How to Become an Acquisitions Manager
Acquisitions Manager Career Profile, Salary, & Job Outlook
What does an Acquisitions Manager do?
Acquisitions Managers identify and procure literary content for publishing houses. They evaluate potential acquisitions, review agented and unagented submissions, draft agreements, send pitches, and negotiate contracts. They also conduct market research to support the viability of a project and forecast future sales.
How much does a Acquisitions Manager make?
According to Glassdoor, Acquisitions Managers make a national average of $120,961 or $58.15 an hour. In general, entry-level acquisition managers make around $77,000 annually, with senior-level acquisition managers making $193,000 a year. This wide range also depends on skill, seniority, company, and location.
What impact does this career have towards the media industry?
Acquisitions managers are an important part of the new talent discovery pipeline. They work for publishing houses, ensuring new and exciting content is consistently on the release calendar. If there is significant industry interest in a project, a good acquisitions manager is crucial to securing publishing rights.
What is the job outlook for an Acquisitions Manager?
As of 2021, the U.S. journalism industry’s annual revenue was $24.65. The U.S. book industry — including self-published and commercially published titles — made $25.93 billion in revenue in 2020. Analysts forecast that digital publishing revenue in the U.S. will reach $35 billion by 2025. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job opportunities in the writing field (including Acquisitions Managers) are expected to increase at a rate of 9% during the 2020-2030 decade.
How to kick-off your career:
- Follow publishing news to track acquisitions, bidding wars, and new releases.
- Network with emerging writers and editors.
- Explore the NYU American Journalism x Rolling Stone Modern Journalism and The New School x Rolling Stone Media Writing online courses.
- Download Yellowbrick’s Ultimate Media Career Guide.
Learn from:
Emily Leibert
Modern Journalism contributor, Staff Writer at Jezebel
Related Careers:
Literary Agent | Print Buyer | Technical Publications Manager | Rights Coordinator | Publisher Assistant | Contracts Manager | Publishing Manager| Sales Manager | Literary Scout | Distribution Coordinator
