HIMALAYA Editorial Assistant
This document details the responsibilities and expectations for an Editorial Assistant for HIMALAYA, the journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies (ANHS). The position is a paid hourly, part-time position, and will receive support from staff at the South Asia Center-Nepal Studies Initiative.
Must Haves:
1. Be a current graduate student in South Asian area studies, defined as any grad student working on a topic related to South Asia, in any college or department
2. Excellent written English, including spelling and grammar
3. A meticulous approach to work and an eye for details
4. The ability to maintain high-quality, self-directed work, while meeting deadlines
5. Excellent remote communications and project management skills, i.e., via email
6. Excellent knowledge of WordPress and other website building platforms
7. Ability to synthesize information, and promote news, events, and updates of the journal strategically
Desired Qualifications:
1. A love of and feel for language, and various other creative forms of expression, e.g., photos, poetry, etc.
2. Experience creating and implementing organizational communications strategies
3. Experience with search engine optimization and website-promotion strategies
4. Copy editing and production management for academic publications
Big 3 Areas of Responsibility (AoRs)
1. Develop and implement a communications strategy to advance HIMALAYA’s standing as a global thought leader in Himalayan and South Asian studies;
2. Assist with copy editing and production management for peer-reviewed articles; and
3. Maintain the online content and presence of HIMALAYA, including the HIMALAYA website (http://himalayajournal.org) and social media posts with information about current issues, news items, longer book reviews, and photo essays.
How to Approach the Role
The Editorial Assistant’s primary areas of responsibility (AoRs) will be to develop a broad communication strategy to: expand content on the HIMALAYA website, featuring lay- and academic-audience pieces about peer-reviewed work featured in HIMALAYA; target readership growth in both existing high-traffic and growing markets and demographics; and deepen HIMALAYA’s role as a global thought leader in innovation around regional and area studies for Himalayan, South, and Central Asian studies. Upon development and finalization of this communications strategy, the Editorial Assistant will implement the communications strategy together with other members of the editorial and production team.
The Editorial Assistant’s secondary responsibility will be to assist with copy editing and production management of peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed articles for publication. Following the peer review process, the Editorial Assistant will work with the University of British Columbia-based copy editor, Managing Editor, and Co-Editors to ensure that accepted articles are prepared and finalized in accordance with HIMALAYA’s style guide and publication standards. The Editorial Assistant will liaise with Berkeley Press and other production assistants to prepare accepted articles for publication.
The work-study Editorial Assistant also makes sure that the HIMALAYA website is current, up-to-date, and easy to navigate. The Editorial Assistant actively updates and circulates information about authors and articles on social media, and plays a critical role in expanding HIMALAYA’S presence on social media.
To Apply:
Please email uwnepal@uw.edu to apply for the position. Please use ‘HIMALAYA Editorial Assistant Application”in your subject line. Please submit your application by January 5th, but applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis. With your email, please attach:
1. CV or Resume
2. Cover Letter; please indicate your class standing (undergraduate/graduate student), department (or undeclared if applicable), and degree program. Please also indicate if/how you are affiliated with the South Asia Center-Nepal Studies Initiative or any other South Asian-related academic program at the University of Washington.
Optional, but highly suggested:
3. Writing Sample; please include either a short (<10pg) research paper, blog post, thought-leadership article, or any first-authored, peer-reviewed academic paper.
4. Website Portfolio; please include links to any websites you have created or maintained.