Job Opportunity: We’re Looking for an Editor

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Editor-in-Chief of electricliterature.com drives the editorial vision of the website and is responsible for all content on electricliterature.com, excluding verticals (e.g. Recommended Reading and Okey-Panky). The EIC reports directly to the Executive Director, and will work with the ED to ensure that every piece published on electricliterature.com contributes to Electric Literature’s mission: to expand the influence of literature in popular culture by fostering lively and innovative literary conversations and making extraordinary writing accessible to new audiences.

The EIC is responsible for maintaining levels of journalistic professionalism, content quality, and site performance established by the ED. This includes but is not limited to scheduling, budgeting, presentation (visual and editorial), content development, and promotions. The EIC is the direct supervisor of the site’s contributing editors and will ensure contributing editors fulfill their responsibilities and follow best practices established by the EIC and the ED.

This is a salaried, full-time position with benefits, based in New York City. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and published writing sample to editors@electricliterature.com by midnight on Thursday, June 8th, with the subject: EIC APPLICATION — Your Name.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least three years of online editorial experience, including experience recruiting freelancers, managing a publication schedule, and maintaining an editorial calendar and budget
• At least two years of management experience and demonstrated leadership ability
• Immersed in the literary scene and regular readers of work by contemporary authors, as well as literary magazines, journals, publications, and literary news
• Published your own non-fiction and cultural criticism in reputable online publications
• In-depth knowledge of electricliterature.com and the content we publish
• Educational background in literature, media studies, or journalism is prefered but not required
• Non-profit and grant writing experience is also a plus

CHARACTERISTICS

• Avid reader
• Skilled writer and editor
• Challenges oneself and continues to set high standards
• Believes in EL’s mission and has a vision for how the site should best achieve it
• Organized and motivated

SKILLS

• Experience using social media in a professional capacity (Twitter, Facebook)
• Familiarity with Reddit, Tumblr, and Medium
• Skilled at writing informative, enticing headlines
• A keen visual eye and a knack for selecting compelling images
• Knowledge of Google Analytics, SEO, Google AMP, and Google Play
• Familiarity with Adobe Design Suite

RESPONSIBILITIES

EDITORIAL

• Maintain an editorial calendar and distribute posts evenly through the week
• Ensure contributing editors are updating calendar and discuss scheduling with them on a weekly basis
• Discuss short-, mid-, and long-term editorial plans with contributing editors and provide feedback on the topic, content, and angle of proposed articles
• Commission and edit work by freelancers, and review freelancer pitches
• Review all articles prior to publication and check for formatting errors and errors in grammar and spelling
• Approve all headlines and images
• Rewrite headline and select new images when necessary
• Develop and regularly update best practices for all content, including but not limited to images, tags, headlines, formatting, house style, and correction policy
• Maintain a centralized document outline of those best practices and policies, and communicate them to and enforce them with contributing editors
• Regularly recruit new writers for the site
• Hold regular (at least bi-weekly) editorial meetings to brainstorm new content ideas, strategies for improvement, review best practices, and note problem areas

WRITING

• Contribute regularly to the site, at least one post per week. This can be a mix of short form and long form pieces, with at least one longform piece per month

FIDUCIARY

• Allocate funds to freelancers on a monthly basis according to a budget set by the ED
• Maintain a detailed freelance budget
• Track surplus and deficit and evaluate allocations of funds to be most efficient and effective

PROMOTIONAL

• Coordinate with social media editor on social media promotion for all posts
• Use editorial calendar to identify newsworthy or marquee posts for additional promotion attention, and develop additional promotional strategies for those posts
• Evaluate social media performance and discuss paths to improvement with Social Media Editor

AUDIENCE BUILDING

Develop new audience building strategies, including, but not limited to:

• New content strategies
• Improvements to the newsletter
• Leveraging Medium to reach new readers
• New social media strategies
• Identifying new editorial spaces to cultivate
• New promotional strategies

ANALYTICS AND REPORTING

• Closely track site analytics on Medium, Google Analytics, AMP, and any other platforms EL uses
• Closely track social media analytics for Twitter and Facebook
• Conduct A/B testing for article framing
• Discuss site performance with Executive Director on a monthly basis
• File in-depth quarterly traffic reports to the Executive Director
• Make biannual presentations to the Board of Directors

SUPERVISION

• Act as the direct supervisor to contributing editors
• Schedule regular check-ins with contributing editors to share feedback, discuss new ideas, and communicate policy changes
• Act as a liaison between contributing editors and the ED
• Assist in supervision of interns with Senior Editor and ED

FUNDRAISING, EVENTS, AND SPECIAL PROJECTS

• Work with ED and contributing editors to brainstorm for project-based funding opportunities
• Provide information and language for grant applications that concern electricliterature.com projects
• Along with the rest of the staff, help to plan and promote fundraising and other major events.
• Contribute to other special projects as needed. This may include project management on a case by case basis

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and published writing sample to editors@electricliterature.com by midnight on Thursday, June 8th, with the subject: EIC APPLICATION — Your Name.