Journal of Folklore Research Seeks Managing Editor

The Indiana University Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology invites applications for the part-time position of Managing Editor of the Journal of Folklore Research. Celebrating over fifty years as a leading publication venue for its fields, the journal is published in partnership with the Indiana University Press.

The Managing Editor is a crucial member of the journal editorial team and is deeply involved in all aspects of the journal’s work. The Managing Editor must have knowledge of theories, methods, topics, and scholars in the fields of folklore and ethnomusicology (and related disciplines). The Managing Editor should also possess the ability to communicate accurately, concisely, and diplomatically in speech and in print, to justify editorial changes according to the Chicago Manual of Style, to help clarify an author’s intended meaning without eliminating the author’s voice, to mentor a graduate student Editorial Assistant, to stay abreast of changes to relevant software tools and publishing procedures, to keep accurate records, to attend to detail, to have an eye for inconsistencies; to juggle multiple manuscripts in different stages of the production process, to meet deadlines consistently, and to work effectively as part of a team. Knowledge of Word style templates and basic macro coding is highly desirable.

Duties of the Managing Editor include training and coordinating the work of the Editorial Assistant, maintaining the journal’s training manual and style guide, processing and tracking new submissions, participating substantively in editorial team discussions, editing manuscripts, crafting author queries, facilitating editorial correspondence with authors and reviewers, and reviewing proof pages and other documents. The Managing Editor also acts as a liaison with firms and organizations involved in journal production and assists in promoting the journal in the scholarly community.

The next Managing Editor will begin work in July 2021 and will serve ten hours per week in a professional, hourly capacity. Ideal candidates will have previous work experience in scholarly editing and may either already hold the PhD or be a doctoral candidate nearing the completion of their degree. It is expected that the next Managing Editor is already residing in the Bloomington area and can work collaboratively on the IU campus.

Applicants should submit a letter of application describing their interest in the position and explaining how it would advance their broader professional goals. Also included in the application packet should be a curriculum vitae and the names and contact information of two references prepared to speak to the applicant’s suitability for the position. Please send these documents as a single combined PDF file, as an email attachment, to: Solimar Otero, Editor, Journal of Folklore Research, [email protected]. Questions about the position can be directed to this same address. Applicants may be asked to complete a copyediting test. Review of applications will begin May 15, 2021 and will continue until the post is filled.