Description
Senior Acquisitions Editor
Help Shape the Future of Commercial Fiction
Location: Open to candidates located anywhere in the United States. This is a remote-first position, with the option of a hybrid work arrangement for candidates based in the New York City area.
Salary Range: $90,000-$120,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.
Keeperton is a rapidly growing independent publishing house with a strong track record in romance publishing with an exciting planned expansion into crime, thriller, and suspense.
We are looking for an experienced, commercially minded Senior Acquisitions Editor to help shape the future of our publishing program. This is an opportunity to play a significant role in identifying breakout talent, building bestselling publishing lists, and helping drive the next stage of our growth both within the United States and internationally.
As a senior member of our publishing team, you will contribute to acquisition strategy, author and agent relationships, market analysis, and long-term publishing direction. You will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the books we publish, the authors we champion, and the future growth of our company.
Key Responsibilities
Source and acquire commercially viable fiction projects across crime, thriller, suspense, romance, and related genres
Negotiate acquisition terms and support contract discussions
Assess manuscript submissions, proposals, and pitches with a strong understanding of market demand
Build and maintain strong relationships with authors, literary agents, and publishing professionals
Monitor industry trends, reader behaviour, and emerging opportunities
Contribute to acquisition strategy and long-term list development
Oversee projects from proposal to publication by working closely with editorial, marketing, publicity, design, sales, and production teams
Provide market positioning and audience recommendations for acquired titles
Maintain acquisition pipelines, title financial analysis, reporting, and publishing schedules that align with company strategy
What We're Looking For
You are an experienced publishing professional who understands both the creative and commercial aspects of successful fiction publishing and bring:
Significant experience (more than 5 years) in publishing acquisitions, editorial, agenting, or a related publishing role
Strong knowledge of the commercial fiction marketplace
Proven ability to identify and evaluate books with strong sales potential
Excellent manuscript assessment skills and editorial judgment
Strong negotiation and relationship-building abilities
Deep understanding of reader trends, digital publishing, and online book communities
Exceptional communication and organizational skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial publishing environment
Comfortable with financial analysis at the title level (advances, P&L, margin targets)
An eye for attention-grabbing packaging
Excellent copywriting skills
A collaborative approach and willingness to contribute across teams
Bonus Points
Existing relationships with agents and authors
Experience acquiring and publishing bestselling commercial fiction, including audio format
Knowledge of international publishing and rights opportunities
Experience leveraging BookTok, Amazon, and reader analytics to identify trends
Passion for developing long-term author brands and careers
Why Join Keeperton?
This is an opportunity to make a genuine impact at a publisher that is growing quickly and investing heavily in its future.
You'll have the chance to:
Help shape the direction of a rapidly expanding independent publisher
Influence acquisition strategy and publishing decisions at a senior level
Work with talented authors and commercially successful fiction
Build new publishing programs and genre lists from the ground up
Join a collaborative, ambitious team with significant growth opportunities
Benefits:
Generous paid time off, including 20 vacation days, 10 sick/carer days, and 14 paid holidays each year
A company culture that generally supports a four-day work week, workload and business needs permitting
401(k) retirement savings plan
If you're passionate about commercial fiction, love discovering exceptional stories, and want to help build something exciting, we'd love to hear from you. Please email your cover letter and resume to [email protected] with “Senior Acquisitions Editor” included in the subject line.
