Editor/Senior Editor, Adult Commercial Fiction

About us:

Founded in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in publishing art and illustrated books. The company continues to publish critically acclaimed and bestselling works in the areas of art, photography, cooking, craft, comics, interior and garden design, entertainment, fashion, and popular culture as well as narrative non-fiction and new works of fiction for adults; children’s books ranging from middle grade to young adult fiction to picture books to board books. ABRAMS creates and distributes brilliantly designed books with the highest production values under the following imprints: Abrams; Abrams ComicArts; Megascope; Surely Books; Abrams Image; Abrams Press; The Overlook Press; Cernunnos; Cameron + Company; Abrams Books for Young Readers; Amulet Books; Abrams Appleseed; and Magic Cat. ABRAMS also distributes books for Booth-Clibborn Editions, Bungie, Alain Ducasse Édition, Èditions de La Martiniére, Editions BPI, Global Golf Group, Lucky Spool, Milky Way Picture Books, The Museum of Modern Art, SelfMadeHero, Tate Publishing, V&A Publishing, and The Vendome Press.

Job Purpose:

As we expand our fiction offerings, we are seeking an energetic, creative, self-driven editor to help launch a new program dedicated to commercial fiction. Primary areas of focus will include horror, rom-com, contemporary romance, fantasy, romantasy, new adult, upmarket women’s lit, and entertainment (licensed) fiction.

Our ideal candidate is tapped into pop culture and #BookTok, is aware of trends, and reads broadly across all genres of adult fiction, with additional interest in new adult / crossover lit. This person thrives in fast-paced environments, is a clear and effective communicator, collaborates well with all types of people, and feels capable of shaping a story both at the development and line levels. This is a position that best suits personalities who genuinely enjoy thinking outside the box, although you will also need to stay organized to succeed. You should consider yourself adept at spotting talent and cultivating longstanding relationships, and you should have strong existing connections with adult literary agents.

Our new editor or senior editor will be responsible for acquiring and editing approx. 8-10 titles per year, written by authors who speak to the commercial readership. These titles will be a mix of agented submissions and manuscripts found through non-traditional methods (ex: licensed or self-published). You should be an aggressive acquirer who is able to generate ideas for the list and anticipate trends. The ideal candidate will have experience in story building and heavy line editing. You should feel comfortable drafting excellent copy and brainstorming plot solutions. You may also be responsible for the occasional YA novel, if bandwidth allows. 

Please do not apply if you do not have experience at an adult fiction imprint. 

Responsibilities:

• Acquire and edits lead-level titles with bestseller potential
• Maintain a list of ~8-10 adult novels per year: a mix of entertainment (licensed) fiction; genre fiction (horror, rom-com, fantasy, romantasy, new adult); and upmarket, women’s lit / “book club” fiction
• Act as the spokesperson and coordinator in-house for each project, speaking clearly to the book’s potential audience and merits and keeping an open and constructive line of communication with the author and agent 
• Assume responsibility for select young adult franchise titles (included in overall title count of ~10 titles per year)
• Identify holes on the list; generate and pursue ideas for filling them
• Manage and prepare P&Ls, present titles at editorial meetings and pub board, negotiate deal terms, and oversee project budgets.
• Shepherd new titles through the entire editing process: oversee book schedules and collaborate with managing editorial, design, and production teams on formatting, design, and all stages of publication.
• Prepare sales materials including fact sheets, catalogue copy, flap copy, and metadata research; participate in seasonal launch meetings and sales conference
• Work closely with publicity and marketing teams to plan promotional activities and materials for acquired titles
• Stay current in the adult publishing and adult / new adult pop culture spaces to identify trends and potential opportunities for new publications
• Act independently as the primary liaison between licensors, authors, and artists and the publishing team

Qualifications & Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Minimum 6-8 years of experience in fiction at a trade publisher; Minimum 2-3 years in adult fiction 
• A proven history of acquiring and editing multiple commercially successful projects

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Strong, established relationships with agents and other industry colleagues
• Demonstrated interest in adult commercial fiction and well-honed market knowledge, including awareness of design trends
• Ability to juggle multiple projects and meet tight deadlines; strong executive functioning skills
• Proficient knowledge of MS Office (specifically: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

What we offer:

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid work schedule
• Paid Holidays
• Summer Fridays
• Company-paid time off during Christmas week
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account
• Life Insurance
• Health Benefits
• Retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• Professional development opportunities

This position is based in our New York City office with a hybrid work schedule (in-office 3 days per week). We are open to remote candidates for the right individual.

Application Instructions: Please submit your resume and cover letter for consideration.

Salary range: 65-95k