Senior or Executive Editor, Original Publishing

About Our Company

VIZ Media has been bringing the finest in manga, anime, and global entertainment to English-speaking fans across the world for nearly 40 years. From classic series like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Naruto to current hits like My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Chainsaw Man, we continue to offer the best in action, romance, fantasy, and adventure stories for fans of all ages.

Our critically acclaimed manga, graphic novels, and books have won Eisner, YALSA, and Hugo awards and are available in both print and digital editions, and our premier catalog of anime titles can be seen on TV and via streaming and digital download, as well as in collectible Blu-ray and DVD sets at major retailers.

Learn more about VIZ Media, anime, and manga at  www.viz.com .

Job Summary

VIZ Media, the world leader in English-language versions of manga and anime, is looking for a Senior or Executive Editor to join our Original Publishing team. The Senior Editor/Executive Editor, Original Publishing will commission and acquire commercially appealing books with an emphasis on Asian pop culture and entertainment. Titles may span a wide variety of formats and subjects, including illustrated books, novelty formats, cooking, general interest non-fiction, and more. Reporting to the Publishing Director, the Senior/Executive Editor will develop the trade list for the VIZ Media imprint, acquiring and editing approximately 10-15 original books per year. A significant amount of creative ideation and commissioning will be required. 

This role works closely with authors and agents, along with members of the editorial, design, production and marketing departments. Experience sourcing and collating images for illustrated/photographic books will be highly regarded. The final title for this position will be determined based on the candidate’s level of experience.

What you’ll do:

Manage new publishing projects from ideation to completion

Identify opportunities and commission authors and other creatives

Evaluate book proposals and build the commercial case for their acquisition

Undertake developmental and line edits, along with reviewing and collaborating on illustrated layouts

Negotiate and manage relationships with agents and authors

Engage with authors/agents throughout the acquisition and production process and ensure all relevant approvals and contracts are in place

Report on trends and audiences and highlight potential new areas for growth

Establish and manage production schedules

Collaborate with freelancers, copydesk, designers, art directors, and production

Prepare sales and marketing materials as required

The ideal candidate has:

8+ years of relevant publishing industry experience, including significant senior editorial experience with both prose and complex, full-color books

Direct experience managing multiple concurrent projects from acquisition to completion

A strong record of delivering projects to deadline with minimal supervision–effective organization and prioritization skills are a must

Extensive experience managing freelance creative teams (including designers, photographers, and writers)

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to successfully manage internal relationships

Ability to problem solve creatively with strong critical thinking skills and deep attention to detail

Demonstrated initiative with the ability to multitask and manage competing priorities

Understanding of and interest in the publishing, entertainment, and pop culture landscape; some knowledge of or interest in anime and manga a plus

Bachelor's Degree in English, Journalism, Creative Writing, Comparative Literature, Communications, or related fields from an accredited college or university, or equivalent experience

Work Environment & Schedule

Location: The Senior/Executive Editor, Original Publishing position is open to candidates residing and working in California, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, or Texas. If local to the San Francisco Bay Area, 1-2 days of work onsite at our downtown San Francisco office is expected weekly. If remote, the Editor should expect to travel to San Francisco 3-4 times per year.

Schedule: This is a Regular Full-Time position (40 hours per week) with core hours of 10 am to 4 pm with flexibility outside of core hours.

Compensation: $95,000 - $115,000 annually, depending on experience, with additional variable compensation

VIZ Media offers the following benefits to its eligible employees:

Partially subsidized Health, Dental, and Vision insurance

401(k) savings plan – including employer matching

Flexible Spending – health and dependent care

Commuter stipend for in-office work

Life Insurance/AD&D/STD/LTD

Legal & ID Theft insurance

Group Pet insurance rates

Paid holidays, vacation, and sick time - plus your birthday is a holiday!

Philanthropy program, including paid time off for volunteer work

Wellness program, including fitness membership discounts and reimbursement

Full time casual dress

Flexible work hours

As part of a multi-media entertainment company, employees may be subjected to work-related content such as: sexually explicit images, nudity, and graphic violence. Applicants should be willing to work with this type of content. 

VIZ Media is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any legally protected status.

Please beware of recent scams to online job seekers. Any email from the VIZ Media recruiting team will come from an @ viz.com  email address (for example,  [email removed] ) or from our recruiting system Greenhouse (for example,  [email removed] ). If the email is not from one of these addresses, it is not from VIZ Media.

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