New American Press is pleased to announce the following open positions. All positions are fully volunteer, and fully remote. Maximum weekly contribution for these positions is five hours per week.
We invite applications for the positions below until June 30, 2024.
FICTION EDITORS
The fiction editors collectively oversee acquisition of all full-length fiction manuscripts for publication at New American Press, in particular selecting strong finalist manuscripts to be considered for the annual New American Fiction Prize.
In this fully remote position, each fiction editor’s duties include:
- Carefully reviewing dozens of story collection and novel manuscripts each year;
- Meeting via Zoom on a regular schedule with fellow fiction editors to discuss the strongest work;
- Maintaining concise reading notes in Submittable;
- Providing final ranking evaluations for the New American Fiction Prize;
- Aiding in the promotion of published titles prior to and following launch.
Competitive candidates for these fiction editor positions will demonstrate a strong creative and/or critical background in literary fiction via writing, publishing, and/or criticism, as well as clear communication skills and a professional demeanor that embraces teamwork and collaborative problem-solving. Weekly commitment is ~5 hours.
POETRY EDITORS
The poetry editors collectively oversee acquisition of all full-length fiction manuscripts for publication at New American Press, in particular selecting strong finalist manuscripts to be considered for the annual New American Poetry Prize.
In this fully remote position, each poetry editor’s duties include:
- Carefully reviewing dozens of story collection and novel manuscripts each year;
- Meeting via Zoom on a regular schedule with fellow fiction editors to discuss the strongest work;
- Maintaining concise reading notes in Submittable;
- Providing final ranking evaluations for the New American Poetry Prize;
- Aiding in the promotion of published titles prior to and following launch.
Competitive candidates for these fiction editor positions will demonstrate a strong creative and/or critical background in poetry via writing, publishing, and/or criticism, as well as clear communication skills and a professional demeanor that embraces teamwork and collaborative problem-solving. Weekly commitment is ~5 hours.
PRODUCTION MANAGER
The production manager at New American Press is responsible for tracking and organizing the workflow of book production for 2-3 books each year. While a passion for literary publishing is encouraged, this position relies on project management skills. The production manager will organize book production schedules and make adjustments as necessary, maintaining solid communication with authors, design and layout artists, proofreaders, and the editorial and marketing departments. Familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style and Adobe Creative Suite is a bonus. This is a great opportunity for someone interested applying creativity and management skills while learning more about the practical process of shepherding fiction and poetry manuscripts into beautiful books that are ready to leap into readers’ hands. Weekly commitment is ~5 hours.
MARKETING MANAGER
The marketing manager at New American Press works closely with the production editor to shepherd 2-3 books each year from production to a successful launch. This exciting process involves coordinating promotion efforts with the production timeline to drive advance reader copy distribution, communicate with potential review venues, promote pre-order periods, track launch events, and other tasks that support the visibility and accessibility of New American titles and authors. This role also supervises marketing assistants who help to shape the official “voice” of the organization at the website, in social media, and via our bimonthly newsletter to promote new books, contests, special events, and volunteer recruitment searches. In addition to a strong background in writing and editing, competitive candidates will be familiar with the literary publishing scene and New American’s place within it as an independent press. This is a great opportunity for candidates interested in exercising creativity while growing their managerial skills in a literary publishing environment that provides interaction with all departments in the organization. Weekly commitment is ~5 hours.
MARKETING ASSISTANT
The marketing assistant develops and curates content for MAYDAY’s social media platforms, including important updates about New American authors, titles, and activities, as well as cross-promotions with peer publications and other effective forms of audience engagement. We will be particularly drawn to applicants who can demonstrate their familiarity with creative writing audiences, literary communities, and others across social media platforms who are likely to the literary titles published at New American Press, as well as in applicants who have experience or backgrounds in graphic design or copywriting. This is a great opportunity for applicants interested in improving their marketing and communications skills while contributing to the growth and cultivation of a literary organization’s readership community and learning more about the structure and hands-on practice of an independent publishing company. Weekly commitment is ~5 hours.
Why Should You Apply?
Everyone at New American Press is an unpaid volunteer, and most of us work fewer than five hours per week. We all have day jobs. You should apply anyway. These positions will actively contribute to the editorial vision of a publishing enterprise that is excited to embrace new perspectives, investigate emerging ideas, and discover emerging writers and compelling new work from established writers while building marketable skills and developing their professional networks. Deadline pressure is minimal, and there are already several helpful and passionate editors on staff who love writing, books, art, and ideas. But we especially look forward to meeting you. Should you be invited to interview for a position, we’ll be very interested to talk about how your work at New American can help you achieve your own creative and professional goals.
How Do You Apply?
Use this link to submit a resume or CV, including a full list of your publications and/or relevant professional experience, and a cover letter that briefly describes your background, explains your interest in one of the positions, and addresses the following prompts:
- Describe your participation in the literary community. Have you done editing or administrative work at a journal or small press? Which literary journals, magazines, and/or small presses do you admire? Which lit blogs or other online culture spaces do you visit?
- Describe some books (of any genre) that matter to you. These may be books you’ve read recently or books you read a long time ago. Explain the impact each book had on how you think or what you think matters about literature.
Final Reminders
- Use this link to submit your application.
- All positions are unpaid and ask five or fewer hours per week.
- All positions are remote and editors can work anywhere there’s an internet connection.
- We will accept applications until June 30, 2024.
- Send questions to david@newamericanpress.com.
Fill out the form below to learn more about volunteering with us.
