EMERGING VOICES IN FICTION EDITOR
Founded in 2017, Oyster River Pages publishes voices that speak to what it means to be alive in this world. We look for language and stories and images that move us out of ourselves and into other spaces as we seek to publish those who bring balance and diversity to historical institutions of power. Over the years, ORP has grown tremendously publishing hundreds of contributors, launching a successful internship program, and the Emerging Voices initiative that offers support to emerging writers. With our newly issued nonprofit status, ORP seeks to build upon our achievements to date by professionalizing our operations in order to advance our mission.
In 2024, ORP seeks a motivated individual with strong editorial skills to serve as Editor for ORP’s Emerging Voices in Fiction. Aware of the barriers in publishing, Emerging Voices seeks short stories from new voices in fiction with the aim of empowering creatives in the early stages of their artistic journeys, especially individuals who may not have access to conventional literary resources and supports. We seek to demystify the publishing process by being a welcoming and inclusive space.
Preference will be given to applicants with editorial experience at literary journals (or equivalent experience) and an interest in publishing new voices in fiction, providing constructive feedback to submissions, curating a selection of stories by new authors for publication, and being an integral member of ORP’s team.
Responsibilities
Review Emerging Voices submissions (about 100-125 short story submissions per year).
Sort through the “slush pile” for strong candidates; voting yes, no, or maybe on pieces via Submittable.
Send decline letters to each author via Submittable with a few lines of constructive and compassionate feedback.
With “possibles,” identify what aspects (e.g., lack of clarity, incoherent plot structure, unsatisfactory emotional impact, flat characters, cliches....) of the story need reworking to make the piece acceptable for publication.
Engage “possibles” with high potential in a Review & Resubmit process focused on content and line edits, including offering suggestions on areas of improvement before acceptance of pieces.
Copy edit and proofread accepted stories (about 5-10 per year).
Work with the editorial team to design Emerging Voices content pages, including uploading and formatting accepted, proofed stories; selecting stock photos to accompany stories on the table of contents; and reviewing uploaded content to check for errors, typos, extra spaces, etc.
Communicate with authors of selected stories to collect bios, photos, audio files, and Contributor Showcase responses.
Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) to highlight authors, promote the journal, and connect with other literary/artistic organizations/communities.
Meet online with ORP’s Editorial Team (about once a month); additional meetings may be scheduled depending on needs.
Preferred Qualifications
Strong editorial and analytical skills, and written and verbal communication skills.
Self-motivated, flexible, and energetic with a capacity for independent and teamwork.
Attention to detail, outstanding organizational skills, and multi-tasking ability.
Commitment to empowering new voices in fiction, especially from underrepresented groups (Brown and Black voices, Queer voices, voices that are decentered and marginalized).
Time Period: This is a one-year appointment with the availability of an extension, consisting of 15-25 hours/month and flexible scheduling. Note that most monthly team meetings tend to take place in the evenings Eastern Time.
Salary: This is a volunteer position.
To apply: Answer the questions in our application form and submit it along with your resume, two references, and a writing sample via Submittable by October 31, 2023. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis via the Zoom video platform.
Questions? Email ORP at oysterriverpages@gmail.com