Emerging Voices Poetry Editor
At Oyster River Pages, we are committed to furthering the legacy of documenting the history of the heart through the dissemination of poetic voices that need to and must be heard—poets whose verses exist in defiance of indifference, cruelty, and oppression to reveal the nuanced, resilient, compassionate and connective power of humanity. We are especially invested in publishing poets who represent the underrepresented in institutionalized publishing—Brown and Black voices, Queer voices, voices forged from forces found beyond the halls of academia—that continue to be decentered and marginalized.
In 2025, ORP seeks a passionate and responsible individual with strong editorial skills and a generous spirit to serve as our new Editor for ORP’s Emerging Voices in Poetry. Aware of the many barriers in publishing, Emerging Voices seeks poetry from new voices 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 poetry, providing constructive feedback to submissions, curating a selection of poetry by new authors for publication, and being an integral member of ORP’s team.
Responsibilities
Review Emerging Voices submissions (about 200-250 poetry 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 poet via Submittable with a few lines of constructive and compassionate feedback for the first 100 submissions in the EV Poetry queue.
Engage “possibles” with high potential in a review process focused on editorial questions about poetic choices, including offering suggestions on potential areas of improvement before acceptance of poems.
Copy edit and proofread accepted poems (about 8-12 per year).
Work with the Poetry Editor to design Emerging Voices content pages, including uploading and formatting accepted, proofed poems; and reviewing uploaded content to check for errors, typos, extra spaces, etc.
Communicate with poets of selected poems to collect bios, photos, audio files, and Contributor Showcase responses.
Use social media (Facebook, Instagram) to highlight poets, 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 poetry, 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 15-30 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 with your resume and two references via Submittable by December 1, 2024. Interviews will be scheduled in late November and December via Zoom video platform. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If the position is filled before the deadline, we will update this page as necessary.
Questions? Email ORP at oysterriverpages@gmail.com
ORP recruits and trains interns regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, nationality, sex, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, disability, age, veteran status, and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different. At ORP, we have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, stay, do, and share their best work with the world.