Job Description

Overview

Zondervan Books is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and highly values diverse backgrounds and insights that fuel our innovation.

The Associate Publisher assists the Publisher in managing the imprints full publishing program, helping to carry out the publishing divisions mission and values, revenue goals, and publishing strategies. The Associate Publisher should consistently display leadership skills, management ability, initiative, humility, and problem solving. Day-to-day responsibilities include author acquisitions, sales and marketing vision-casting, publishing schedule development, financial oversight, and staff management and development. The Associate Publisher assists the Publisher in developing, overseeing, and managing the editorial process, creating ancillary products, and managing the brand, while also leading special projects and representing the Publisher in key meetings. In addition, the Associate Publisher interacts daily with authors and agents and collaborates closely with marketing and sales teams.

Responsibilities

1. Author Acquisition and Retention: Builds strong, long-term relationships with agents and prospective authors. Acquires, develops, edits, and leads author management for 10-12 titles per fiscal year. Develops book concepts and identifies potential authors; evaluates platform strength and helps initiate marketing plans; presents books and book concepts to internal and external stakeholders; supports editorial vision for frontlist growth and backlist development.
2. Department Planning: Participates in leadership team meetings with Publisher and VP of Marketing regarding pipeline review; analyzes fiscal year financial impact combining frontlist and backlist titles, ensuring we are publishing to revenue goals; analyzes sales conference line up, pipeline by editor and marketer, and annual title performance lookback; joins in review of department overhead and budgets; monitors current sales and tracks progress to budget throughout the year.

3. List/ Program Management: Collaborates with Publisher and works with Managing Edtior on list planning and management of the editorial schedule. Leads the acquisitions cycle from Editorial Board to Pub Board and supports editorial team and Managing Editor to ensure on-time delivery of book projects to production and printer,

4. Product Development: Oversees key aspects of the product development process, including titling meetings, cover direction meetings, and copy production. Collaborates closely with the audio, video curriculum, and custom publishing teams to optimize Zondervan Publishing content in a variety of formats.

5. Strategic Planning and Financial Analysis: Supports with Publisher in sales analysis, analysis of title performance, annual budgeting, and business planning.

6. Publisher Support: Meets regularly with Publisher to monitor individual acquisitions. Maintains the profile of the department by joining key meetings or representing the Publisher: Author Meetings, Editorial Pub Board, Sales Pub Board, Marketing Staff Meetings, Business Review, Publishers Forum; helps implement and stressdepartment mission statement. Helps make the brand known in the industry. Assists Publisher in special departmental initiatives to analyze, strengthen, and growth the business.

7. Staff Management: Develops, oversees, and manages Assistant Editor; helps acquisitions editors as necessary; conducts annual employee performance evaluations; facilitates Acquisition Meeting; prepares team for sales conference in collaboration with Publisher and VP of Marketing.

Qualifications

Knowledge and Skills: Strong editorial skills; mastery of the English language, especially in written form; ability to understand and analyze standard financial documentation, such as income statements and balance sheets; proficiency in Microsoft Office software, especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; management, leadership, and professional development experience; efficient task management skills; ability to lead meetings with specific desired outcomes; public speaking.

Work Experience:

Minimum : 8 years in publishing or related field, preferably with supervisory experience.

Preferred: 10 years in publishing with 2 or more years in a leadership role

Education:

Minimum: Bachelors Degree from a four-year university

Target : Masters Degree from a four-year university.

Industry Knowledge: Understanding of the Christian and broad market book marketplace, including consumer demand, retail environment (physical and online), and competition; well-read in Christian and general market nonfiction books; understanding of style guides and understanding of the Chicago Manual of Style .

HarperCollins Christian Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Locations US-TN-Nashville

Category Publishing

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. EEO/AA/M/F/Disabled/Vets