Assistant – Literary Magazine

Job Description

Assistant, VOLUME 0 | Book of the Month

The Tone:
This is a cross-functional role for VOLUME 0, a literary magazine under Book of the Month. VOLUME 0 focuses on publishing new short fiction by indie authors who break traditional molds. This assistant position is crucial for a small team, directly contributing to the growth of the magazine’s brand and readership. The person in this role will engage across editorial, marketing, and operations, making them a central figure in the magazine’s daily functions and strategic development.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Pay: $60000–$70000 yearly
• Team: Reports to the Manager of VOLUME 0, joining a small team dedicated to the literary magazine focused on new lit.
• Mission: To significantly contribute to building the VOLUME 0 brand and readership by managing key cross-functional tasks across editorial, marketing, and operational domains, thereby supporting indie authors and new literary voices.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Content Development & Curation: Maintain comprehensive story and content pipelines, including coordinating and filing submissions from various sources, reading and recommending potential stories, identifying new contributors, and assisting the Manager with story editing for the magazine.
• Editorial Production & Quality Assurance: Manage editorial operations by maintaining industry mailing lists and facilitating issue mailings, meticulously proofreading individual stories and full magazine issues, and conducting quality assurance on both digital and physical proofs.
• Brand Building & Subscriber Growth: Support marketing initiatives through website content creation and maintenance, monitoring and managing the distribution calendar, executing strategies to enhance brand awareness and attract new subscribers, and assisting with social media management and event organization.
• Customer & Subscriber Operations: Oversee the VOLUME 0 customer service email, resolving daily issues and escalating complex requests, while also maintaining the subscriber tracker and facilitating accurate fulfillment of subscriptions.
• Managerial & Administrative Support: Serve as the Assistant to the Manager, handling correspondence, scheduling, and other essential administrative tasks as requested to ensure smooth team operations.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Entry-level professional with a strong affinity for the literary and cultural scene, specifically an appreciation for the downtown independent movement.
• Experience: 0-3 years of relevant professional experience, coupled with clearly demonstrated writing and editing capabilities that reflect attention to detail and narrative quality.
• Skills: Strong problem-solving abilities, reasonable mathematical proficiency, and a highly motivated, practical approach to task completion, ensuring efficiency and timely execution.
• Bonus: A genuine understanding of and enthusiasm for the VOLUME 0 brand and its curated collection of work, demonstrating alignment with the magazine’s mission.