Lead Writer Needed for Newsletter

Lead Writer Needed for 'A Sense of History' Column

We are working to expand our newsletter to offer more original content, and we are looking for a lead writer for the column A Sense of History. This column was started many years ago by our moderator Angelica and offers short articles connecting real-world history to Tolkien's legendarium.

What does a lead writer do? You'd ensure that there is a monthly article for this column. You can write the article yourself or work with other writers. (Ideally, the column would involve a bit of both.)

What content would you be writing or seeking to have written? Articles for A Sense of History should be short—no more than 1,500 words—and written for a general audience. They have a specific focus on a historical topic; examples might include trolls in folklore, weregild, or historical archery. This is not a column that requires highly detailed and technical historical information but aims to provide a broad overview of a historical topic and identify points of connection with Tolkien. Note that academic sources are not required for this column, and popular history sources are acceptable. The complete call for contributors has the requirements of the column, as well as a list of ideas for columns.

What would qualify a person for this job? You should have a solid foundation and interest in history so that you can identify possible topics for the column and produce accurate, engaging articles. You would be able to meet deadlines and have good communication skills, both with writers you are working with and SWG editors and moderators. Ideally, you'd have a basic understanding of how to select good sources and attribute those sources in writing; however, the SWG editors and moderators can also offer training and coaching in this area.

What specific tasks would I have to do?

  • Maintain a schedule of articles at least three months in advance using a shared Google Document. The schedule should include diverse topics (e.g., not solely focused on military history or taking only Eurocentric approaches) and ideally involve multiple contributors.
  • Collaborate with contributors to meet the expectations of the column and deliver an article on time. Editors and moderators will be available to help you here if the support a writer requires is more than you are able to provide.
  • Research and write articles on historical connections to Tolkien that meet expectations of the column.
  • Meet a monthly deadline for a completed article, either written by you or another author.
  • Communicate with editors and moderators as needed to prepare an article for publication, which will include working with our art editor to select art for the article and responding to questions during the copyediting process.
  • Be willing to be listed as the contact person for this column and answer inquiries about the column via email when they come in.

What does this job not require? You would receive assistance from the SWG moderators in recruiting contributors to the column (although you are certainly encouraged to use your networks and contacts to accomplish this as well). The final articles will be copyedited and posted to the site in accordance with SWG Reference guidelines by an editor or moderator.

Conflicts occasionally arise in fannish contexts. We never expect our volunteers to handle conflicts or tolerate disrespectful communications from anyone. SWG moderators will be available to take over such communications immediately in the unlikely event that they occur.

What supports are available? At the SWG, we believe in encouraging fans and non-academics to contribute to the field of Tolkien Studies. As such, we are willing to train, coach, and support contributors at various levels to see their work published. If you do not have all of the skills required for this position but think it sounds like something you'd be interested in, we encourage you to contact us. We will likely be able to help you gain the skills needed for the job.

Furthermore, the SWG editors and moderators will be available to you to offer any supports and answer any questions that you have. We aim for a 24-hour turnaround time but more often respond much faster.

Does this role sound interesting to you? Contact us if you'd like to be considered or if you have any questions!

Banner image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Posted on 22 April 2022 (updated 15 July 2022) by Dawn Felagund