77 Writing Jobs, Internships, Volunteer Opps, Fellowships, Pitch Calls, and More
Jobs for Writers (3.28.25) | Gigs at New York Review of Books and the Big 5, a pitch call that pays $2,500, how to break in to scholarly publishing, and fellowships galore!
Welcome to Sub Club’s Jobs for Writers!
I am so tired. But not so tired that I can’t tell you about all the things in this week’s newsletter: Jobs from the Big 5, of course; lots of fellowship opportunities for those of us who want to momentarily escape our lives to finally get some writing done; pitch calls that pay up to $2,500 (!!!!); and a couple of volunteer lit mag gigs. Let’s get it!
How to Break In
For this week’s How to Break In, I chatted with Amanda Conover, Production Editor at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Because it turns out that while scholarly publishing is often overlooked, it can be a very rewarding path!
“[Scholarly publishing] can be a fulfilling way to contribute to science and research while still having the energy to write outside of work,” she writes. “And a lot of us have backgrounds in English and/or Creative Writing!”
Ahead, Amanda talks about how this position has helped her explore the underbelly of publishing, the differences between publishing for creative writing versus scientific/academic research, and why you—yes you—should consider the world outside of traditional publishing too.
rachael vaughan clemmons: What's your background?
Amanda Conover: I have a Bachelor's degree in English and MFA in Poetry. After undergrad and before my first 9-5, I spent a year doing freelance work, teaching ESL online and writing articles for various companies. I got my first scholarly publishing job at J&J Editorial, which was acquired by publishing giant Wiley Publishing shortly after I joined. Those experiences led to my current position as a federal contractor for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)!
rvc: How did you get your foot in the door at NIEHS?
AC: After three years working in Production at Wiley Publishing, I wanted a new adventure. A recruiter reached out to me about this opportunity on LinkedIn, which is why I always advocate for keeping an updated LinkedIn profile. I was ecstatic to find a role in Production that centered on environmental health research, an area I find fascinating and personally care about.
rvc: Was there any specific experience that you think helped you grab the role of Production Editor? Do you think a specific skill set makes it easier to break into that role?
AC: I think my experience before entering the publishing world definitely helped, particularly my background as an online ESL teacher. A good amount of scholarly research comes from international authors, so already having the skills to navigate language-based misunderstandings was immensely helpful.
For the role of Production Editor, some of the most important skills to have include attention to detail, organization, time management, and project management. Oftentimes, there are various deadlines and conflicts to manage, so being able to stay on track of everything and properly prioritize tasks is essential.
rvc: Can you describe what your day-to-day looks like?
AC: In the world of scholarly publishing, production is the department that oversees the final stages of article publication. As a Production Editor, a large part of my role entails evaluating the quality of manuscripts—checking for adherence to journal guidelines, making sure relevant files are received, and verifying accessibility compliance. I do a lot of proofreading, corresponding with authors, and metadata/XML review. Typical Production Editor responsibilities can also include creating production schedules/timelines, managing a team of editors, leading projects, and maintaining style guides.
rvc: How has this position shifted your perspective on scholarly publishing? I feel like it’s kind of an overlooked path.
AC: This position has allowed me to explore the underbelly of publishing in ways I never would have considered had I stuck solely to the world of Creative Writing. As a Poetry Editor for a small literary and arts magazine, it's been fascinating to see how publishing works differently and similarly for writing vs scientific/academic research. Because this job is not writing-intensive, I get to dive deep into proofreading, XML, submission systems, and more in a way that energizes my after-work writing and helps inform my overall understanding of writing and publishing. It's fulfilling to contribute to important research allows me to have financial stability, work-life balance, and flexibility while I work on my writing goals–publishing poems, submitting my poetry manuscript, etc.
rvc: Can you talk a little more about the differences between publishing for creative writing vs scientific/academic research?
AC: When it comes to the creative writing world, I’ve noticed a lot less structure and formality than what I see in scholarly publishing, for better or worse.
Scientific/academic research tends to have very rigid procedures, such as a rigorous peer review process, strict adherence to particular formatting, and an insistence on valuing work through measures like citations and journal impact factors. The publishing process for creative writing tends to allow for more flexibility—a much quicker revision process on average, more opportunities to experiment with nontraditional forms and styles, and less importance on numerical data when it comes to measuring success.
rvc: I would also love to hear a little bit more about what you like about scholarly publishing. Why don’t people think of it as much of an option? And why should they?
AC: Scholarly publishing, in particular, is such an underrated industry for writers! When I got my Bachelor's, I only knew about other avenues of the publishing world, and I really wish someone had told me about scholarly publishing.
A lot of people who work in scholarly publishing—from editorial to copyediting to production—have backgrounds in English, Creative Writing, or the Humanities. I remember when I got my first scholarly publishing job and realized that these are my people, as many of us are writers and have similar backgrounds and interests.
For me, working in scholarly publishing helps me feel like I am contributing meaningfully to the world while also staying energized creatively for the writing I do after I log out. I believe many writers don’t know that this industry exists or that it can be a solid career option for those with English or Humanities degrees. Scholarly publishing has a ton of growth opportunities, is rewarding, and provides the stability and flexibility that can be hard to find elsewhere as a writer.
How did you break in? We want more stories about how people got their gigs in writing, editing, publishing, academics, or whatever else that’s writing-adjacent.
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77 Writing Jobs, Internships, Lit Mag Opps, Fellowships, Pitch Calls, and More
19 Pitch Calls from Paying Publications
10 Full-Time Jobs
2 Teaching Gigs
7 Fellowships + Residencies
2 Volunteer Opportunities
3 Internships
34 Open Opportunities from Past Issues
Remember to check out the full details from each job posting before you apply. Good luck!
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