Production Specialist (Romance) Book Publishing
Are you passionate about book design and the romance genre? Do you want to shape the visual identity of some of the most beloved romance books in the market, while still getting your hands into the layout work that brings them to life? At Sourcebooks, we’re not just making books—we’re redefining what’s possible in publishing. With hundreds of national bestsellers and industry awards, we’re a fast-growing, entrepreneurial company filled with bold thinkers and difference makers.
We are currently seeking a Production Specialist with strong design instincts and a love for romance publishing to join our Frontlist Production team. This mid-level role is ideal for someone with 3–5 years of experience who is eager to contribute to both the technical execution and creative evolution of our romance imprints, including Bloom Books and Casablanca.
This is more than a production layout role. It's a growth opportunity for a skilled designer who wants to eventually own the internal visual direction for romance titles—starting with high-quality page production, template development, and gradually building influence across multiple genres and imprints. The ideal candidate brings clarity to design direction, enjoys fast-paced schedules, collaborates across teams, and is energized by the diversity and creativity of the romance publishing space.
This is an hourly, non-exempt position with a range of $21.63 - $24.04/hourly. We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications.This position can be hybrid in Naperville or NYC, or fully remote in the following states ONLY: Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Travel not required but there may be opportunities to attend industry conferences.
What you’ll do:
- Versatile Workflow Management: Adapt to the unique needs of each title, demonstrating flexibility, organization, and resiliency.
- Template Creation & Refinement: Develop and refine production templates for a wide range of book types. Ensure consistency, scalability, and clarity across layouts.
- Layout Execution: Perform high-quality layout work and page corrections with attention to detail, accuracy, and genre-specific nuances. Support fast-paced production schedules and high-author-care workflows.
- Workflow Optimization: Ensure clean XML workflows and preflight files for printer-ready output.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Editors, Designers, Production Editors, and Marketing teams to align on schedules, visual standards, and workflow expectations.
- Quality Assurance: Deliver consistent, high-quality page designs and layouts that reflect our commitment to author care and reader experience.
What you bring:
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
- 3–5 years of experience in a publishing production environment, with expertise in managing high-quality production processes.
- Proficiency on the Mac platform and in Adobe Creative Cloud—especially InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
- Deep attention to detail, strong typography skills, and a passion for clean, consistent layout design.
- Familiarity with book design conventions and print specifications; XML experience is a plus.
- Experience developing or working with production templates.
- Clear communicator who’s not afraid to ask questions or flag potential issues early.
At Sourcebooks, books change lives is more than just our mission. It’s the reason we do what we do every day. Just ask the 500 million+ readers we've reached so far. We put authors at the heart of everything we do, blending creativity with deep insights and data to break new ground. Our innovative approach has earned us recognition as Newsweek’s #2 Most Loved Workplace, a Best Workplace by Inc., and an innovation leader by Fast Company twice. Publishers Weekly named us “by far the most successful self-made publisher operating in the 21st century,” and in 2025 we received the Book Industry Study Group’s highest honor for “redefining what it means to be a book publisher in the 21st century.”
We’re looking for a team member who’s excited to take ownership, dive into the romance space, and help shape the future of our imprints through thoughtful, high-impact design. If you’re someone who takes pride in both the craft and the process of book production, we’d love to hear from you.
Ready To Apply:
Please submit your resume, a link to your portfolio, and a cover letter detailing your experience, design interests, and why you’re excited about romance publishing. Applications without a cover letter and portfolio will not be considered.
Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription drug insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care, Dependent Care, Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, & generous paid time off.Sourcebooks values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.
Average salary estimate
If an employer mentions a salary or salary range on their job, we display it as an "Employer Estimate". If a job has no salary data, Rise displays an estimate if available.
Amplify is hiring a detail-oriented Production Designer (Contract) to execute high-volume print and digital K–12 curriculum materials and rapid prototypes for a collaborative creative team.
Cengage Group is looking for a User Experience Designer to craft accessible, scalable digital learning experiences across its higher-education products.
ThinkCERCA is hiring an AI Design Automation Specialist to build automated workflows that transform structured educational data into publication-ready InDesign teacher guides at scale.
Rogo is hiring a Product Designer in NYC to craft end-to-end, production-ready interfaces and design systems for a cutting-edge AI platform transforming institutional finance.
Lead Experience Designer responsible for shaping interaction and visual design of OCLC's enterprise web products in a hybrid Dublin, OH role.
Lead CloudWalk’s global design strategy and communications to unify multi-brand storytelling, amplify executive presence, and position the company as a category-defining fintech and AI leader.
The City of Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department seeks a Landscape Architect to lead park design, manage capital projects, and oversee construction for diverse recreational facilities.
Help shape user experiences at Grammarly as a Product Design Intern, delivering prototypes, research-backed solutions, and contributing to the design system in a hybrid San Francisco role.
Lead design for Laravel Cloud to craft delightful, developer-focused SaaS experiences in a fully remote, globally distributed team.
Senior Accessibility SME responsible for leading accessibility audits, delivering actionable ACRs, and partnering across design and engineering to make Grammarly’s products inclusive for millions of users.
An experienced product design leader is sought to shape and deliver a world-class Ads experience at Faire, balancing business growth with retailer-first design.
SupplyHouse.com seeks an experienced Graphic Designer to create compelling brand visuals across print and digital for a fast-paced e-commerce marketing team.
Contribute to Amplify’s Science curriculum as a contract Associate UX/UI Designer, creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity student-facing designs using Figma and Adobe tools.
We are a group of passionate, energetic and enthusiastic book lovers, and we are committed to helping readers experience each book. So much has changed since we started this journey twenty+ years ago in a spare bedroom—the industry, the technol...
3 jobs
🔮
Hi, I'm Risa! Your AI Career Copilot
you, just ask me below!
