Production Editor

About the Role

The Production Editor will manage titles—including originals, format conversions, and reissues—through the production process from manuscript to bound book, working closely with Production, Managing Editorial, Editorial, Design, and Ebook Development to ensure titles are produced accurately. Production editors in the Gallery group work on a range of titles across multiple genres—including fiction, pop culture, lifestyle, and contemporary politics—from a wide array of perspectives.

Duties Include

• Manage the full text-production cycle for 18–24 new titles annually (varies by list); copyedit, proof, collate, and route pages through pass stages (1st to Final).
• Engage and manage freelance copyeditors/proofreaders/indexers; ensure adherence to house style guidelines and schedule.
• Maintain style sheets, using CMS 18 and Merriam-Webster standards; resolve queries with editors and authors.
• Collaborate with design and desktop departments on typesetting quality (widows/orphans, ladders, hyphenation, tables, figures, callouts).
• Track milestones in the title management system; proactively flag risk, negotiate timelines, and coordinate scheduling across departments.
• Apply and check page and cover corrections in PDFs; perform rigorous quality checks on final files for print.
• Prepare indexes (copyediting/coding/proofreading via vendor or in-house coordination), front/back matter, and reprint/correction cycles; log AAs and maintain clean records.

Required Skills

• 3+ years in book production, copyediting, or closely related publishing role (or 1–2 years plus strong internship track record).
• Expert command of grammar, punctuation, and style; ability to explain edits clearly and tactfully.
• Fluency with Microsoft Word (Track Changes), Adobe Acrobat (PDF markup), and project trackers (e.g., Firebrand, Workfront).
• Calm, organized, and solution-oriented; meticulous attention to detail under deadline pressure; must know how to work well with others.
• Mac literate.