We’re Hiring! Recommended Reading Seeks Associate Editor — NYC Area

Electric Literature is looking for an Associate Editor to join the Recommended Reading Team

Electric Literature mission is to amplify the power of storytelling and preserve literature’s place in popular culture through digital innovation. Recommended Reading, Electric Literature’s weekly fiction magazine, invites established authors, indie presses, and literary magazines to recommended great fiction. Once a month we feature our own recommendation of original, previously unpublished fiction. All issues of Recommending Reading are published for free on Tumblr and on electricliterature.com, as well as in ePub and Kindle formats.

The Associate Editor will support the Editor-in-Chief in all aspects of the magazine’s publication including acquiring, editing, and production. The regular duties around the production of the magazine are such that the position is 75% administrative/technical and 25% editorial/creative. However, there will be regular opportunities for creative input, as well as the chance to work in a fun, collaborative environment in the Flatiron District of Manhattan.

Recommended Reading began in 2012, and as we move into our fifth year of publication, the creation of an Associate Editor position marks the growth of the magazine. The ideal candidate has been a devoted reader of both Recommended Reading and electricliterature.com, and hopes to grow with the organization as we continue to expand.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Maintain the Recommended Reading production schedule
2. Prepare each issue of Recommended Reading in all formats, including:

• Copy editing & proofreading
• Sending proofs to contributors and incorporating their changes
• Coding online, ePub, and Kindle editions (will train; previous experience not necessary)
• Design and create covers (select images and import into PSD template)

1. Solicit writers and guest editors
2. Review submissions from writers and potential guest editors
3. Participate in editorial decisions with Senior Readers, the Assistant Editor, and the Editor-in-Chief
4. Promote issues of Recommended Reading in the weekly eNewsletter, on social media, and by soliciting news coverage

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Interview Recommended Reading contributors for electricliterature.com
2. Work with contributors to edit their work
3. Introduce issues of Recommended Reading

REQUIRED SKILLS

1. Basic knowledge of HTML
2. Photoshop and InDesign
3. Copyediting and proofreading
4. Tumblr

PREFERRED SKILLS

1. Kindle Direct Publishing
2. WordPress
3. Experience making ePubs
4. Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon KDP)

QUALITIES:

1. Rigorous attention to detail
2. Patient with tedious tasks
3. Organized
4. Focused
5. Knowledgeable about and involved in contemporary literary scene
6. An avid reader, particularly of literary journals, new voices, and indie presses
7. Informed and well-articulated opinions about literature
8. Confident in his or her literary taste but interested in respectful debate

EXPERIENCE

1. At least one year of publishing experience. (Literary journal, online, or publishing house. Non-internship experience preferred.)
2. One year of editorial experience. (Volunteer and teaching positions qualify; non-workshop editing experience is preferred.)
3. An educational background in literature, journalism, or communications is preferred though not required.

This is a paid ($500/month), part-time position with a 13 hours per week commitment and opportunities for advancement. Candidates must be able to spend at least one day a week (or the hourly equivalent) in Electric Literature’s office in the Flatiron District of Manhattan during regular business hours. The Associate Editor reports directly to Recommended Reading Editor-in-Chief Halimah Marcus. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, and a paragraph about a story that was published within the last year to halimah [at] electricliterature.com by midnight on January 4, 2016. Candidates who have not read a significant portion of the Recommended Reading archives (they’re free!) need not apply. Electric Lit, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit corporation.