Job Description
Job Title /Development Editor
Date of Job Description /July 2007
Department /Medical Book Content Management
Division / Content ManagementManager’s Title / Production Manager/Assistant Production Manager
No. of Direct Reports / 0
No. of Indirect Reports / 0
Key Job Purpose (max of 2 sentences)
To develop and produce books from contract signature to publication to ensure that they are appropriate for the market and are produced within budget and on schedule
Key Objectives / TasksCost and schedule control
· To create a schedule for manuscript delivery and production that is realistic and appropriate and helps us to deliver our budget
· With authors, editors and contributors agree milestones when necessary to ensure manuscript delivery is kept to schedule
· To anticipate deviations from the schedule, keep colleagues informed, and take action to prevent or compensate for delays without compromising schedule or budget
· To maintain regular contact with authors, editors, contributors and freelance suppliers to monitor schedules and ensure timely delivery of material to correct specification
· To ensure Handover and Final estimates are produced promptly and accurately
· To work with authors to ensure their books can be produced quickly and cost-effectively
· To charge costs in accordance with the author contract, and to maximise profitability
· To monitor costs (including checking and coding supplier invoices), to anticipate deviations from budget, and to take action as appropriate after consultation with colleagues
· To liaise with Production Controller about the manufacturing and delivery of titles
· To ensure where possible that books publish within 1 month of their budgetted publication date
Manuscript development
· To ensure that all activities take account of briefing from Commissioning Editors and to involve Commissioning Editors as appropriate
· To brief authors, editors and contributors fully and to ensure they understand their responsibilities and our requirements
· To create contributor contracts and send to contributors with contributor packs or to prepare material for a publishing assistant to perform this task
· To check manuscripts for content and style, for completeness, and for compliance with contract and specifications (inc overall extent) and manage any deviations
· Where necessary to organize review of sample chapters and complete manuscripts at appropriate points in development process and give feedback to authors
· To contribute to marketing planning, to forward leads to medical sales, and to provide information as required for sales conferences
Production
· To prepare and allocate manuscripts to freelance project managers to ensure books can be produced as cost-effectively as possible and to brief them on standards, costs and schedules
· To be responsible for quality control by checking copyediting (for FSS titles), page proofs and printing files and liaising with project managers to ensure work is carried out to appropriate quality and to give feedback where necessary
· To choose an appropriate text design and/or commission a new design
· To commission sample artwork, specimen pages, covers and indexes as necessary
Systems and processes
· To ensure that all appropriate permissions and consents are obtained by authors, and to comply with copyright and permission requirements. To ensure permission logs are completed by publishing assistants
· To keep accurate records on BPS (and any other company systems, including supplying approved covers for the Content Store)
· To collaborate with marketing and commissioning editors on book cover designs and content in BPS
· To identify books and publication dates for inclusion in frontlist budget
· To organise ‘handover’ and ‘launch’ meetings with editorial and marketing
· To archive proofs, artwork and correspondence promptly, in accordance with departmental procedures
· To source and approve e-deliverables, e.g. web/e-book PDFs and o-book PDFs
Behavioural
· Problem-solving – identify problems early, research the cause, consider possible solutions and make a decision so that projects come in on time and on budget, or working practices are improved
· Information–sharing – share relevant information with all stakeholders
· Process improvement; innovation and creativity – take a continuous-improvement attitude to work; be willing to participate in groups to identify problems and solutions and implement changes; spontaneously suggest new ideas and participate in their evaluation
Key Decision Making Responsibilities (e.g. recruitment, budgets)• Setting and agreeing with authors a writing schedule
• Setting and agreeing with CEs the budgeted publication dates for annual frontlist budget
• Deciding on the most cost-effective way of producing titles through choice of supplier
• Charging costs appropriately to maximise profitability
Health & Safety
Comply with, and make positive contribution to, all company policy, rules and procedures for Health & Safety and current H&S legislation and best practice.
Ensure that all colleagues within own area of responsibility know, understand and comply with all company policy, rules and procedures for
Health & Safety and current H&S legislation and best practice.
SOXA
Know and understand the controls and processes in own area.
Identify any changes during the year, which might affect existing controls or require new controls. Ensure that documentation is updated accordingly.
Ensure that any control owners who report to you are aware of their responsibility as control owners to carry out controls and retain documented evidence.
Notify senior management as soon as possible if controls are not being performed timely.
As requested by the Company, perform an annual assessment (test) of controls based upon management's guidance and retain all supporting documents evidencing it.
Ensure that own team are aware of all the processes and controls in my area and their relevance both to them and to the business.
Assist as required in the annual audit process with KPMG.
Notify senior management if any misconduct is noted.
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