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 is seeking a fiction editor who aligns with ORP’s mission and who wishes to advance ORP’s work by reading, editing, and publishing stories of the highest caliber by writers of diverse backgrounds and experience. This role grants the editor a great deal of autonomy, even as each editor is expected to work collaboratively with other staff to bring each issue to publication. The ideal candidate will balance vision with openness, creativity with diligence, and diplomacy with candor. Previous experience as an editor is valuable, but we will consider candidates with relevant experience in a related role. 

Responsibilities:

  • Reviewing ~400 (average) short stories per year (in Submittable, with the bulk of reading happening January–June.

  • Communicating with authors regarding declines, acceptances, edits, or revisions (in Submittable).

  • Editing and proofreading accepted stories.

  • Uploading proofed stories to the website and preparing for publication (the main issue publishes in August; special issues publish later).

  • Choosing supplemental artwork, editor’s statement, etc. for the issue.

  • Attend monthly meetings (on Zoom) with other editors and ORP staff to discuss vision, progression, and needed work of each issue.


Preferred Qualifications  

  • Strong editorial and analytical skills, and written and verbal communication skills.

  • Self-motivated, flexible, and energetic with a capacity for independent and team work.

  • 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).

For experienced candidates, there is a possibility of bringing on an intern to help with the responsibilities above. This option can be discussed with the ORP Board of Directors.

Time Period: This is a one-year appointment with availability of 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 along with your resume and contact information for two references by October 31, 2023. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis via Zoom video platform. 

Questions? Contact ORP Managing Editor Jonathan Freeman-Coppadge (jonathan@oysterriverpages.com).