Careers at High Line
Senior Editor, Antidote Books
The Role
Position Details
- Title
- Senior Editor, ANTIDOTE BOOKS
- Location
- Remote
- Duration
- Full Time, Permanent
- Reports to
- Head of Imprint, ANTIDOTE BOOKS
- Start Date
- Flexible; we are willing to wait for the right candidate
Exceptional candidates interested in a three-, four-, or five-day work week will also be considered.
Overview
Job Summary
High Line Publishing Studio is seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial, and well-connected Senior Editor to build the US publishing program for ANTIDOTE BOOKS, a new global imprint focused on ambitious, idea-driven nonfiction on politics, culture, science, technology, AI, ethics, identity, democracy, and the contested center of public debate.
Reporting to ANTIDOTE’s London-based Head of Imprint, the Senior Editor will have substantial autonomy to identify, acquire, negotiate, edit, and champion books for the US market – working with distinctive authors and ideas with the potential for real cultural and commercial impact across books, audio, events, and media.
Applications
How to Apply
Please send the following materials directly to Oliver Malcolm, CEO, at oliver.malcolm@highlinepublishing.com
- Resume / CV
- A list of five to ten titles you have acquired, edited, or published that best represent your work, with a brief explanation of why each title matters to you
- A brief paragraph describing a book or author you believe ANTIDOTE should publish and why
Applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Oliver Malcolm expects to be in New York toward the end of October and will be available to meet with selected candidates.
High Line Publishing Studio is committed to building a team that reflects a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and ideas. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.
Role Specification
Full Details
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Build and manage ANTIDOTE’s US acquisitions pipeline across politics, current affairs, culture, science, technology, AI, psychology, and ethics
- Evaluate proposals and manuscripts, and make recommendations on acquisition, positioning, and publication
- Negotiate deal terms and contracts within agreed parameters
- Edit acquired manuscripts closely, partnering with authors from proposal through publication
- Collaborate with Senior VP on publishing strategy and positioning for individual titles
- Collaborate with marketing, publicity, and sales to maximize each title’s commercial and cultural reach
- Contribute to acquisitions decisions on advances, budgets, sales projections, and P&L
- Build and maintain relationships with agents, authors, booksellers, and media; represent ANTIDOTE at industry events
- Work with the Head of Imprint and London team to keep the global list cohesive
- Help grow and develop the US editorial team as the list expands
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required
- Significant senior-level experience acquiring and editing trade nonfiction, with a track record of successful titles
- Established relationships with literary agents and nonfiction authors
- Excellent editorial judgment and a strong sense of what makes nonfiction distinctive and commercially successful
- Strong understanding of the US publishing, media, and cultural landscape
- Strong negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills
- Comfortable making independent editorial and business calls while collaborating with an international team
- Commercial fluency (advances, royalties, margins, P&L) and the ability to juggle multiple projects under deadline
- Intellectual curiosity and willingness to champion arguments or perspectives beyond one’s own
- Entrepreneurial spirit, professionalism, and discretion
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience as a senior or commissioning editor at a major trade house, ideally in politics, culture, science, technology, AI, psychology, or ethics
- Experience building or significantly expanding an editorial list, or launching a new imprint
- A strong professional profile within publishing, media, or the broader cultural conversation
What We Offer
- Significant editorial autonomy in building ANTIDOTE’s US program, backed by close collaboration with an experienced London team
- The chance to help launch a new international nonfiction imprint and publish influential authors and consequential ideas
- A senior role at an ambitious, well-funded publishing start-up
- Competitive, experience-based compensation plus performance bonus
- A flexible remote working environment