaders; complying with Legal department directives.
• Updating progress of projects in various digital tracking systems, using correct file-naming conventions and adhering to documented best practices.
• Providing task- and project-specific support for other production editors to ensure that coverage is maintained during planned vacation and discretionary days.

What You'll Bring:

• Extensive background in adult trade fiction and nonfiction
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, anticipating problems, troubleshooting solutions, and prioritizing
• Strong working knowledge of grammar and punctuation, including expertise with the Chicago Manual of Style, with an aptitude for enforcing style rules while also respecting author voice
• Meticulous attention to detail; work well under pressure; good oral and verbal communication
• Ability to meet deadlines while juggling multiple projects at once
• Work well with others in a tactful manner, displaying common sense and initiative.
• Seven to ten years’ experience as a production editor, preferably in adult trade fiction/nonfiction
• Copyediting and proofreading at a high level
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat (including comfort with PDF markup tools), and Workflow/Metadata systems
• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience

The salary range for this role is $70,000 - $75,000.

Macmillan Publishers is the U.S. trade company that is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large family-owned group of media companies headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Holtzbrinck Publishing Group's publishing companies include prominent imprints around the world that publish a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats.

U.S. publishers include Celadon Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, The St. Martin's Publishing Group, and Tor Publishing Group. In the UK, Australia, India, and South Africa, companies in the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group publish under the Pan Macmillan name. The German publishing company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes among its imprints S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Rowohlt, and Droemer Knaur.

Macmillan is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, consistently striving to foster a culture where everyone belongs. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and identities. Qualified applicants are evaluated without regard to race, color, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, physical ability, neurodiversity, genetic information, protected veteran status, family and economic status, and background or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We prohibit discrimination of any kind and will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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