Acquisitions Editor

earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Veterans' Preference Statement

The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.

Advertised Job Summary

Acquisitions Editor

The University of South Carolina Press, located in Columbia at the state’s flagship university, seeks an entrepreneurial full-time Acquisitions Editor to acquire 20-25 scholarly and general interest books annually, primarily in the fields of Southern history, African American studies, and civil rights studies. We welcome applications from experienced acquisitions editors as well as individuals beginning their acquisitions journey. This is an in-person role enriched by opportunities to build professional relationships on campus, in Columbia, and throughout the state.

The University of South Carolina Press, established in 1944, is one of the oldest, most distinguished publishing houses in the American South. Our editorial profile features critically acclaimed peer-reviewed books in South Carolina and Southern history and culture, African American studies, civil rights, Southern Jewish studies, literary studies, and rhetoric and communication. We are committed to sharing select projects with the world via our open access platform, Open Carolina. We publish regional trade titles in the categories above as well as cooking, nature, and music. By publishing works that educate readers, expand scholarship, and provoke community conversations, we further the mission of the University of South Carolina.

We encourage applicants to read our vision, mission, and values statements (here).

Primary responsibilities of the Acquisitions Editor:

• Acquisitions: Contract publishing projects in assigned fields that contribute to the Press mission of publishing premier scholarship and authentic stories. Actively solicit submissions and work closely with series editors to facilitate a steady flow of projects; evaluate solicited and unsolicited projects; manage peer review; estimate costs and revenues; identify sources of outside funding and secure grants to offset publishing expenses; present projects to internal Acquisitions Committee and faculty Press Committee.
• Transmittals: Transmit manuscripts to Editorial, Design, and Production department. Ensure authors adhere to Press policies and procedures and meet deadlines; submit final manuscripts and illustrative materials to EDP for review and approval and manage authors’ preparation of final files.
• Positioning: Contribute to positioning of projects through seasonal presentations and copywriting, collaborating with the Marketing department.
• Community engagement: Represent the Press during university, community, and professional activities, including scholarly meetings and campus visits. Events and activities may occur outside of standard work hours.
• Mentorship: Supervise and mentor student interns.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a job-related field.
• Two or more years of job-related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job-related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree and two years or bachelor’s degree and four years of professional work experience in book publishing and acquisitions.
• Demonstrated track record of publishing acquisitions productivity and success.
• Demonstrated expertise and/or interest in one or more of the primary acquisitions areas.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Application requirements:

A cover letter and résumé are required to be considered for this position. Please apply through the University of South Carolina jobs website and attach appropriate documents.

A background check is required after a conditional job offer is made.

The salary range for this position is $53,576 – $65,000, depending on qualifications and experience. For information on benefits for University of South Carolina employees, see here.

University benefits include:

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: The university offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, long-term care, and life insurance benefits.
• Retirement: The university offers generous retirement plans, including the South Carolina State Optional Retirement Program and a Supplemental Retirement Benefits Plan (with many providers).
• Paid Leave: New full-time employees accrue 15 days of annual leave per year which increases after 10 years of service. Additionally, full-time employees accrue 15 days of sick leave and receive 13 paid holidays per year.
• Tuition and Professional Development: The university offers excellent tuition benefits and professional development opportunities; over the years many Press employees have taken courses and several have earned master’s degrees, with the Press offering flexibility to accommodate learning schedules.
• Wellness and Work-Life Resources: The university is committed to supporting faculty and staff as they balance competing demands of work and personal life. Wellness opportunities include workshops, lectures, and in-person and online programs.

About Columbia, South Carolina:

Columbia is a vibrant, affordable, and growing city that is home to the University of South Carolina, Fort Jackson, and the South Carolina State House. Columbia has mild winters, stunning flora, and an array of cultural amenities. The university’s main quad, known as the Horseshoe, is among the most beautiful in the country. The downtown music, theatre, and arts scenes are flourishing. Excellent restaurants and shops line the city’s Main Street, Vista, Five Points, and Devine Street districts, while walking and biking trails track the city’s three scenic rivers. The city is also ideally located for weekend trips—90 minutes from Charlotte, 2 hours from Charleston and several of the Atlantic Ocean’s most beautiful beaches, 2.5 hours from Asheville, and less than 30 minutes from Lake Murray.

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 2 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 2 years or Bachelor’s degree and 4 years professional work experience in book publishing and acquisitions.
• Demonstrated track record of publishing acquisitions productivity and success.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Excellent verbal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Job Duty

Contracts approximately 20 publishing projects annually, in assigned fields, that contribute to the Press mission of publishing premier scholarship and authentic stories. Actively solicits projects; evaluates solicited and unsolicited projects to ensure that they meet Press standards; identifies and works with external peer reviewers for all projects; estimates costs and revenues for each project under consideration; works closely with series editors to facilitate a steady flow of projects; identifies sources of outside funding and secures grants to offset publishing expenses; presents projects to the Acquisitions Committee and Press Committee.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 40

Job Duty

Transmits approximately 20 publishing projects annually. Ensures authors, editors, and series editors adhere to Press policies and procedures and meet deadlines; submits final manuscripts and illustrative materials to the Editorial, Design, & Production department for review and approval, and communicates findings to authors and editors of such manuscripts. Contributes to positioning of projects through seasonal presentations and copywriting and, as directed by the Associate Editorial Director, collaborates directly with the Marketing department. Coordinates with other Press staff as needed throughout the copyediting, production, and marketing processes.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 40

Job Duty

Represents the Press during university, community, and professional activities, including scholarly meetings and campus visits, as determined with the Associate Editorial Director. Events and activities may occur outside of standard work hours.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 10

Job Duty

Supervises and mentors student interns.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 5

Job Duty

Provides periodic reports to the Associate Editorial Director regarding acquisitions progress, series performance, potential initiatives, and sales. Other duties as assigned by the Associate Editorial Director.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 5

Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive: No

Hazardous weather category: Non-Essential

Number of Vacancies: 1

Job Open Date: 09/17/2026

Job Close Date: 11/01/2026

Open Until Filled: No

Special Instructions to Applicant

A cover letter and résumé are required to be considered for this position. Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

We are only accepting applications submitted by November 1, 2026.

The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:

• Health and Life Insurance
• Retirement Programs
• Paid Tuition
• Dependent Scholarships
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development Opportunities

Click here to learn more about why you should work at USC.

Quicklink for Posting: https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/213347

EEO Statement

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.

Organization

Working at University of South Carolina

With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.

The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.

Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas—hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment—but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.

By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.

Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.

In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.

South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.

The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.

South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of "research centers of economic excellence" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.

The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.