We Need Help: Now Hiring Contributing Editors!

Are you an obnoxiously talented and wildly ambitious queer writer with a unique voice and a desire to sacrifice your sanity and free time to a group of emotionally volatile wannabe-revolutionaries? GOOD NEWS: THAT DREAM COULD COME TRUE.

The Senior Editorial Team is revving up for our annual editorial “retreat,” which’s when we develop our vision for the ensuing year. Obviously this is an ideal time to look at applications and bring on some new humans!

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Hello, ladies

We Need Contributing Editors

Contributing Editors are the lifeblood of Autostraddle who give us at least 25% of their hearts/souls and compose the majority of our day-to-day content!

Right now we’re specifically looking for people who fall into one of these general types of writers:

1. Outgoing pop culture experts who are ready, eager and able to interview queer celebrities and wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone to get a quote. You should have a witty voice, an extensive knowledge of queer media history and be prepared to write hilarious top tens as well as to think critically about queer media representation like we did in this, this, this, this and this.

2. Strong, opinionated and gutsy writers with strong backgrounds in social issues and politics relevant to queers, feminists and people of color. You should be eager to spark compelling conversations, dig in to complicated arguments, invite debate and make your voice heard.

Time Commitment:

We’ll need about 2-3 posts a week from you, and ideally you’ll have at least one weekday free to do a breaking or otherwise timely news story. Many of our Contributing Editors do write a “regular” — an every-other-weekly column on a chosen topic/theme — you’re not obligated to do one, but if you have one in mind, please let us know!

You’ll also be a part of daily reply-all e-mails covering The Issues of the Day and be welcome to pitch and write stories on other topics whenever you want.

The Ideal Applicant Will Be:

  • Web-savvy with basic knowledge of HTML and extensive awareness of all things Autostraddle and queer internet.
  • A writer with a unique, well-developed style and voice as well as impeccable grammar, spelling and sentence structure.
  • Chock-full of original ideas.
  • Obsessively detail-oriented and passionate about research and fact-checking.
  • A self-starter comfortable working independently and taking initiative.
  • A REPORTER who is prepared to hit the pavement to hunt down compelling stories, attend events, report on local activism, cold-call potential sources and interview people both in person and on the phone. If you live far away from other queers, that’s totally cool but that makes it even more important that you’re comfortable cold-calling people.
  • Reliable and consistent. (If your response to mental distress is to ignore e-mails and phone calls from your colleagues, please don’t apply.) Working from a distance, rather than in a communal office, requires impeccable accountability and excessive communication.
  • Experienced with writing online.
  • Comfortable with social media.
  • Comfortable with having your photograph and name on the internet.
  • Prepared to get/be weird.

We are also especially interested in writers who are of color and are very open to applicants from outside of the US!

Omg that is SUCH a good picture of Ellen Page!

Omg that is SUCH a good picture of Ellen Page!

How to Apply:

Send resumé (PDF), cover letter (in the body of the email) and writing samples to laneia [at] autostraddle [dot] com. Please cc grace [at] autostraddle [dot] com, yvonne [at] autostraddle dot com, rachel [at] autostraddle dot com and riese [at] autostraddle [dot] com. Put “Contributing Editor 2014” in the subject line.

Your cover letter should answer the following questions:

  • What’s your availability?
  • Why the hell do you want to do this?
  • What are your areas of expertise?
  • What are your career/life goals and how does this fit into that?

We’ll also need:

  • Two story pitches
  • Resume
  • Two clips in the form of links to your published writing or a PDF of clips
  • Link to your Autostradde profile page. (Don’t have one? Get one!)
  • A short bio

Deadline: Please submit all your materials by July 5th. 

What’s In It For You:

Contributing Editors are paid per post, ranging from $15 – $100 per post. The majority of posts fall into a $25 or $45 pay level. Obviously this isn’t ideal and we wish we could pay you a million times more, but alas as an independently-owned website with an enormous staff operating on a shoestring budget, we just can’t just yet!

