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Job Posting: LifeTree Media Seeks Senior Editor to Join Virtual Team

November 7th, 2016

LifeTree Media is seeking a senior editor to join our virtual team on a part-time basis starting January 2017. We are intensely passionate about purpose. That’s why we specialize in non-fiction books that help, heal and inspire. Our company was founded on the principle that every human being has an essential contribution to make to the human race, and that our most significant contributions are intimately tied to our personal satisfaction in life. In other words, we can all make the world a bit of a better place just by being in the right job.

We want everyone in our organization to be totally in love with their job, with our company, and with the books we publish. If you are passionate about working on projects you believe in, you have exceptional writing and editing skills and thrive in a busy role that requires you to work independently and think on your feet, we want to hear from you!

This role requires strong editorial skills and strong people management and organizational skills.

Working conditions and job parameters:
We are a virtual company, so you will be working from home, in communication with team members and clients via video Skype, email and chat. You will need to make creative decisions, evaluate the work of others, offer diplomatic constructive feedback when necessary, and ensure our high standards for creative and technical excellence are met or exceeded. An ability to work independently and stay on-task and highly productive without close supervision is essential.

You will report directly to the publisher, and will work cooperatively with our in-house publishing coordinator, our authors, and our external contributors and suppliers.

This is a part-time position with a minimum of three days per week. Your workweek will expand to five days during busy periods and may expand into a full time role in 2017.

This role suits you if you:
● Have a minimum of two years’ experience as a developmental editor or an acquiring editor for a trade publisher, or similar role
● Have taken a leading role in developing or acquiring bestselling nonfiction books
● Want to get in at the ground at a growing young company with a big vision for future growth
● Don’t mind a little unpredictability – we may pivot in our programs and offerings regularly in the coming years as we fine tune our business model and operations
● Are enthusiastic about publishing and writing in the digital age
● Have experience in developing integrated digital / print publishing projects including printed book and ebook production, online courses and multi-media products
● Have a deep genuine interest in personal development, innovation, business, health, wellness and / or spirituality
● Are a creative thinker who enjoys contributing powerful original ideas to book concepts from their earliest formative stage of development
● Have a minimum two years’ experience managing an editorial team with five or more direct reports and remote-working freelancers
● Have successfully managed project budgets
● Are actively connected to a network of high-calibre freelance editors and designers

Essential qualities:
● Fastidious attention to detail, demonstrated by editing certificates and / or editing test results
● Knowledge of publishing processes and trends, as evidenced by a minimum two years’ experience as a developmental editor, acquiring editor or similar
● Excellent writing and editing skills – flawless grammar and an ear for good copy
● Love bringing order to chaos
● Independent thinker with sound judgment
● Self-starter; reliable and responsible in the extreme
● Highly productive in a solitary work environment
● Quick learner – if you don’t know how something is done, you know how to find what you need, and can then share what you’ve learned with the team
● Flexible, can-do attitude – we are a young company so everyone wears more than one hat from time to time
● Impeccable written and spoken communication skills: Must be friendly, professional, diplomatic, positive and well presented at all times
● Willing to work irregular hours such as weekends or evenings when on deadline
● A keen visual eye is an asset – experience in directing the work of book designers
● Proactive, positive obstacle remover and problem solver
● Comfortable engaging with fans, clients and supporters on social media
● Extremely comfortable working with digital files and creative assets in a paperless environment
● Effective people manager, able to monitor and guide the output of remote-working freelancers

Your duties:
Administrative duties
● Create and manage project budgets; process and file invoices
● Organize project assets; collect, label and archive digital files
● Collaborate with publishing coordinator on project schedules
● Create and update database of freelancers and suppliers on an ongoing basis – even better if you bring relationships with talented editors, designers and proofreaders with you!
● Contribute to a company wiki / operations manual by documenting your processes
● Act as intermediary between authors and freelance team members, educating clients on key publishing terms and processes, as needed
● Assist publisher in the research and writing of sales materials such as proposals to publish, manuscript assessments, Advance Book Information sheets, web copy, etc

Editorial duties
● Perform substantive editing, copyediting and proofreading as required
● Hire, assign and manage freelance designers and editors, ensuring that all work is done to LifeTree’s very high creative and technical standards
● Check printers’ proofs and bluelines
● Solicit blurbs from contributors, edit them, compile them, handle approval of edits
● Write jacket copy
● Participate in team brainstorming and planning meetings
● Read submissions and evaluate their suitability and market potential; Write reports for publisher’s consideration
● Perform manuscript assessments
● Provide writing coaching to LifeTree authors, including the creation of coaching tools and resources
● Contribute original ideas and expert guidance to seasonal concept meetings and project development meetings

Social media / Marketing
● Contribute regularly to our blog and / or newsletter
● Provide marketing coordinator with excerpted book content for use in our marketing, along with clear direction for how to share it on social media

Skills and assets:
● Minimum five years’ experience as an editor, at least two of which must be in a senior position at a trade publishing house
● Minimum two years’ experience managing editorial and design staff
● Must have your own computer (PC or Mac) with webcam, MS Office software
● Highly proficient in MS Word, Excel, Asana, Dropbox, Google Drive documents, Skype
● Access to and moderate proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite is a strong asset, including InDesign, Photoshop and Acrobat.

Application deadline: December 9, 2016

Applicants should send their resume and cover letters to info@lifetreemedia.com with Senior Editor in the subject line.

Interviews (in person if in Vancouver, otherwise by Skype) will be held in November and December. Target start date is mid-January 2017.