Acquisitions Editor, Academic Publishing

Description

For more than forty years, Hendrickson Publishers has provided important resources to the church and the academy. Today, we continue to meet the publication needs of the religious studies academic community worldwide by publishing the latest in the areas of biblical studies, biblical reference, and biblical language. Our books, written by experts in the field, meet rigorous scholarly standards while remaining accessible. 

As a member of the Hendrickson team, you’ll be a vital part of our dynamic group of academic publishing experts. Working together, our overall goal is to cultivate a thriving publishing company that meets the needs of the academic community and helps scholars understand the biblical text in ways that enrich their thinking and teaching. We communicate openly, inspire one another to think outside the box, share expertise, and help one another grow professionally. 

As an Acquisitions Editor at Hendrickson, you will play a key role in helping us publish the latest research in biblical studies and biblical languages for our unique audience of scholars and professors. You’ll meet with scholars to brainstorm potential projects, learn about their latest research and ideas, weigh in on proposals and help scholars shape their manuscripts. Hendrickson Publishers seeks an enthusiastic team player to join its collaborative team in the area of acquisitions and development, preferably as an expert in New Testament studies to help us add new and exciting books to our list of publications.

What You'll Do

Acquisitions

• Support the Hendrickson Team in identifying and acquiring content for publication.
• Build relationships with scholars in the field of biblical studies in order to identify and acquire 10–12 high-quality projects a year.
• Review manuscript proposals to evaluate their quality, fitness, and originality. 
• Identify emerging scholarly and publishing trends that will inform the selection and shaping of content.
• Help create and develop academic series and product lines within Hendrickson. 
• Prepare content and financial analysis (Pub Plan) for new projects and present to Publication Committee.
• Provide input on acquisitions strategies.

Product Development

• Oversee the product development plan for assigned books.
• Work collaboratively with editorial, design, production, sales, and marketing teams.
• Conceptualize ideas for new book projects to be pitched to scholars or designed in-house. 
• Deliver high-quality manuscripts to editorial/production team.
• Help manage approved projects through the publishing process as needed.
• Help prepare and/or review sales and marketing material.
• Lead the repackaging of backlist products for Hendrickson product lines.

Project Management

• Communicate with authors regarding deadlines, manuscript requirements, and royalty payments.
• Create positioning plans for sales, marketing, and design teams.
• Participate in conception and development plans of covers.
• Interface with editorial, design and production teams regarding scheduling, editing, design and product costs.
• Cultivate positive author relationships through consistent communication.
• Work with Publishing Director and Editorial Director during the entire publication process. 
• Be available during work hours to answer questions.
• Help with content editing, copyediting and product description copy as needed.
• Alert Publishing Director to potential problems in the delivery or production of products, including manuscript delivery dates, bound book dates, and other scheduling issues.

Skills and Qualifications Needed

• B.A., preferably in English, biblical studies, marketing, or business.
• M.A. and/or Ph.D. in biblical languages or biblical/theological studies, preferably in New Testament.
• At least five years of previous publishing experience, preferably within acquisitions and/or editorial departments.
• Familiarity with current scholarship in the fields of biblical/theological studies, biblical languages, and New Testament.
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Self-motivated and independent worker; able to take initiative.
• Excellent people skills; diplomatic and able to negotiate.
• Good organizational skills; able to manage multiple production timelines and projects.
• Fast reader; good writing skills.
• Available to travel occasionally to meet with authors or attend annual conferences.
• Personal alignment with and adherence to the Bible as God’s 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.

In addition to your CV/résumé, please include a cover letter telling us why you’re interested in working with us at Hendrickson and why you think this role may be a good fit for you. We look forward to hearing from you!

The hiring range for this position is $65k to $70k annually. Actual offers will take into consideration the candidate’s education, experience, industry knowledge, technical skills, and other relevant factors. A summary of Hendrickson’s comprehensive benefits is: https://www.hendricksonpublishers.com/career-center.