Guest Editor | Poetry Foundation

Guest Editor

This is a remote position.

At the Poetry Foundation, we exist to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. Poetry magazine, published by the Poetry Foundation, is an independent literary publication committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture.

As part of this commitment, we are inviting Guest Editors to edit several issues of Poetry. These editors will bring new perspectives to the magazine and provide support as we identify our next President, who will be involved in selecting a permanent editor. The Guest Editors will work with the magazine team in reading and editing submissions, strengthening relationships with poets, and deepening the magazine’s commitment to antiracism while bolstering and challenging the legacy of the magazine.

Role Roadmap

In the four months each Guest Editor will oversee the magazine, they will:

Oversee the publication of three issues.

Meet the deadlines for all three issues in keeping with our existing production schedule.

Brainstorm new ways to solicit feedback and make space for conversation in print, online, and through social media channels

Develop a clear thesis statement for building relationships with marginalized communities that they execute throughout their tenure.

We anticipate the first Guest Editor will begin sometime in December and work through April. The next Guest Editor will begin in March and work through July.

How You Will Meet These Objectives

To achieve the objectives set in this roadmap over these four months, each Guest Editor will have the Magazine team’s support and access to all of the Magazine’s resources and connections. They will also have clearly defined responsibilities associated with these objectives.

Magazine Publication

Read submissions that come in through our Submittable platform with the help of readers and staff

Make selections for each issue based on a clear vision, whether thematic, structural, or otherwise

Proofread and edit pieces thoughtfully and in line with our team’s deadlines

Suggest improvements to the magazine’s current editorial and reading processes
Meet regularly with the magazine team (via video or phone)

Audience Outreach

Brainstorm ways for soliciting feedback and establishing two-way communication with our various audiences

Share ideas from previous experiences on how to make the community feel more supported, included, and welcomed

Make suggestions for measuring and tracking audience engagement

Promote the work within the magazine, especially to new audiences

Monitor changes in readership during their tenure and make recommendations based on them

Who You Are
At the Poetry Foundation, we welcome and embrace a host of different backgrounds, perspectives, and approaches to work. We also understand the importance of being transparent in our expectations. We do not expect candidates to “check-the-box” on all the below.

A well-matched candidate will bring:

A passion for poetry and people. This can take so many different forms. We want to see how the Guest Editor translates their own experiences and interests in poetry into elevating and expanding upon the art form while making space for others to do the same. We hope to see this person care as much about the people who make poetry possible as the poetry itself.

Genuine excitement about reading submissions. The vast majority of our work is submitted to us. While we expect our Guest Editors to work with new communities and potentially solicit work aligned with their vision for each issue, we don’t aspire to a heavily solicited publication. Our goal is to support new work and provide an open platform for poets to share their work with us. In particular, we are hoping this candidate will be excited about giving space to poets who previously haven’t been featured and have not received as much of a platform as they deserve.

Ideas on editorial and reading processes. Our Guest Editors will have a long-term view when it comes to reading and editing poetry, and they will be willing to look at our current structures and propose new ideas on how to grow over time. They will bring ideas about how to interpret the magazine’s “Open Door” policy today.

A social justice–informed point of view to the work. We are committed to creating change within our organization and community by amplifying the voices of those who have faced injustice and transforming our work in line with our commitments to antiracism. Our Guest Editors will think openly and expansively about how to support marginalized communities and make space for voices we haven’t included in the past.

A willingness to express concerns and offer feedback. Our Guest Editors are encouraged to share how we might improve and raise issues that allow for us to develop and grow in our service to our communities, readers, and colleagues.

How We Invest in You

Compensation: We offer competitive compensation, offering $9,500 per month.

The provisions of the benefit plan are subject to change.

Retirement Plan: After one year of service and 1,000 hours worked, the Foundation will contribute 10% of the employee’s regular salary to the employee’s retirement plan account, and the employee must contribute 5% of their regular salary. All employees may contribute non-matched pre-tax earnings at any time.

Paid Sick Leave Policy (part-time employees, under 30 hours/week): Part-time employees are eligible to earn paid sick leave at the rate of 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Sick time can be used for a variety of personal and family health needs.

FSA Benefits: Transit Expense elections are available to part-time employees.

Technology: All employees are provided with the hardware needed to perform their duties. This includes a laptop and accessories.

Perks: All employees receive a complimentary subscription to Poetry magazine and special borrowing privileges from the non-circulating library collection.

Community Access: The Guest Editor will have access to Poetry Magazine’s full community of poets, collaborators, and partners, and is eligible for professional development support subject to approval.

Equal Opportunity: The Poetry Foundation values the perspectives and talents of a diverse staff and is committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. The Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, color, age, pregnancy, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, veteran status, marital status, disability, or any other bases protected by law.

Requirements

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

Remaining in a stationary position, often sitting for prolonged periods in an indoor office environment

Communicating with others to exchange information and perform duties
Ability to read materials on a computer screen

Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers

More About the Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation pursues its mission to celebrate and share the best poetry with the largest audiences through a family of programs. Learn more about them here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/about