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Senior Editor or Director
Lawrence Hill Books, an imprint of Chicago Review Press

FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to: Publisher
Employment Status: Full-time

Overview

The Senior Editor or Director for Lawrence Hill Books will lead the imprint to new prominence and acquire books on topics of interest to African Americans, civil and human rights, social justice, and titles that center the Black experience.

Lawrence Hill Books, was founded in Brooklyn, New York by Lawrence Hill in 1973 and was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1993. Lawrence Hill Books bestselling titles include, Assata: An Autobiography, The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther, and Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, among many others.

The Lawrence Hill Books Senior Editor or Director will be engaged with the audience for Lawrence Hill Books and instrumental in shaping the imprint. They will work with our marketing and publicity teams to open up new avenues of connection with communities of color, and influence how we market and publicize our books

Depending upon their background and interests they might also acquire books for our other imprints including diverse children’s books for Chicago Review Press, books on Indigenous cultures and history for Council Oak Books, and/or women-centered fiction for Amberjack Publishing.

This person will be energetic, filled with new ideas, collaborative, flexible, commercial minded, and have a strong publishing background along with a network of potential authors and agents. They will be interested in current topics and non-traditional ways of reaching readers and finding authors.

Responsibilities and Duties:

  • Seek out and acquire 15-20 new titles annually including author and agent cultivation, proposal development and presentation, contract negotiation, and author/manuscript management postcontract
  • Review manuscripts for acceptance, perform the first line edit or developmental edit, review art and permissions and transmits manuscripts and supporting materials to project editor in a timely manner.
  • Assist in book titling and provide guidance to design team on cover concepts.
  • Review first pages and printer proofs.
  • Assist publicity and marketing as they develop plans for title releases.
  • Act as a liaison between authors (and agents) and Chicago Review Press and IPG employees
  • Work closely with sales, publicity, and marketing to ensure that the books acquired reach their target audience and we expand the Lawrence Hill Books readership.

Qualificiations:

  • BA or BS, preferably in a relevant field—English, African American Studies, History, Sociology or equivalent experience.
  • Firm understanding of the entire process of book acquisition and production, preferably from firsthand experience.
  • Possess ability to identify saleable projects and to shape and line edit a submitted manuscript into a publishable title.
  • Strong interpersonal skills to deal with authors, agents, and coworkers.
  • Maintain a solution-oriented approach when problems arise.
  • Candidate must be able to work remotely temporarily due to COVID-19. This includes a dedicated workspace and access to reliable internet.
  • Physical abilities: Ability to lift 20 pounds. Must be able to sit for long periods of time in an office environment.
  • Travel requirements: While travel is temporarily suspended by the company, this role requires limited travel to trade shows and conventions and to meet with authors and agents when safe to do so (less than 5 percent of time). 

How to Apply
Candidates are asked to submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format to careers@ipgbook.com. No phone calls, please. 

Additional Job Details
BIPOC are encouraged to apply.

About the Company
An independent publisher founded in 1973, Chicago Review Press publishes titles of lasting interest and groundbreaking works that reach beyond the trends. Chicago Review Press has grown into a dynamic midsize publisher with more than 1,000 titles in print. We currently publish about 50 new titles yearly under five imprints: Chicago Review Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Amberjack Publishing, Council Oak Books, and Parenting Press. Chicago Review Press is a division of Independent Publisher’s Group (IPG) and all our books are distributed through IPG.

Established in 1971, Independent Publishers Group (IPG) was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. With consistent growth each year, IPG’s success has come from supporting and encouraging the growth of its client publishers in the United States and worldwide. IPG is the second largest independent distributor of books and ebooks in the world, and one of the top 10 suppliers of book content to Barnes & Noble, Apple, Amazon.com, and Kobo, among thousands of other retailers globally. 

The Sales Associate will work closely with the Director, International Sales to assist and support in achieving the company’s sales goals and growth objectives in markets outside of the U.S. and Canada. The Sales Associate will be the key support contact for IPG’s foreign subdistributors and sales agencies and will work with client publishers and distribution program directors to facilitate sales in international markets. Additional responsibilities include producing and interpreting sales reports for the international team. Success in this position will be achieved through effectively supporting productive relationships with international partners that leads to meeting or exceeding sales goals and demonstrating analytical skills by producing actionable sales reports that provide insightful data analysis to the sales teams.