Commissioning Editor
Commissioning Editor
Company: Zed Books
Location: Islington
Address: 7 Cynthia Street
City: London
Postcode: N1 9JF
Zed Books has an exciting opportunity for a Commissioning Editor to oversee our successful gender, environment, development, Middle East and Asia lists. You will bring a sense of enthusiasm and creativity to commissioning new books for our forward list, develop excellent relationships with existing authors and have the ability to balance a large and varied workload.
About Zed Books:
Zed Books is a critical and dynamic publisher, committed to increasing awareness of important international issues and to promoting diversity, alternative voices and progressive social change. We publish on politics, development, gender, the environment and economics for a global audience of students, academics, activists and general readers. Run as a co-operative, Zed Books aims to operate in an ethical and environmentally sustainable way.
Key duties:
Achieve commissioning and financial targets Active list development: identifying and evaluating key markets, publishing priorities and authors
· Ensure the timely delivery of contracted manuscripts· Work with authors from receipt of proposal through to finished manuscript, giving them such advice as is required on their book’s structure, scope, arguments, style
· Campus call and attend conferences in the UK and internationally, within a given budget
· Brief sales and marketing teams on future titles with accuracy and enthusiasm
· Lead and develop, with the senior commissioning editor and in accordance with the business plan, Zed’s editorial strategy
· Develop close relationships with authors of contracted and published books
· Build and develop relationships with a network of international publishing partners and other organisations Write and communicate catalogue copy and other bibliographic details in a timely manner Maintain understanding of key industry developments, including and especially ebook and digital developments, and to incorporate this where appropriate into the editorial commissioning strategy Manage, with the senior commissioning editor, the work of the assistant editor
Experience/Knowledge/Skills required
· Minimum two years experience in book publishing, and with prior experience in commissioning academic or trade books ·
Experience of project management of books from proposal stage through to publication
Experience of liaising with external stakeholders, such as authors, freelancers, and partner organisations
A good understanding of the business of publishing and challenges facing independent publishers , particularly ebook and digital developments
Knowledge of the publishing process, from proposal stage to publication
Interested and informed about the subjects on which Zed publishes·
Ability to work on own initiative
· Able to work as part of a small, fast-paced team
· The ability to balance a large and complex workload
· Excellent communication and negotiation skills
· Ability to write accurate and high-quality copy for book blurbs, catalogue copy etc
· IT literate, with a working knowledge of Word and Excel
To download a full job profile and application pack, please visit http://www.zedbooks.co.uk/commissioning-editor-vacancy-june-2012
For queries: margaret.ling@zedbooks.net
Salary: £25,000 - £30,000
Closing date: 13 Jul 2012