HCCP is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and highly values diverse backgrounds and insights that fuel our innovation.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s gift divisions (Thomas Nelson & Zondervan) are industry leaders in Christian gift book products publishing meaningful high-design books such as four-color and two-color devotionals, seasonal gift books, traditional gift books, and lifestyle books.  Our successes include gift books and devotionals from top communicators such as Max Lucado, Emily Ley, Sadie Robertson, Lysa TerKeurst, David Jeremiah, and many more.  We are also home to bestselling brands, such as Jesus Calling and Cozy White Cottage. 

Our successful candidates are highly motivated, deeply creative, immersed in Christian and cultural trends and know how to create a bestselling book.  They will also excel in communications at all levels as this position works closely with a variety of internal teams, authors, and agents throughout the acquisitions process.

This key role solicits, acquires, evaluates, and completes the developmental edit for approximately 14-18 new titles annually in the aforementioned publishing areas.  You will be joining a fast-paced team that is excited to grow our imprints into expanding markets.  If you have an affinity for teamwork, collaboration, entrepreneurship, growing relationships, creativity, and inspiring those around you, we’d love to hear from you.

The preference is to fill this position in Nashville, TN but we are also open to qualified candidates that are located outside the Nashville area.

• Solicit, acquire, evaluate, and developmentally edit 14-18 new titles and authors annually—consistent with a multi-faceted publishing strategy and financial goals.
• Concept commercially viable author-driven and proprietary titles, leaning heavily into current sales trends, felt needs, and market analysis.
• Maintain existing author relationships and grow new author, agent, and corporate relationships.
• Leverage market research, social media, retailer insights, and other data to find relevant felt needs, competitive analysis, topics, and authors that can excel in the marketplace.
• Write persuasive proposals and presentations to pitch to internal and external partners selling them on the vision for the project.
• Understanding of a macro level edit and ability to offer feedback and suggestions to the author with the goal of improving the work.
• Translate market channel data and comp sales knowledge into future sales projections.
• Present projects at Ed Board, sales conference and other internal and external meetings
• Help negotiate approved publishing offers to agents and authors.
• Participate in creative development of titles, descriptive copy, metadata to optimize search engine discovery, and covers for books acquired.

Knowledge:

• Expertise in Chicago Manual of Style. A strong grasp of proper English, grammar, and an eagle-eye for errors.  Editing experience, including substantive editing, editorial project management, and speaking into aesthetics and design.  Thorough knowledge of the book editorial process required.  Familiarity with the Bible and Christian doctrine required.
• Be well versed and engaged in social media, including emerging trends and voices in areas like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Meta, and more as it relates to authors to acquire.
• Understanding the Christian publishing industry.
• Familiarity with gift book or four color publishing.

Work Experience: Minimum 3-5 years’ editorial experience or other relevant publishing experience, required.  Acquisitions or agenting experience strongly preferred.  Experience in specialty or 2/4-color publishing preferred.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in English, Writing, Journalism, Publishing, or equivalent degree required.

Industry Knowledge: Working knowledge of the book market, leading authors, and agents, strongly preferred.  General knowledge of the book creation process.

Skills:

• Ability to work collaboratively with authors, vendors, managing and production editors, and marketing in bringing products to a successful launch.
• Highly creative with the ability to concept commercially viable ideas
• Ability to sell and present an idea and vision
• Ability to turn data and research into creative product ideas and market trends
• Excellent editing, and communication skills
• Confronts obstacles with strategic persistence.
• Ability to juggle multiple assignments at any given time and meet deadlines successfully and within budget.
• Decisive, well organized, strategic planner
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced, evolving industry and environment.
• Must be able to travel as needed

Pay transparency wording for the posting: The salary range for this position is $56,000 - $75,000. We recognize that attracting the best talent is key to our strategy and success as a company.  As a result, we aim for flexibility in structuring competitive compensation offers to ensure we are able to attract the best candidates.  The quoted salary range represents our good faith estimate as to what our ideal candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on the selected candidate's experience, industry knowledge, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the interview process.  

In addition to cash compensation, the company provides a comprehensive and highly competitive benefits package, with a variety of physical health, retirement and savings, caregiving, emotional wellbeing, transportation, and other benefits, including "elective" benefits employees may select to best fit the needs and personal situations of our diverse workforce.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employer