[Hiring] Senior Acquisitions Editor @American Psychological Association

Role Description

The Senior Acquisitions Editor is responsible for acquiring new and revised titles consistent with their individual strategic plan/goals and the overall strategy of APA Books. The acquisitions editor works collaboratively with a range of psychologists and other APA staffers to ensure that each new title and the overall product line enhance APA’s reputation for quality and contribute to the financial health of the organization. The Senior Acquisitions Editor will be dynamic, forward-thinking, and innovative.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in English, psychology, or related field; master’s degree preferred.
• At least 8 years (or equivalent) of experience in scholarly, professional, reference, non-fiction, or textbook publishing with a successful and consistent track record in acquisitions or product development; professional experience or familiarity with psychology or related field preferred but not required.
• Knowledge of or ability to quickly become knowledgeable about the relevant content areas; familiarity and/or experience with clinical psychology preferred.
• Ability to build and maintain a wide network of psychologists to consult and partner with.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and analytic abilities to evaluate proposals, peer reviews, and sales figures; monitor trends and conduct market research.
• Keen editorial insight in shaping book proposals with key audiences in mind.
• Understanding of current trends in digital content, platforms, and databases, including AI licensing.
• Familiarity with AI tools and the judgment to use them responsibly.
• Experience using sales, usage, adoption, competitive data, and bibliometric trends to set list strategy.
• Business savvy for assessing the commercial viability of proposals and preparing pro forma P&Ls.
• Excellent presentation skills, including the ability to make a clear, persuasive case for a project or strategy to varied audiences.

Requirements

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to learn platforms and databases (such as title management software, adoption tracking databases, bibliometric and citation analytics, etc.); maintain proper data entry and management.

Responsibilities

• Prepares an overarching strategic plan and acquisitions targets for their signing area and contributes to the overall strategy for APA Books.
• Networks and builds relationships with leading psychologists to identify, recruit, and contract experts to write, edit, and review books.
• Maintains strong relationships with existing APA authors, assuming responsibility for projects at various stages of the publication process.
• Critically evaluates book proposals for quality, financial viability, and consistency with approved strategy.
• Prepares P&L and presents projects for final approval.
• Negotiates contracts with authors and others in APA’s interest.
• Tracks forthcoming books and helps plan future frontlists.
• Collaborates with Development, Production, Marketing, Sales, and others to ensure excellent author relations and to meet departmental or organizational goals.
• Presents books to the APA Sales and Marketing teams, providing insights and market knowledge.
• Acquires content with accessibility in mind and builds inclusive, diverse author and reviewer pipelines.
• May travel to professional and scholarly meetings and conferences.
• Executes each responsibility in a financially-sound, quality-minded, ethical, and timely manner.
• Handles other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Remote Work/Flexible Scheduling.
• 401(k) option with employer match of up to 4%.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance options and an outpatient mental health benefit.
• Paid personal/vacation time plus 12 paid holidays.
• Family/Medical Leave.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• And more.

Application Instructions

Qualified candidates must apply online through APA’s applicant system and attach a resume and cover letter specifying your salary expectations. Applications that are submitted without both documents are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed for consideration.

Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. Please make sure to check your Spam folder if you do not receive an email from us.

Final candidates will be required to successfully complete a background check as a condition of employment.