Production Editor

Company Overview

Simon & Schuster is recognized as one of America's Top Mid-Size Employers by Forbes in 2022. A leader in general interest publishing worldwide, the company offers a wide range of fiction and nonfiction titles for readers of every age across printed, digital, and audio formats. Its prestigious author roster features some of the most acclaimed and award-winning writers globally. The company encompasses numerous distinguished imprints such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Audio among others, with operations in Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and serves readers in over 200 countries and territories.

Role Overview

The Production Editor is responsible for managing various titles—original works, format conversions, and reprints—through all stages of production, from manuscript receipt to the final bound book. This role collaborates closely with internal teams including Production, Managing Editorial, Editorial, Design, and Ebook Development to ensure accurate and timely production of titles. The Gallery group’s books include various genres such as fiction, pop culture, lifestyle, and contemporary politics, representing diverse perspectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the complete text-production lifecycle for approximately 18 to 24 new titles annually, which involves copyediting, proofreading, collating, and routing pages through all stages from first pass to final.
• Hire and manage freelance copyeditors, proofreaders, and indexers, ensuring compliance with house style guidelines and production timelines.
• Maintain and update style sheets applying CMS 18 and Merriam-Webster standards; address and resolve editorial queries with editors and authors.
• Coordinate with design and desktop publishing teams to ensure high-quality typesetting, addressing issues like widows, orphans, ladders, hyphenation, tables, figures, and callouts.
• Monitor project milestones using the title management system; identify potential risks, negotiate delivery timelines, and synchronize schedules across departments.
• Implement and verify page and cover corrections within PDFs; conduct thorough quality control on final print-ready files.
• Prepare and manage indexes, front and back matter, and reprint or correction cycles; document all author alterations and maintain accurate records.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of three years’ experience in book production, copyediting, or a closely related publishing role—or one to two years combined with a strong internship experience.
• Exceptional grammar, punctuation, and stylistic expertise with the ability to communicate editorial changes clearly and diplomatically.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word Track Changes, Adobe Acrobat for PDF markup, and project management tools such as Firebrand and Workfront.
• Highly organized, calm under pressure, solution-driven, with meticulous attention to detail and a collaborative approach to teamwork.
• Competency with Mac systems.

Additional Information

Simon & Schuster US strongly supports equal opportunity employment, embracing diversity and inclusion across all employee-related practices including hiring, benefits, and workplace policies. All new hires will be employees of Simon & Schuster, LLC, eligible for company benefits and subject to organizational policies.

The salary range applicable covers locations such as New York City, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other areas, with actual starting pay dependent on job-specific factors including geography, experience, training, and education. Benefits include medical, dental, vision coverage, a 401(k) plan, life and disability insurance, tuition assistance, paid time off, and participation in the company’s profit-sharing program.