Production Editor, APA Style and Books

Note: APA operates on a 37.5-hour work week with one-hour lunch breaks each day. APA sets salaries based on several considerations, including years of relevant experience, level of education, and previous staff and/or governance experience at APA.

The Production Editor, APA Style & Books is responsible for the production of APA academic and professional books and APA Style products, including the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, from copyediting through final files for printing and e-book release and/or other digital media. The position requires frequent collaboration with the APA Style team; project management; adherence to production schedules; maintenance of editorial quality and application of APA Style; and tactful negotiations and communications with authors/editors, typesetter, indexer, freelancers, and coworkers within APA Publishing and with other APA offices.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required (English, journalism/communications, psychology, or related field preferred)
• 3-4 years of experience in a publishing environment (book production preferred)
• Expert knowledge of APA Style and applied experience editing APA Style content for users of all levels, preferably with both print and digital media
• Strong written language skills, project management, and knowledge of standard copyediting and proofreading procedures
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to prioritize workload and work accurately and efficiently with a high level of attention to detail

Computer Skills Required:

• Microsoft Office, including Word (intermediate/advanced level of expertise), Excel (basic level of expertise), and Outlook (basic/intermediate level of expertise)
• Firebrand Title Management System or related system (basic level of expertise)
• Adobe Acrobat (basic level of expertise)
• Familiarity with work- or content-management platforms (e.g., Wrike, Confluence, Atlassian/JIRA, Trello, Sprout Social) preferred

Responsibilities:

• Serves as the production lead for the APA Style portfolio, including the online APA Style Manual, digital Mastering APA Style Student Workbook, the Publication Manual print and e-books, and ancillary products.
• Applies production schedule template to each book project, schedules own work to align with overall schedule, and determines priority of workload to meet the publication release date; monitors schedules and modifies them as needed; resolves routine scheduling issues with vendors, freelancers, and authors/editors; communicates to all stakeholders any delays affecting the publication release date.
• Edits and revises APA Style products and resources so they meet the highest standards of editorial quality and reliability expected by the diverse and multidisciplinary APA Style audience.
• Collaborates with the APA Style editorial team on book reprints and updates APA Style manual files with reprint and EPUB corrections.
• Works within a department-determined tier system to apply different levels of attention to each academic and professional book project in line with department needs.
• Prepares manuscript files for typesetting, including inventory of all manuscript elements, checking table/figure credit lines and reprint permissions, and makes decisions about minor layout and coding/spec
• Proofreads and evaluates edits submitted by authors/editors to determine whether changes should be made (to comply with APA Style, correct grammar, or minimize disruption to layout or text flow) and recommends other changes/edits as
• Navigates sensitive issues arising from the publication process. The success of APA's relationship with this high-profile constituency requires timely, accurate, sensitive, and thoughtful communication consistent with APA policy and procedures.
• Reviews and approves invoices for copyediting, composition, printing, and electronic deliverables, reconciling any discrepancies.
• Edits content across the APA Style portfolio to bring products and other resources into compliance with new editions of the Publication Manual.
• Responsible for solving problems arising in the publication process, including with print vendors, discrepancies between policy and practice, and working with appropriate members of other
• Updates all applicable project data in Firebrand title management database; demonstrates proficiency in using the database for all production tasks.
• Collaborates with the APA Style and web teams to generate, edit, or organize content for the APA Style website, blog, and social media.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

About APA:

The American Psychological Association (APA) represents 146,000 psychologists, students, and affiliates, primarily in the U.S. and Canada but also in other countries around the world. APA is a scientific and professional organization with about 500 employees and is categorized as a 501(c)(3) along with its 501(c)(6) companion organization, APA Services, Inc.

Job Location: Remote: APA jobs may be considered for remote work eligibility as defined in APA's Flexible Work Policy and are subject to approval. Remote work employees may not work from the following states or U.S. territories: Alaska, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wyoming.

Application Instructions:

Qualified candidates must apply online through APA's applicant system and attach a resume and cover letter specifying your salary expectations. Applications that are submitted without both documents are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed for consideration. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. Please make sure to check your Spam folder if you do not receive an email from us.

The American Psychological Association is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected categories covered under local law.