What does an acquisitions editor do?
As the name entails, acquisitions editors acquire manuscripts for use by the publishing house. Your day-to-day duties typically include analyzing the current market, trends, and customer interests, deciding which manuscripts to move forward with, and developing profitable content for publishers. In addition, you will be responsible for reviewing unsolicited manuscripts from authors, and building and maintaining strong relationships with authors and their agents. You will also be responsible for preparing proposals for the board.
Acquisitions editor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real acquisitions editor resumes:
- Manage content using CMS tools and ongoing social media campaign and reader engagement via social media networks and blog.
- Develop content for website design and social networking including Facebook, twitter, blogging and more.
- Edit and format fiction and non-fiction for eventual publication.
- Edit and proofread article submissions.
- Edit and do layout for fiction and nonfiction books.
- Edit and proofread text, layout, and design.
- Input SEO data and other metadata; write headlines and photo captions.
- Establish consistent SEO practices and introduce the latest digital technology and social media.
- Expand brand's social media presence with the creation of a Facebook fan page.
- Assume editor-in-chief responsibilities when editor-in-chief move to new position.
- Work closely with the editor-in-chief on this quarterly spin-off of Travel+Leisure magazine.
- Copyedit manuscripts and scan and edit author-submitted historic photographs using Photoshop for use in Arcadia's publications.
- Leverage meticulous attention to detail in technical editing and proofreading all content from project inception to completion.
- Analyze FrameMaker source document and provide feedback to XML architects to improve accuracy of conversion.
Acquisitions editor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Acquisitions Editors are proficient in Project Management, Market Trends, and Market Research. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Detail oriented, and Good judgment.
We break down the percentage of Acquisitions Editors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 20%
Acquired, developed, and oversaw project management of over 75 book titles.
- Market Trends, 17%
Analyzed market trends/gaps and devised products to fill those needs in collaboration with sales and marketing teams.
- Market Research, 15%
Conducted contemporary and speculative market research combining in-house and significant travel data.
- Product Development, 10%
Assessed feasibility of new products and markets in collaboration with Product Development team.
- Fiction, 8%
Edited and formatted fiction and non-fiction for eventual publication.
- Book Projects, 3%
Researched potential academic book projects in mathematics and physics.
Common skills that an acquisitions editor uses to do their job include "project management," "market trends," and "market research." You can find details on the most important acquisitions editor responsibilities below.
Creativity. The most essential soft skill for an acquisitions editor to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "editors must be imaginative, curious, and knowledgeable in a broad range of topics." Additionally, an acquisitions editor resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "edited several digital products including math180 and scholastic math inventory, a software assessment program. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling acquisitions editor duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "editors must be meticulous to ensure that material is error free and matches the style of a publication." According to an acquisitions editor resume, here's how acquisitions editors can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "performed life cycle cost estimates of products performed detailed market analysis of competing titles for development of chemistry book lists. "
Good judgment. This is an important skill for acquisitions editors to perform their duties. For an example of how acquisitions editor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "editors decide whether certain stories are ethical and whether there is enough evidence to publish them." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an acquisitions editor: "performed a secondary review for all disputed editorial decisions on client's behalf and made the final judgment on submission compliance. ".
Interpersonal skills. A big part of what acquisitions editors do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to acquisitions editor responsibilities because "in working with writers, editors must have tact and the ability to guide and encourage them in their work." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical acquisitions editor tasks: "coordinated interpersonal relations between editorial staff, artists, writers and judges. "
Writing skills. Another common skill required for acquisitions editor responsibilities is "writing skills." This skill comes up in the duties of acquisitions editors all the time, as "editors ensure that all written content has correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax." An excerpt from a real acquisitions editor resume shows how this skill is central to what an acquisitions editor does: "ghost writing consultant nov. 2011 - oct. 2013"
The three companies that hire the most acquisitions editors are:
- RELX50 acquisitions editors jobs
- Oxford University Press
16 acquisitions editors jobs
- SAGE Publishing4 acquisitions editors jobs
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Compare different acquisitions editors
Acquisitions editor vs. Content writer
The job of content writers is to create the best possible written or visual content ranging from blog posts to press releases. They produce the content for various types of websites, including social networks, news aggregators, and e-commerce sites. The job of content writers is not limited to writing, but also ensuring that the content connects or is relevant to the website pages. They are expected to set the tone of the website and revise the content upon customers' or clients' requests. They are also responsible for assisting in the creation of style guides.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between acquisitions editors and content writer. For instance, acquisitions editor responsibilities require skills such as "project management," "market trends," "product development," and "product management." Whereas a content writer is skilled in "digital marketing," "wordpress," "web content," and "blog posts." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Content writers earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $97,968. On the other hand, acquisitions editors are paid more in the non profits industry with an average salary of $80,331.The education levels that content writers earn slightly differ from acquisitions editors. In particular, content writers are 3.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an acquisitions editor. Additionally, they're 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Acquisitions editor vs. Staff writer
A staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, acquisitions editor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "project management," "market trends," "market research," and "product development." Meanwhile, a staff writer has duties that require skills in areas such as "feature stories," "news stories," "event coverage," and "news articles." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, staff writers earn a lower salary than acquisitions editors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, staff writers earn the most pay in the non profits industry with an average salary of $54,426. Whereas acquisitions editors have higher pay in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $80,331.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Staff writers tend to reach lower levels of education than acquisitions editors. In fact, they're 9.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Acquisitions editor vs. Grant writer
Often working for a non-profit organization, a grant writer specializes in writing application letters for financial grants to foundations, government agencies, and companies. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining records of data and documentation, finding grant opportunities, participating in devising strategies that benefit the company's growth, crafting correspondence, gathering requirements, and submitting and monitoring grant proposals. Furthermore, a grant writer must have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the organization they work for, including its history, vision, mission, policies, and regulations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an acquisitions editor is likely to be skilled in "market trends," "market research," "product development," and "fiction," while a typical grant writer is skilled in "grants management," "financial reports," "proposal development," and "pi."
Grant writers earn the highest salary when working in the government industry, where they receive an average salary of $53,843. Comparatively, acquisitions editors have the highest earning potential in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $80,331.grant writers typically earn higher educational levels compared to acquisitions editors. Specifically, they're 6.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Acquisitions editor vs. Proposal writer
Proposal Writers help clients win contracts, grants from the government, or even permission to perform a consulting service. They must ensure that all important information is included in the paperwork and documents.
Types of acquisitions editor
Updated January 8, 2025
