SUMMARY:

Basic Books is a leading publisher of serious, scholarly nonfiction aimed at a wide audience of general readers, and it is an imprint of Perseus Books, a Hachette Book Group company. We are seeking a Senior Editor or an Executive Editor to acquire and edit serious nonfiction for Basic Books. This editor may also acquire books for Seal Press, a division of Basic Books, which focuses on feminist non-fiction.

The editor will be responsible for acquiring and publishing approximately 10 new hardcover titles per year in categories that could include science, classics, religion, politics, or other fields appropriate to the Basic list. The successful candidate will have a strong background in working with top experts in a range of fields to communicate specialized ideas to a general audience and will have concrete plans for expanding the scope and range of Basic’s publishing programs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Commissioning, acquiring, and editing manuscripts for publication.
Successfully negotiating deals.
Working effectively with authors and agents in all phases of the publishing process, from acquisition through publication date and beyond.
Supervising the production process by acting as the in-house liaison between editorial and the production, design, and managing-editorial departments.
Collaborating with the publicity, marketing, and design teams to package and position books.
Developing selected backlist reissues.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Excellent conceptual and line-editing abilities.
Demonstrated ability to assess both the commercial and scholarly potential of proposed books.
5+ years’ editorial or equivalent experience.
Broad knowledge of, and interest in, nonfiction subject areas and publishing categories.
Contacts among authors, writers, academics, journalists, or literary agents, or demonstrated ability to develop such contacts.
Ability to work cross-functionally with other groups, companies, and organizations on shared long-term projects.
Demonstrated understanding of and an appreciation for the ideas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Bachelor’s degree.
Strong written and verbal communication skills in addition to solid computer skills.
Ability to deliver timely, accurate work and demonstrate good follow up and follow through.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively within a team setting.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

As a leading book publisher, we believe that including and representing diverse voices in all aspects of our business is fundamental to what we do. Our publishing programs must reflect the broad range of backgrounds, experiences, political views and ideas that shape our society and publish books for all readers.

Hachette Book Group provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Salary can vary based on a number of factors including skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more. There may be times that you will be required (or requested) to work overtime due to the nature of your roll or exceptional workload issues or special projects. Our comprehensive U.S. benefit offerings include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, 401(k), incentive plan eligibility, educational training opportunities and more.