Editor

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

A strong internal candidate has been identified for this position, however, we are still accepting applications from other qualified candidates.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Editorial Director the Editor will acquire (and see through every stage of pre-publication, publication, and post-publication) textbooks, monographs, and trade titles that will advance the scholarly, education, and global dialogue in the field of Philosophy and Religion.

Responsibilities

• Monitoring scholarly journals and popular media for promising topics, authors and institutions; researching, contacting and meeting with promising potential authors (the latter to be done within the budget established by the press for such activities)
• Evaluating potential projects and providing a timely response to potential authors regarding next steps; organizing a timely and thorough peer review process of projects under consideration; preparing summary documentation for project approval, including financial projections
• Overseeing the contract process and conducting or facilitating any necessary negotiations
• Maintaining regular contact with contracted authors; providing timely and reasonably detailed feedback on manuscripts-in-progress (including developmental work on trade and textbook titles as necessary); promptly answering author questions and directing authors to other resources as necessary
• Acting as a liaison between the author and other departments (including design, marketing, rights and production) as needed; providing guidance (to both the author and other departments) on cover and interior design, subsidiary rights, copy writing, publicity, and sales as necessary and helpful; setting appropriate author expectations and mediating any disputes that arise over the course of the publication process
• Providing input on publicity plans for forthcoming books, and meeting with freelance publicists, PR teams, agents and authors when needed; organizing the solicitation of endorsements for forthcoming books
• Discussing potential and upcoming projects with colleagues, faculty members and sales reps
• Preparing for and participating in discussion of fellow editor's projects, as well as in discussion of overall press strategy during yearly retreats
• Attending author events, potential author events, Columbia events, and conferences as a representative of the press; organizing travel and accommodations for such events within the budget established by the press for such activities
• Maintaining regular contact with the university, including the chair of the economics department, new and established centers and scholars, and faculty working on economic topics throughout various departments and schools
• Managing a part-time editorial assistant and delegating appropriate tasks (including initial contract prep, peer review outreach, endorsement outreach, etc.)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and / or equivalent related experience required and 2-4 years related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience acquiring projects in a field in the remit.
• Strong language skills and editing skills and the ability to quickly summarize and communicate technical and scholarly arguments.
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally, personably, and productively with colleagues, professors, authors and others.
• Attention to detail, strong organization skills, and the ability to plan and coordinate projects with a long time-horizon.
• Initiative and perseverance in researching and following up with promising potential authors.
• A productive, flexible and problem-solving attitude towards publication challenges and new opportunities.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.