Beacon Press

Beacon Press, a 170-year-old independent nonprofit book publisher in Boston that specializes in progressive nonfiction, is hiring a full-time editorial assistant. 

The editorial assistant position includes a mix of editorial and administrative responsibilities while assisting the associate editorial director. It is an excellent way to learn as an editor and gain further publishing knowledge and simultaneously do good in the world. Responsibilities can shift or increase in one direction as the assistant learns more and develops specific publishing interests.  

In addition to administrative tasks, this position may also include opportunities to acquire, edit, and shepherd through academic crossover and/or trade books in both adult and YA publishing. Prior experience as an editorial assistant is preferred. This role requires being politically engaged, intellectually curious, and attuned to what makes a powerful reading experience. It requires excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently toward the collaborative and common goals of the lists, the editorial department, and the Press. It entails keeping up on trends within publishing, and requires excellent time-management and organizational skills, and the ability to manage detail-oriented projects with overlapping deadlines. 

This is a hybrid position, with some day(s) each week required in our Boston office.  

Salary:  Commensurate with experience.  

Primary responsibilities: 

• Provide editorial support to associate editorial director. This includes reading submissions, writing readers reports, drafting editorial and marketing memos for internal use; drafting online and flap copy for external use; researching book ideas and authors 
• Provide administrative support, including processing author payments; handling permissions; mailing books; updating editorial meeting minutes; tracking deadlines; preparing manuscripts for production. 
• Coordinate with publicity, marketing, production and design departments to meet in-house deadlines and keep books on schedule. 
• Know and understand the books the editor is working on; contribute informed ideas about them. 
• Potential to acquire1-2 strong crossover and/or trade books a year.   
• Develop contacts, keep abreast of trends, and attend events.  
• Actively participate in weekly editorial meetings, editorial retreats, staff and marketing/publicity meetings.  
• Assist or independently shepherd books from the proposal stage to final book, including:   
• Track permissions, as needed. Prepare manuscripts for transmittal to production department.  
• Work with authors and in-house colleagues on titles and subtitles and draft title information sheets.   
• Launch titles inhouse and as needed with Beacon’s distributor, Penguin Random House.  
• Draft and circ design memo.  
• Draft all copy--online copy, flap copy, back panel copy.  
• Solicit blurbs.  
• Collaborate with publicity and marketing on developing publication strategy.  
• Send out complimentary copies of printed book to endorsers and influencers.  
• Submit books for awards.  
• Maintain files and contact with backlist authors.  
• Take on other departmental tasks as needed.