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Join the Iron Oak Literary Team (West Trade and Iron Oak Editions): Current Available Positions
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WEST TRADE REVIEW (Literary Journal)
West Trade Review is an independent nonprofit quarterly literary journal based in Charlotte, NC, and is dedicated to supporting the literary and arts community. All West Trade Review staff are volunteers.
We have two regular reading periods (April 1-August 1 & August 15-December 15) and sponsor a contest period (January 15-March 15) for both poetry and fiction. We publish three quarterly online editions (summer, fall, winter) and one large print edition each spring (approx. 200-225 pages).
Our mission is to perpetuate the work of artists both well known and yet-to-be-known, simultaneously enriching our world through the written word and visual arts. We strive to reflect diversity in style, content and perspective throughout prose, poetry, photography and other artwork.
Our focus is to simply present to you the best art possible by both emerging and established creative minds.
We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and seek to publish underrepresented voices of all types (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, cis and trans women, gender non-conforming, agender, non-binary, genderqueer, those who are Two-Spirit, people with disabilities). Individuals from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply for any open position.
Work from West Trade Review was recently selected for inclusion in Best American Essays, Best Debut Short Stories (PEN/The Richard J. Dau Prize), Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions.
Send a cover letter and resume to Ken Harmon at westtradereview@gmail.com. Please place position title in email subject header.
Work for all positions is completed remotely (Submittable, Slack, Trello, and Zoom).
PROSE (FICTION/CNF) AND POETRY READERS
Readers are the backbone of every literary journal as they are the first to encounter all submissions.
Candidates for positions as readers:
- must have creative writing workshop experience
- should be self-motivated and capable of meeting deadlines
- must have a solid educational or professional background in creative writing and/or literature that allows for insightful analysis of a submission, including strengths and weaknesses of each piece.
-- must have approximately 5-10 hours per week to devote (time required varies weekly)
- should be capable of reading quickly and efficiently without sacrificing quality
All work is completed remotely via Submittable and Slack. Biweekly Zoom meetings (1 hour) are required.
This is a volunteer position.
Book Reviewers
West Trade Review seeks insightful, articulate book lovers to join our quarterly reviews team. We are deeply committed to championing contemporary literature by independent literary presses, ensuring that vital new voices in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry receive the deep critical attention they deserve.
We view a book as a serious work of literary criticism and expect reviewers to engage deeply with the mechanics of the text rather than heavily relying on plot summary.
Our reviews are typically in the range of 1000-1200 words, and should form a clear analytical argument about the text.
To uphold our commitment to high editorial standards, writers are expected to work directly with our Reviews Editor throughout the revision process.
How it works:
Each quarter our Reviews Editor emails a list of books to the reviewers in our pool of writers. If a book captures your interest and fits your schedule, you simply reply to the email to claim it, and we will coordinate getting a copy into your hands.
Candidates should have a solid history of publication and/or an undergraduate degree in Literature or Creative Writing (graduate degree preferred).
If you're interested in joining our pool of reviewers, contact Ken Harmon at westtradereview@gmail.com. Include a vitae or traditional resume and a writing sample, preferably literary criticism or a previously published book review.
SOCIAL MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS TEAM MEMBERS:
Members of this team need the following skills:
- to be self-motivated and capable of meeting deadlines
- to understand the function of social media as tool for communicating with a specialized audience (X, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, and Facebook).
- possess the ability to clearly express oneself in writing
- have approximately 2-3 hours per week to devote
Members of this team develop ideas for promotions and write weekly social media content for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Team members may also work on the monthly newsletter using the Substack software. Knowledge of Substack program as well as Adobe Express, Adobe Audition, or Trello preferred, but not required. Will train.
This is a volunteer position.
Internships (unpaid, remote):
Note: This is an unpaid position supporting an all-volunteer staff.
The focus of an internship is to familiarize you with all aspects of what it means to run a literary journal or press and exist in an independent nonprofit literary environment.
This includes assisting editors with projects as needed and learning about the reading/editorial process, social media engagement, how a journal supports its writers, layout/design using Adobe Creative Suite, building webpages, designing newsletters, editing audio and video files, data analytics, etc.
All work is completed remotely and will require 10-15 hours a week of your time. Internships are available each fall, spring, and summer. Send resume and cover letter outlining the requirements of your internship and your interests in literature, creative writing, publishing, and/or the skills you'd like to develop during your time with us to Ken Harmon at westtradereview@gmail.com. Place "Possible Internship" in the subject line. Any questions may be directed to this email address as well.
IRON OAK EDITIONS (PRESS)
The publisher and book editors at Iron Oak Editions first came together as a team with their work on West Trade Review, and after successfully growing and building their journal audience decided that the next logical step was to continue that growth together as a press.
Our mission is to perpetuate the work of artists both well known and yet-to-be-known, simultaneously enriching our world through the written word. We strive to reflect diversity in style, content and perspective throughout poetry and prose.
We are an independent nonprofit literary publisher whose goal is to simply present to you the best literature possible by both emerging and established creative minds.
We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and seek to publish underrepresented voices of all types (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, cis and trans women, gender non-conforming, agender, non-binary, genderqueer, those who are two-spirit, people with disabilities). Individuals from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply for any open position.
For all Iron Oak Editions positions, send a cover letter and resume to Ken Harmon at ironoakeditions@gmail.com. Please place position title in email subject header.
PROSE EDITOR
Candidates for Prose Editor:
- must possess an MFA in fiction or creative nonfiction and/or have a strong history of publication
- have previous literary journal, publishing, or teaching experience
- be capable of reading quickly and efficiently and attend occasional prose team Zoom meetings.
- Expect to participate in editorial meetings and discussions
- have 5-10 hours a week to devote
Candidate should expect to work closely with the Publisher. All work is completed remotely via Submittable, Trello, Zoom, and Slack.
This is a volunteer position.
PROSE (FICTION/CNF) AND POETRY READERS
Readers are the first to encounter all submissions. For the press this includes fiction and nonfiction queries (cover letters, manuscript summary, and a manuscript excerpt). Poetry readers review cover letters and full poetry manuscripts.
Candidates for positions as readers:
- must have creative writing workshop experience
- should be self-motivated and capable of meeting deadlines
- must have a solid educational or professional background in creative writing and/or literature that allows for insightful analysis of a submission, including strengths and weaknesses of each piece.
- must have approximately 5-10 hours per week to devote (time required varies weekly)
- should be capable of reading quickly and efficiently without sacrificing quality
All work is completed remotely via Submittable and Slack. Biweekly Zoom meetings (1 hour) are required.
This is a volunteer position.
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