We also do our best to give you everything else we can, including obvious emotional rewards, free stuff (e.g., books, CDs, t-shirts), free and/or discounted AS merchandise, the opportunity to apply to be on the A-Camp Team (and thus be a part of camp for free), killer recommendations, press passes to events and financial reimbursement for any expenses incurred while doing your job.

You’ll learn a lot about writing/the world, build an impressive portfolio, learn valuable skills for future employment, join a kickass team of passionate queer women, have the freedom to write about the things you care about, and will enjoy truly being a part of something special. Plus, you know, “exposure” on a site that garners 3.5 million views a month and is the second-largest queer lady website in the universe.

Most of all, you should have fun! This means that you should consider writing, researching and working really hard to be “fun.” We do!

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!
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48 Comments

      • I don’t mind others reading what I write… BUUUUT what kills my hopes of applying to write here in AS is that I’m not out yet :'(

        DANG IT. Lets commiserate together :(

  7. Well, I could be an Editing Contributer! Not so sure about the reverse…

    All seriousness aside, best wishes to you guys for your search and to those who apply.

  8. I sorely wish I was old enough to apply for this. I mean, unless there was a change that legally or in terms of skill level minors would even remotely be considered, which I doubt. (Though if that’s actually a thing, sign me up.)

  9. I will be waiting for when you’re looking for spanish speakers writers. Latina represent!

    • I think you should apply and write your writings in both English and Spanish because that would be amazing.

    • Yes… I was thinking the same. I struggle a lot to write comments in English, let alone a whole article. But I’m a very good writer in Spanish! Promise!

  10. Who would I contact if I had a couple of ideas that I think would be a really great fit for the Autostraddle brand but don’t really qualify under the submission guidelines or this application for contributing editors?

  11. YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!!
    Time to go make my resume pretty.
    YAAAAAAY

  13. I wish I could apply for this.
    Unfortunately, I’m moving back to Kenya for a few years to be with my father. If you ever want someone to cover what’s going on in the LGBTQA community in East Africa, let me know!

    • They did say they are “very open to applicants from outside of the US!”. Not sure that means you could cover the community in East Africa, but I would be interested in that!

      • Right, yeah. My main thing is the internet coverage where I’ll be is pretty horrid. I’m basically going to be living in the middle of a national park, a few hours out of the city. :(

  14. I’m gonna keep waiting for the Spanish version of AS… Come on you guys, think about it! :-D

  18. Shame for me that it requires a link to a published article, as I haven’t one.  I’ve not done journalism before.  I got kinda excited at the idea, reading this… nevermind.  There are plenty other talented people out there who are published and have done journalism before, I guess.  Plus my pop culture knowledge would need like a major boost… doable but obviously better to already have it up-to-speed.  My excitement was mainly banking on my general bravery and doggedness, love of discovery and a little on my circumstantial personal attributes and would-be extreme clingyness to that all-elusive of creatures, potential employment.

    Ah well, one less competition for more qualified sorts.  Good thing in general, gotta stay positive!  :)

  20. How about a bi/femme voice with an expertise in HIV/AIDS issues? Got that covered. Tooooootally covered.

  21. I usually write and publish under a pseudonym as I’m not out and never planning to be to my family- I’m from a culture that makes it pretty impractical. Would I be OK to apply considering that or is it required that writers use their real, government recognized names? Could anyone answer this question?

  24. No matter what, I’ll never stop patting myself on the back for actually gathering my ovaries and applying for this.

  25. “second-largest queer lady website in the universe.” I know who’s the supposed first but i beg to differ. The other one has lost it’s natural queer impact a long time ago.

  26. So sad I was away for the week and just saw this now! I’ve wanted to write for you for a long time. Hopefully you’re hiring again soon!

  28. has anyone who applied heard back yet? I haven’t received any email, even confirming that my application was received, and I have that icky feeling that my email didn’t make it through or something.

Comments are closed.