Social media and features editors wanted

The F-Word is looking for UK-based volunteers to join our team of editors. We have two roles available: features (co-editing with Pooja) and social media. Both positions offer an opportunity to play an exciting part in building The F-Word as a feminist resource.

If you’d like to take on either of these roles, we’d love to hear from you! Here are some details about what the positions involve and how to apply:

Social media editor

For this role, your main duties will be:

  • promoting F-word content on Facebook and Twitter
  • forwarding requests from social media to relevant team member(s)
  • tactfully dealing with questions and comments on social media
  • exploring the use of other social media (e.g. Pinterest and LinkedIn)
  • working with the rest of The F-Word team, where necessary
  • attending Skype meetings every two months.

What you will bring:

  • enthusiasm about The F-Word
  • awareness of tools and apps for publicising site content
  • some time, energy and regular internet access
  • social media experience, ideally in promoting an organisation/event/initiative
  • commitment to the role for at least six months (with a minimum period of one month’s notice).

Familiarity with blogging platforms, some editorial experience and at least basic HTML skills would also be an advantage.

Features editor

For this role, your main duties will be:

  • responding to pitches and reviewing opportunities (including spotting and avoiding spurious content)
  • sourcing ideas and commissioning features, with a focus on encouraging new voices from diverse perspectives
  • working with a broad range of contributors, from those who have never written for publication before to experienced journalists
  • editing and posting features, in line with our style guide
  • moderating comments on published features
  • working with the other section editors and The F-Word team, where necessary
  • attending Skype meetings every two months.

What you will bring:

  • enthusiasm about The F-Word and developing our features section
  • some time, energy and regular internet access
  • ideally, some editorial experience (particularly in terms of adhering to a set style guide)
  • the ability to give submissions a critical edit, making sensitive suggestions to the author and offering guidance, where needed
  • familiarity with blogging platforms and at least basic HTML skills
  • a willingness to work in a team, alongside another features editor
  • commitment to the role for at least six months (with a minimum period of one month’s notice).

It is frequently reported that women don’t put themselves forward for leadership roles as often as men do, despite extensive qualifications and experience. Along with this, we’ve seen women who attain positions of power saying they did not feel entitled to them until they ‘gave themselves permission’ or were given an opportunity by a more privileged male counterpart. This has led us to collectively take the decision to invite applications from self-identified women/genderqueer people/non-binary people/those who do not define as male.

The F-Word is an online magazine dedicated to talking about and sharing ideas on contemporary feminisms from the UK and elsewhere. The collective goal for the site is primarily to provide a platform that welcomes and shares perspectives representing intersectional feminisms through contributions from a diverse range of women and non-binary people. This includes writers and editors of minority ethnicities (including Black, Asian, migrant or refugee people and individuals of dual or multiple ethnic heritage), along with those who are disabled, LGBTQ, older, sex workers or working class. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, so please don’t be put off from applying if you’re interested but don’t identify with the perspectives above, particularly if you feel your own is currently under-represented in the feminist blogosphere.

Please note that The F-Word is run entirely online by unpaid volunteers. We are aware of current discussions around the politics and ethics of expecting people to work for free, but can unfortunately only offer permanent volunteer roles. The fact nobody involved in the site is paid for their work here means there is no hierarchy or differentiation between paid and unpaid positions.

To apply for either of the roles: please email us ([email protected]) with a brief message setting out a) which one you would like to apply for and why you want to take it on, b) how you would develop this area of the site and c) any prior relevant experience.

The deadline for applications is 19.00 on Saturday 11 March.

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Please note that we still have yet to find a visual arts editor and also have gaps to fill in terms of coverage of comics and games. We don’t currently have the capacity to recruit for more than two roles simultaneously, but hope to start work on recruitment in these areas as soon as we can. Watch this space!

In the meantime, please feel free to get in touch informally if you would like to put yourself forward as a potential section editor in either of these areas.

The picture is by #WOCInTech Chat and shared under a creative commons licence. This shows a person with long braided black hair, typing on a laptop while seated on a leather chair in front of a window. She wears two gold nasal piercings (right nostril and septum), horn-rimmed tortoiseshell glasses and a black and white patterned dress.