Executive Children's Editor, Ten Speed Press (Remote)

Executive Children’s Editor, Ten Speed Press (Remote)

Ten Speed Press’s newly established children’s imprint is seeking an Executive Editor with a proven record for publishing successful, high-quality illustrated children’s titles and strong relationships with agents and authors. The Executive Editor will collaborate with our design, production, marketing, and publicity teams, bringing our titles to market quickly and brilliantly.

Ten Speed Press is an imprint of Crown, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC, the world's largest general trade book publisher. Based in Emeryville, California, Ten Speed produces high-quality, beautifully illustrated books in the areas of food and drink, popular culture, wellness, graphic novels, art instruction and design, photography, gardening, home interiors, gift, lifestyle advice, career development, and writing. The new children’s imprint (name to be announced) will publish both fiction and nonfiction titles for Children.

The Executive Editor will play an essential role in the expansion of Ten Speed’s children’s imprint, acquiring and editing 10 to 12 books a year and partnering closely with the Editorial Director of the imprint to shape the development of the program and achieve the growth targets set forth in its business plan.

The ideal candidate will be day one ready to acquire and champion children’s non-fiction illustrated titles with an established acquisitions record, impeccable editorial skills, and excellent written and verbal communication skills. They will be self-motivated and independent but also contribute actively with a highly collaborative team.

Please apply using our ATS system by July 8, 2024, and include your agent contacts/acquisitions list, resume, and cover letter for consideration. Before applying for any role at Penguin Random House we recommend you review our applicant resources page and look over our open to remote guidelines on our FAQs page.

The Role:

• Generate new book ideas based on talent, market trends, and opportunity; prospect and develop new authors and collaborators
• Evaluate book proposals and research the efficacy, opportunity, distinctiveness, and risk of potential acquisitions, including running p&ls, pulling competitive titles, and creating title sheets
• Develop and nurture relationships with agents, including contract negotiations 
• Engage and partner with authors to fully realize their vision, from acquisition to the final stages of production and publication, representing the imprint’s priorities and vision throughout the process
• Communicate complex production schedules, working with various stakeholders to problem solve in creative ways
• Collaborate with designers, art directors, and production teams, as well as with sales, publicity, and marketing teams, to publish and position books as efficiently and effectively as possible
• Work closely with the Editorial Director to track acquisition targets for the kids group, coordinate the proposal review process, guide acquisition decisions and negotiations, and evaluate category and format performance data
• Work with both the Editorial Director and Editor-in-Chief of Ten Speed to manage staff workload and workflow, conduct performance reviews, and train new editors

The Essentials:

• Minimum 10 years of publishing experience, including managerial experience
• Deep experience editing and producing children’s titles