Senior Editor
The Atlantic · The Wharf · $105,000 (stated in the posting)
The Atlantic is seeking a senior editor to build and lead The Atlantic Book Club, our forthcoming membership-exclusive reading program. This is a rare opportunity to shape one of the most distinctive editorial products we offer: a curated, opinionated, lively engagement with literature and people who, like you, love reading.
This editor will work with a small team responsible for making regular selections of books, under the direction of our Books leadership, announcing those selections to our community of subscribers, and guiding subscribers through Book Club offerings across a variety of platforms—including but not limited to written articles, interviews with writers or other scholars, and occasional live (and virtual) events.
The ideal candidate will be expert at cultivating relationships with authors, publishers, and the broader literary world. This role sits at the intersection of editorial judgment, community building, and reader engagement.
The right candidate is a voracious reader, an exacting editor, a thoughtful correspondent, and someone who understands that the best book coverage doesn’t stop with a review but also argues, contextualizes, and invites conversation.
The role will at times include night, early-morning, and weekend work.
What You'll Do
Select and champion each Book Club title, making and defending choices that reflect The Atlantic's intellectual rigor and editorial ambitions, with a capacious and highly creative view of which books should be read (or reread) in a given moment
Commission and edit essays, interviews, and contextual pieces tied to Book Club selections, working closely with The Atlantic’s books editors, as well as with Atlantic staff writers and outside contributors.
Write a monthly (or bimonthly) editor's note or introduction to accompany each selection
Lead live and virtual author conversations and reader events, including Q&As, moderated discussions, and subscriber-only engagements.
Develop and maintain a pipeline of book prospects, staying close to publishing schedules and building trusted relationships with editors, agents, and publicists.
Collaborate closely with the Growth, Product, and Audience teams to shape how the Book Club is presented, packaged, and promoted to subscribers.
Represent The Atlantic in the broader literary community—at festivals, book fairs, and industry gatherings—as a credible and independent voice.
Contribute ideas and editorial energy to The Atlantic's broader books and culture coverage.
You should have
At least five years of editing and writing experience and a deep familiarity with magazine writing, and what makes it distinct
A well-developed point of view about literature—fiction and nonfiction alike—a willingness to argue for it, and an enthusiastic openness to a wide range of views
A deep, well-informed curiosity about what readers are passionately debating, and an instinct to know what they'll want to be debating months from now
A track record of having conceived of, built, shipped, and improved upon ambitious projects or products
Familiarity with the breadth of publishing and a keen interest in how literary and technological trends affect how and what people are reading
Impeccable editorial judgment
An obsession with the written word, including having developed your own stylish writerly voice
A desire to connect with people—in-person, online, through literature—and the judgment and energy required to represent The Atlantic across a number of platforms
Great taste, and the capacity to select books that are worthy of serious attention without tipping into inaccessibility, insularity, or superficiality.
A desire to seek out big-name authors as well as hugely talented emerging writers of must-read books before they are widely recognized
Energized by the demanding pace of a real-time news organization, with all of the flexibility that requires—as well as the discipline needed to meet recurring deadlines without sacrificing quality.
This position is based in Washington, D.C. or New York City. We will consider remote candidates but have a strong preference for in-person collaboration.
Salary minimum: $105,000 ; Salary maximum: $180,000
About The Atlantic:
The Atlantic has, for more than 160 years, advanced ideas that matter and sparked global conversation on the most important issues of our time. We aim to bring clarity and original thinking to questions of consequence, on topics ranging from politics, the economy, and global affairs to technology, science, and culture. As the third-longest-running magazine in America, we find ourselves at a remarkable moment: one of both continuation and transformation, of upholding our legacy while continuously reinventing ourselves for the future.
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The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC ("The Atlantic") is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Atlantic is committed to diversity and encourages members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, LGBTQ people, people of color, and people with disabilities. We do not discriminate against our applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Job offers to work at The Atlantic are contingent upon the candidate’s successful completion of reference checks and compliance with The Atlantic's COVID-19 vaccination policy. The Atlantic requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, including subsequent boosters, and submit proof of vaccination status. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.