Description

Senior Acquisitions Editor – Trade Publishing (Faith-Based / Young Earth Creation Worldview)

Reports To: Publisher / EVP of Trade Publishing

Role Scope

Senior leadership role with list-level revenue responsibility, author portfolio ownership, and strategic input into long-range growth.

 
Position Summary

The Senior Acquisitions Editor is responsible for building and scaling a profitable, mission-aligned trade publishing list that advances the company’s faith-based worldview while materially contributing to the organization’s five-year revenue growth objectives. This role owns the frontlist acquisition strategy, develops high-capacity authors and brands, and ensures each acquired title has a clear market position, platform pathway, and financial rationale.

This position is both editorial and commercial: success is measured by list performance, author durability, and contribution to long-term enterprise value, not volume alone.

Requirements

Core Responsibilities

Strategic List Building (5-Year Horizon)

Design and execute a multi-year trade acquisitions strategy aligned with company revenue targets and brand positioning
Build a repeatable pipeline of worldview-driven authors, series, and franchises that scale beyond single-title performance
Balance the list across:
Lead titles (high-impact, high-visibility)
Midlist growth titles
Evergreen / backlist-building projects
Specialty Bible projects
Identify gaps in the current catalog and acquire titles that expand audience reach, age segmentation, and channel penetration
Title Acquisition & Financial Accountability

Proactively source, evaluate, and acquire trade nonfiction (and fiction readers) that:
Clearly articulate a biblical or faith-based worldview
Address cultural, educational, or spiritual issues relevant to the current market
Demonstrate measurable sales potential
Lead acquisition presentations with:
Market and competitive analysis
Comparable title performance
Multi-channel sales assumptions (trade, DTC, bulk, curriculum, events)
P&L and margin expectations
Negotiate contracts (advances, royalties, delivery) in coordination with leadership
Own list-level performance against annual and multi-year financial goals
Author & Platform Development

Recruit, develop, and retain high-capacity authors with long-term publishing potential
Guide authors in refining message clarity, scope & audience definition to maximize reach
Partner with authors to strengthen platform alignment (speaking, ministries, schools, churches, media, curriculum)
Establish the company as the publisher of record for trusted Christian worldview voices
Editorial Leadership & Quality Control

Provide senior-level editorial direction from proposal through manuscript development
Ensure theological, ideological, and worldview alignment while maintaining editorial excellence
Set editorial standards that support both credibility and accessibility for broad audiences
Collaborate with managing editorial and production to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery
Cross-Functional Growth Alignment

Work closely with marketing, sales, and product teams to:
Shape title positioning and messaging
Inform seasonal planning and sales forecasting
Identify opportunities for bundles, special sales, and derivative products
Support expansion into multiple channels (homeschool, church, events, curriculum)
Contribute to brand-level initiatives that elevate market authority and trust
Leadership 

Contribute to acquisition policy, workflow improvements, and decision frameworks
Provide informed input to executive leadership on market shifts, risks, and opportunities
Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree (English, Theology, Christian Ed, Communications, or related field)
7–10+ years of experience in trade publishing acquisitions
Proven track record of building profitable, mission-aligned lists
Deep understanding of faith-based / worldview publishing markets
Strong contract literacy and deal-negotiation experience
Ability to evaluate content through both theological and commercial lenses
 
Preferred Qualifications

Existing relationships with faith-based authors, agents, ministries, and organizations
Experience scaling authors into multi-book brands or series
Familiarity with direct-to-consumer and special sales models
Experience working in organizations pursuing intentional growth 
 
Key Competencies

Worldview discernment and theological clarity
Commercial judgment and revenue orientation
Strategic thinking across multiple years
Author leadership and influence
Decisive editorial judgment
Collaborative executive mindset
 
 

Success Metrics (Ownership-Level)

Contribution to five-year revenue growth targets
Average profitability per title and per author
Number of repeat authors and multi-book agreements
Growth of backlist and evergreen revenue
Timely delivery and execution consistency
Why This Role Matters

This position is critical to transforming the trade department from title-driven publishing to author- and brand-driven growth, that not only reflects the company’s faith commitments and desire to impact Kingdom growth, but also fuels financial expansion over the next five years.