Katherine

Publishing professional with 10 years' experience across scholarly journals, STEM publishing, commissioning and portfolio management.

Currently Managing

Editor at the American Society for Microbiology, overseeing journal operations, editorial performance and strategic initiatives while working closely with Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Boards and cross-functional publishing teams. Experienced in using performance data to identify opportunities, improving editorial workflows, developing content initiatives and managing complex stakeholder relationships. Previous roles at Wiley and Oxford University Press span journal portfolio strategy, financial performance, book commissioning, peer review and publishing ethics.

Managing Editor at American Society for Microbiology (ASM) (2024-03 – Present)

Manage editorial operations and development activity across a portfolio of leading microbiology journals, partnering with Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Boards and internal teams to improve journal performance, strengthen researcher engagement and deliver strategic publishing initiatives.

• Drive editorial performance across peer review and production by analysing submission, decision and publication metrics, identifying bottlenecks and implementing targeted workflow improvements.
• Manage the end-to-end editorial operation for assigned journals, resolving complex manuscript, policy, production and system issues while maintaining editorial standards and publication timelines.
• Build and manage relationships with senior academic stakeholders, partnering with Editors-in-Chief and Editorial Boards on journal priorities, editor recruitment, onboarding, engagement and succession.
• Develop and deliver journal-growth initiatives, including Calls for Papers, special content programmes, commissioned content and researcher-engagement campaigns.
• Lead delivery of emerging-researcher programmes, coordinating nomination and application campaigns, editorial assessment, web content and cross-functional promotion. Recent recruitment activity generated 158 application-page visits and 85 completed applications, resulting in 80 unique candidates.
• Turn portfolio data into actionable recommendations, producing performance reporting for Editors-in-Chief and publishing leadership and using trends in submissions, turnaround times and editorial activity to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Optimise editorial systems and workflows, coordinating testing, configuration and process changes with systems teams, vendors and editorial colleagues.
• Plan and deliver Editorial Board meetings and journal presentations, translating performance data, publishing initiatives and strategic priorities into clear recommendations for senior academic audiences.
• Coordinate projects across editorial, marketing, production and publishing teams, taking initiatives from concept and stakeholder alignment through implementation and promotion.
• Contribute to department-wide pilots and programme improvements, sharing publishing best practice and identifying opportunities to strengthen operational consistency across the journals portfolio.

Journals Publishing Manager at Wiley Blackwell and Sons (2021-01 – 2024-12)

Oversaw the strategic development and financial performance of a portfolio of high-impact journals in Industrial Engineering and Pure and Applied Mathematics.

• Developed targeted campaigns to grow submissions, acceptances and article output, and commissioned and curated special issues to support portfolio growth.
• Presented journal financial and performance information and managed relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.

Associate Managing Editor at Wiley Blackwell and Sons (2021-01 – 2022-12)

Managed a portfolio of 20–30 proprietary and society journals through submission and peer review, monitoring journal performance, turnaround times and submission/acceptance trends.

• Reviewed journal workflows and implemented efficiency improvements while maintaining relationships with editors, authors, societies and other stakeholders.
• Managed editorial assistants and support staff and developed expertise in publishing ethics through Wiley's Ethics Working Group and Integrity in Publishing Group.

Assistant Commissioning Editor at Oxford University Press (2018-01 – 2022-12)

Project-managed approximately 40 frontlist and pipeline titles across Physical Sciences and Mathematics, including monographs, textbooks and general-interest science books.

• Commissioned new titles, negotiated contractual terms, coordinated proposal peer review and worked with authors from acquisition through manuscript delivery and publication.
• Oversaw cover design and marketing activity, including SEO and launch copy, and represented OUP at international conferences.

Editorial Assistant at Oxford University Press (2018-01 – 2018-12)

• Supported editorial workflows across formats, coordinating peer review, acquisition paperwork and title metadata, and producing regular frontlist and backlist financial reports.

Group Editorial & eBook Marketing Assistant at Troubador Publishing / The Book Guild / Indie-Go

• Coordinated editorial services and a large freelance editor network, quality-assessed acquisitions, completed structural copyediting and proofreading, and trained freelance editors.
• Supported eBook acquisition, production and publication, created marketing copy and targeted social-media campaigns, and delivered editorial workshops at the Self-Publishing Conference.

BA in English Language and Literature – University of Leicester