Work with The Public Domain Review

August 25, 2020

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Plate from Giovanni Battista Bracelli's Bizzarie di Varie Figure (1624) — more here.

We are looking for an experienced editor, researcher, and writer to work with us on an ongoing basis to further our mission to explore curious and compelling works from the history of art, literature, and ideas.

In the first instance we’re looking for someone who would be available for around 12 to 16 hours per week to provide freelance:

editorial assistance with the Essays series – including assessing submissions, commissioning, communicating with contributors, and editing essays;

research and writing for the Collections pieces – including online research, the crafting of engaging text on an eclectic range of subjects, and preparation of images.

In the medium/long term the role could grow to involve other areas of The Public Domain Review’s activities, such as the PDR Press, website curation, social media activities, and more.

In addition to being familiar with and a fan of The Public Domain Review, the ideal candidate will have relevant writing, editing, and research experience. It would be a bonus if you have an academic background in fields in which we often publish essays and collections (e.g. early modern prints, rare books, or the history of science). We particularly welcome expressions of interest from people with Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, as these groups are currently under-represented in the cultural sector.

This will be primarily a remote working arrangement and you can be based anywhere in the world, though the fall of hours worked should at least partly overlap with a 9am to 6pm UK weekday. The PDR team is very small and you will be working mostly on a one-to-one basis with the Editor-in-Chief. (If you are based in London there may be opportunity to work face-to-face but this is not a requirement.)

While your work with us will reach an extensive audience, we are a small not-for-profit project running on a tight budget which is reflected in the pay we can offer. But what we lack in financial firepower we hope we can make up for in interest and flexibility of the work. Starting hourly rate offered will be commensurate with experience: range $16–$20/hour (ca. $33–$42k pro rata) / £12.50–£15/hour (£26k–£31k pro rata).

We are ideally looking to work with someone who is already a fan of the project, hence only advertising this opportunity through our site, newsletter, and social media channels, but please do feel free to share with someone who you think might fit the bill.

If you’re interested please get in touch through filling out this short form.

The form will be open until 8th September, with an aim to find someone to start as soon as possible, ideally within that month. However, we are flexible with start date, and can wait for the right person, so please do still get in touch if October or early November suited you better.

Any questions please contact Adam on adam.green@publicdomainreview.org.