Production Editor

Production Editor

Full-time, Exempt

Ideal: In-person two days per week, remote three days per week
Open to: Remote five days per week

The mission of the Production Editor (PE) is to deliver excellence across all publishing workflow areas while meeting strict timeline and budget expectations for our authors. The PE is responsible for managing multiple trade book publication processes simultaneously, ensuring manuscripts are on schedule, on scope, and on budget from concept creation to final press files. The person in this role will act as process lead; managing communication and scheduling with authors and internal teams; guiding authors and publishing teams through the editorial and production processes; collaborating directly with authors, client teams, and publishing industry professionals; while carrying out a variety of editorial and production related tasks such as performing content correction checks with copy edit and proofread reviews.

Expected Outcomes

• Maintain Advantage | Forbes Books’s reputation for excellent service to its authors and uphold the company’s high-quality standards by effectively communicating and adhering to the publishing process goals with high-achieving and potentially demanding authors.
• Manage the publishing process throughout the editorial and production stages by keeping the process moving forward on schedule, on scope, and on budget, while overseeing author expectations and problem-solving author concerns and requests.
• Develop and manage publication schedules, communicating them internally and externally while making sure the publishing team is focused on the task due dates.
• Discuss publishing goals with authors and maintain the publishing process and the team stays on track to meet those goals.
• Monitor that manuscript length and service hours stay within the author’s contractual agreement and report discrepancies appropriately.
• Ensure plagiarism checks have been completed; descriptive copy, book summaries, cover/web copy, author bios, and testimonials are created, edited, proofed, and delivered on time; the curation of image files are secured; and author sign-offs on final manuscripts and final design files are completed on schedule.
• Perform production-related tasks; including completing correction checks, copyediting and proofreading reviews, and flagging items for permissions and releases, all prior to the interior layout and design; review multiple rounds of author edits made in the design stages prior to author’s final files sign off; and manage the reprint revisions process with authors, design, and manufacturing.
• Consult with other publishing and marketing departments as necessary and communicate the information to the author.
• Maintain the integrity of the internal system records, such as the workflow and title management systems, for each publication.
• Schedule and participate in publication-related meetings, such as team meetings and author publishing kick-off meetings.

Competencies

• Efficiency. Able to produce significant output with minimal wasted effort and independently manage priorities while meeting assigned due dates.
• Exemplary Attention to Detail. Does not let important details slip through the cracks or derail the author’s publishing process.
• Excellent Communication Skills. Highly skilled at advising, coaching, and strategizing over email, on the phone, and in person with our authors and business professional clients; able to communicate clearly and regularly with publishing team authors, including book architects, ghostwriters, ghostwriting team, developmental editors, designers, copyeditors, proofreaders, manufacturing team, book promotions team, distribution team, and publishing leadership team; and provide updates to external team authors, including authority advisors and marketing teams as needed.
• Problem Solving Mindset. Flexible attitude to test new approaches and adjust activities in order to solve unique client challenges.
  High Standards. Expects personal performance and team performance to be nothing short of the best and consistently delivers world class customer service to every author.
• Flexibility/Adaptability. Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions, and copes effectively with process scope creep.
• Teamwork. Reaches out to peers and cooperates with supervisors to establish an overall collaborative working relationship, and maintain the integrity of the internal system records for each publication so all internal team authors are aware of the current content status.
  Calm under pressure. Maintains stable performance when under heavy pressure or stress.
• Growth. Demonstrates a desire to learn and continually expand their understanding of the entire publication process.

Preferred Skills And Experiences

• Must have a passion for workflow management and a proven track record of success in team lead goals and initiatives. 
• Must be highly detail-oriented, able to multitask while meeting deadlines. Must have superior written and verbal communication skills.
• 1-2 years experience coordinating projects with internal teams.
• Superior interpersonal skills to engage and motivate authors to achieve their publishing goals.
• Must be resourceful and able to overcome obstacles independently.
• Ability to work cross-functionally across multiple teams.
• 4-year degree required, preferably in Publishing, English, Journalism, or Business Management.
• Thorough knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Book trade book or magazine publishing experience is a plus.
• Preferred experience with workflow management software, specifically monday.com and Salesforce.
• Familiarity with ProofHQ and InCopy is a plus.
• Traditional and Print-on-Demand printing knowledge is a plus.
• High level of competency with Google Apps for Business (Mail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides) and Microsoft Word, Excel.

Work Environment

• This job operates in a professional office environment. This role regularly uses a laptop as well as online cloud-based file management systems (such as Dropbox, Google Drive, etc) and participates in online video-based (Zoom, Google Meet) calls. This role may, on occasion, need to use standard office equipment such as phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.

Physical Demands

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodations.
• The employee is regularly required to sit, stand, use hands and fingers to operate a computer, keyboard, and telephone. Near visual acuity is required in order to work with computers. 
• May occasionally require the employee to stoop, kneel, or crouch.  Team Member should be able to sit for an extended period of time.
• Team Member may be occasionally required to perform light to moderate lifting of office supplies, up to 20 pounds.

Advantage|ForbesBooks is an entrepreneurial, high-growth company with opportunities for advancement and lots of upward mobility. Professional development programs offered. We offer great Vacation/PTO benefits, a great Medical/Dental/Vision program, 401(k) with company contribution, and other nice perks. Advantage has a solid reputation for being a great place to work and we highly value the commitment and contribution of those on our team.  

This position is ideally located in our Charleston, South Carolina office. Team Members are eligible for health, dental and vision benefits the first day of the month after thirty (30) days of employment. Eligibility for all other benefits is at ninety (90) days of employment. 

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