Publishing a scholarly book is not a solitary act of authorship, but a collaborative process in which scholars work with a team of editors. Scholars don’t just submit manuscripts; they engage in sustained dialogue with editors who help to shape, refine, and position their work. Far from being gatekeepers, acquisition editors are collaborators, advocates, and stewards of knowledge. Their work is especially critical as they align the intellectual ambitions of scholars with the practical demands of academic publishing, while managing limited resources, shifting technologies, and institutional pressures along the way. Yet, while acquisitions editors typically have a deep understanding of the research cultures they work within, many scholars remain uncertain about what these editors actually do.

In this talk, Sara Jo Cohen, Editorial Director at University of Michigan Press, pulls back the curtain on the emotional and intellectual labor acquisitions editors put into scholarly books. She will discuss the day-to-day work of acquisitions editors, how acquisitions editors support scholars and the larger academic ecosystem, and how we can move forward together.