What’s an acquisitions editor?

My dad has always had only a vague idea of what I do for a living. I recall early in my a career his asking, “Do you mean mergers and acquisitions?” Now that Laura has moved on, we’re down an acquisitions editor. Down a what, you ask?
The acquisitions editor does acquire, occasionally merges, and is always looking to make deals, though no investment bankers are involved. The job title is specific to book publishing. An analogous title from other industries would be product manager.

We look to our acquisitions editors to scan the field, spot trends, and meet leaders (established, emerging, and— my personal favorite — the undiscovered). What about editing? Yes, they do a bit of that too. Key skill areas are creativity, problem-solving (including recognizing problems to be solved), and judgment. A former boss used to ask routinely in response to a book idea, “What’s the problem? . . . How does the book solve the problem?” The best editors know what people want before they know they want it. The time frame of a book publishing demands such foresight. The time from conception to published book typically is 18 months, often longer.

Tasks include: recruiting prospective authors, reviewing proposals, presenting proposals to colleagues, giving direction to authors on draft chapters, reviewing final manuscripts, giving direction to colleagues on editorial and design needs of the manuscript, positioning the book for marketing staff, batting around ideas with ALA colleagues and librarians in the field, keeping current.

Lots of variety in the job, which appeals to the generalist. The best editors are creative and analytical; personable, yet willing to toil silently with a manuscript for hours at a time. It’s a fun job. Editors especially enjoy working with the authors. In the course of the project, friendships are often formed, and loyalty runs two ways.