A SPECIAL CALL FOR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS
Deadline: March 4, 2024



Accepting the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature, the British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro urged us all to “widen our common literary world to include many more voices from beyond our comfort zones of the elite first world cultures.” Today, we invite you to heed his call by joining us behind the scenes! In additional to like-minded international friends, Asymptote provides the perfect training ground for those looking for a foothold in a career in world literature. Former staff have gone on to take up positions at The Wylie Agency, David Godine, Penguin Books, Dalkey Archive, and Words Without Borders.

There are many ways to get involved. As we finalize our recruitment decisions, we’re especially looking for Social Media Managers (but if you feel strongly about joining the team in other capacities, we’d still be happy to hear from you). 

Three-month internships can also be arranged for most positions, but permanent staff members looking to be involved for at least a year (for the editorial roles especially) are preferred.

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“I was drawn to Asymptote by its mission, which is powerful in the manner of a great scientific theory or math proof: startlingly simple yet wide-reaching—and quintessentially of our time. Facilitating conversations between cultures not only creates a more vital literature but also affirms a belief in shared humanity and value. That is, I'm a fan of the magazine not only because it presents great writing, but also because its existence innately promotes efficacy and justice, outside the confines of any one political discourse. There's no greater calling for the arts.”

—Dolan Morgan, former Assistant Managing Editor



Editorial / Art

Assistant Editor (Poetry)

Among our most coveted roles is the Assistant Editor position. The successful candate will assist the Poetry Editor by weighing in on slushpile submissions, as well as by researching and soliciting work from underrepresented languages. Adventurous readers with a deep inclination for literary discovery—who relish being at the forefront of world literature—are encouraged to apply. Please include, in your letter of application, nominations of two authors from non-English speaking traditions you think should be better known to English readers, making a succinct case for each of them.

 

Copy Editor

We seek meticulous, conscientious Copy Editors to get involved in the production of our massive quarterly issues. Candidates must have experience working with a style guide, have some copy editing experience under their belt, and be able to adhere to editorial schedules.



Guest Artist

Talented illustrators (including photographers) are encouraged to try for our guest artist positions by submitting a cover letter and providing a URL to a portfolio website. Rolling deadline.




HR and Operations

Executive Assistant

Essential to keeping Asymptote afloat, the Executive Assistant we’re looking for will help with organizing submissions, uploading content to our website, therefore assisting directly in our issue production. We seek someone with a sharp eye, meticulous, and good at communications. 



Assistant
 Managing Editor

Do you have experience motivating and supervising a virtual team? If so, and if you would like to apply your organizational and management skills toward catalyzing the transmission of world literature, we would like to speak with you. 




Marketing, Communications, and Social Media


Newsletter Editor

We seek a Newsletter Editor to maintain the high standard of communications. The successful applicant will help to generate external communications (mainly fortnightly airmails and mailers). Graphic design skills a plus but not required. Only the most meticulous candidates, capable of generating impeccable copy, need apply. 



Marketing Manager


Our Marketing Manager should be someone familiar with the language of advertising and specifically with email and social media campaigns. In addition to planning publicity campaigns around our issues as well as our various initiatives, the Marketing Manager might also work with the Book Club team or the Educational Arm to strategize outreach. If you are passionate about world literature and consider yourself a creative person with experience in marketing, we’d love to hear from you.



Social Media Manager (English)

Social Media Managers are responsible for Asymptote’s online presence—not just in terms of promoting the journal’s content but transforming our social media platforms into hubs for news and discussion about world literature. Applicants should be versatile, savvy with digital content, and possess impeccable copy skills. We are especially interested in candidates with graphic design skills (as well as access to the relevant software, especially Photoshop), although this is not a must.



Social Media Manager (French or Spanish)

Same as above, but in French or Spanish. If you have relevant social media experience and native French ability, and are willing to help us to develop our Asymptote en français Facebook page, or our Asymptote en español Facebook page, we’d love to hear from you!






Educational Arm

Educational Arm Assistant

We're in need of staff members familiar with the educational system who can assist in our efforts to form relationships with educators and facilitate the uptake of our literary materials in the classroom setting. The Educational Arm aims to work individually with instructors, tailoring our materials to their specific needs. Educational Arm Assistants also help to generate our quarterly educational guides and pedagogy-related blog content. For more information and all educational resources that we have produced in the past, please refer to our Asymptote for Educators informational page here.




Design and Multimedia


Graphic Designer

Crucial to maintaining our aesthetically particular brand image, good Graphic Designers are always in high demand at Asymptote! Team members in this role cover the graphic design needs of our many platforms (ranging from print to online, to even ebook design). Please submit a portfolio along with your application.



Video Producer

We are looking for a Video Producer to help us generate more video content, including but not restricted to publicity material for our issues, such as these trailers for our Winter 2014 and Fall 2015 editions. Along with other publicity material that might also be commissioned, these videos will be shared on our social media platforms. Candidates should have strong video production skills. Please submit a portfolio along with your application.



Sustainability

Business Developer

We are looking for a second Business Developer to work with our Business Development and Sustainability team to brainstorm, pitch, and implement initiatives focused on bringing in revenue for Asymptote and ensuring the journal’s financial survival. This could involve revamping current Asymptote initiatives, or building out new initiatives from scratch. The ideal candidate is someone who is creative, strategic, and data-driven, with a strong commercial sense and fresh ideas for revenue generation. Interpersonal and communication skills, as well as an understanding of shifting organization structures are a must. Flexibility and ability to work within a team are extremely important. Project management skills are a big plus, as well as having a strong sense of ownership over initiatives and projects.




Fundraiser

If you have experience with fundraising and would like to put it in the service of world literature, we'd love to speak with you!


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All Asymptote staff work from home—pitching in anywhere from four to eight hours a week—and communicate via email and Skype or Google Hangout; upon admission into the team, they are encouraged to pitch in secondarily to our various platforms if they are so inclined.

To apply for any of these unpaid positions, please send a cover letter (as a Word doc or in the body of the email please!) explaining why you’d like to join our team and a copy of your CV to editors@asymptotejournal.com, with "APPLICATION:" and the position(s) you’re applying for in the subject line. Take note that most positions will start out with a 3-month orientation (requiring a commitment of eight hours a week) during which you will get to know the journal and your fellow team members. After this orientation period, we will evaluate your performance and determine your future role with Asymptote. (Hours will come down to four to eight hours a week, depending on which permanent role you’ve taken with us—some project-based positions may not even require a weekly commitment.)

If you want to be part of the movement to usher in a more inclusive world literature, send in an application today! 

And if you're not able to volunteer your time, there are other ways to support our mission: Consider, for example, joining us as a sustaining member from as little as USD5 a month!

Note: As a rule, we usually get back to our applicants with an outcome within a month but sometimes it may take up to three months to determine the right candidate for our openings. Thank you for your patience!