Senior Editor

The Harper Group is seeking a Senior Editor to acquire commercial fiction, primarily in paperback, with a focus on romance, thriller, psychological suspense, and historical fiction. The ideal candidate should be a self-starter with excellent communication skills, meticulous attention to detail, strong editorial and copy-writing skills, and established industry relationships. They should be able to identify emerging trends, have a strong understanding of the retail landscape, and the creativity to generate marketable ideas for new projects. This is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to cultivate their own commercial list and to work within a collaborative, supportive, and innovative publishing team with a proven track record of success.

Responsibilities:

Solicits, acquires, edits, and guides the publishing strategy for commercial fiction in accordance with the imprint’s vision.
Oversees books through all phases of the publishing process from acquisition to on sale and throughout its backlist life.
Liaises with internal departments including marketing, publicity, sales, art, managing editorial, production, contracts, etc.
Develops a clear commercial publishing vision for titles, including launch presentations, copy, cover direction, etc.
Fosters existing and new agent relationships and demonstrates a strong commitment to author care.
Reviews international rights guides, scout reports, and bestseller lists for potential acquisitions.
Monitors current and emerging trends, specifically within BookTok and other social platforms, stays aware of the self-publishing marketplace, and develops book ideas with broad sales potential.

Qualifications:

5+ years of publishing or related experience with a proven track record of acquisition in the categories of upmarket women’s fiction, romance, psychological suspense, and historical fiction
Keen eye for commercial books with strong sales potential
A commitment to publishing books from a diverse range of voices and perspectives
Excellent editorial and copy writing skills
Broad list of agent contacts, with specific emphasis on those who represent categories that match the imprint’s focus
Strong negotiation skills along with knowledge of standard publishing contracts and P&Ls

HarperCollins Publishers is a company full of people who are passionate about books. When you apply for a position, we want to know why you want to work here, and why you are interested in the job. That’s why cover letters are strongly preferred.

The salary range for this position is $75,000-$90,000. We recognize that attracting the best talent is key to our strategy and success as a company. As a result, we aim for flexibility in structuring competitive compensation offers to ensure we are able to attract the best candidates. The quoted salary range represents our good faith estimate as to what our ideal candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on the selected candidate's experience, industry knowledge, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the interview process.

In addition to cash compensation, the company provides a comprehensive and highly competitive benefits package, with a variety of physical health, retirement and savings, caregiving, emotional wellbeing, transportation, and other benefits, including "elective" benefits employees may select to best fit the needs and personal situations of our diverse workforce.