About

Editorial Assistant
Reports to Editor, Poetry Magazine

May 27 2009

Job Title: Editorial Assistant

Summary: Proactively support the Editor and the editorial team at Poetry magazine in all aspects of magazine production and office management.  Specific responsibilities include:

• Maintaining and updating various FileMaker databases (submissions, contributor acceptances/contracts, awards, special offer orders, etc.)
• Processing all outgoing mail generated by the magazine; open, date, & distribute incoming mail for the magazine
• Tracking all regular mail magazine submissions and preparing them for review, acceptance, and rejection; managing online submission system
• Drafting general and editorial correspondence
• Fielding general, press, and author queries via phone, mail, and e-mail
• Preparing acceptances forms, contracts, and payment invoices for contributors
• Maintaining and updating electronic and regular files including literary correspondence, biographical info, author contracts, proofs
• Maintaining in-house library (cataloguing, shelving, and storage of books and magazines)
• Coordinating with publishers and reviewers on the acquisition and distribution of titles assigned for review
• Typesetting and proofreading of magazine pages and advertisements
• Preparing monthly file of magazine-related materials for the website
• Packaging and storage of monthly issue folders
• Maintaining file of board book materials
• Assisting with Foundation and magazine events
• Preparing forms, guidelines, and procedures for annual Ruth Lilly Fellowship contest and National Poetry Month reading group offer
• Providing general administrative assistance to the editorial staff

• Be a self-starter with a high level of motivation and the ability to work well independently
• Be detail-oriented with excellent organizational and follow-up skills
• Have excellent interpersonal skills on the phone and in person, and be able to handle situations that require tact, judgment, and diplomacy
• Have strong writing and proofreading skills
• Be able to take direction from and prioritize the needs of multiple staff members  
• Be capable of and multitasking and balancing diverse administrative duties
• Perform well under the pressure of magazine deadlines
• Be knowledgeable about general office management
• Be proficient on MS Word, Excel, FileMaker, and InDesign

Job Experience:
Candidate must have a high school diploma, plus an Associate degree, BA, or BS, and 3-5 years administrative experience in a similar position.

About the Poetry Foundation:
The Poetry Foundation is a non-profit, Chicago-based, literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Foundation has for over ninety years published the foremost poetry magazine in the country, Poetry.
 
More information about the Poetry Foundation may be found on its website at www.poetryfoundation.org.

Salary:
This position offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits. Full-time, exempt.
 
Application:
Interested applicants should email a cover letter and C.V. or resume to employment@poetryfoundation.org (please send all attachments as a Word or RTF document; subject line: Application for Editorial Assistant position).
 
If sending by post, address your envelope to: Valerie Johnson, c/o The Poetry Foundation 444 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 1850, Chicago, IL, 60611.

The Poetry Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.