How Being an Acquisitions Editor Differs from an Editor

A little while ago, I asked you, my readers what you wanted me to talk about on my blog. One answer I received from Summer Weir, and so I am discussing it here now!
As you probably know, I work with my publisher, Curiosity Quills Press, as an Acquisitions Editor. This means, in a nutshell, that I am part of the team who read through the slush pile. And I'll tell you what, CQ gets a pretty hefty slush pile. To give you a little bit of a behind the scenes tour, it goes something like this: The submissions are received and sorted by the Acquisitions Manager. They are then sorted into date and time of arrival and go on a waiting list. As they move to the top, the managers gives them to who would best suit the manuscript. I for example, get mostly YA/NA romancey type stuff, and I seem to get historicals fairly frequently too.
Now the editors on the other hand get the already contracted submissions and work through them line by line, preparing them for publication. As an Acquisitions Editor I act more as a Beta reader. I check for passive voice, info dumping, inconsistencies, excessive editing needs and so forth. If the manuscript is engaging and passes the test I recommend it to my up-aboves for a contract offer.
This isn't a quit-your-day-job kind of job. I do this part time, from home. I love doing it, and when I reject I try to give out positive feedback why. But that's a personal thing.
Do you have any questions for me? Please comment below and I will answer them!


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