Open Call: Assistant Editor(s), applications due 15 September 2023

Early Theatre invites expressions of interest for the position of Assistant Editor.

We ask interested applicants to submit a short statement of interest (no more than 350 words) by completing this short form on or before Friday 15 September, 2023. In your statement, please indicate the nature of your interest in the position, how your skills and experiential knowledges prepare you for the advertised duties, and how the role aligns with your career aims.

About the Journal:

Early Theatre publishes original, peer-reviewed research on medieval and early modern drama and theatre history. Our scope includes work centred in documentary evidence of theatre and performance, as well as critical studies of plays and performances. The journal is particularly keen to disseminate new research on underexplored plays, authors, or types of performance; arguments that challenge conventional assumptions about periodization, performance, or reception; and studies that bring new theoretical, critical, or performance approaches to bear on early texts. For more information, please consult our About the Journal webpage.

Description of the Position:

The new Assistant Editor(s) will work with the journal’s core editorial team on submissions, peer review oversight, and publication of journal content. Exact assigned duties from among the following will depend on the nature of the successful applicant’s/applicants’ prior experience (if any) with, and particular areas of interest in, scholarly publishing:

• Copyediting and proofreading in conjunction with the journal’s production editor and/or other members of the editorial team;
• Production work, including serving as lead member of the core editorial team on production tasks required for a particular journal issue;
• Managing submissions, from initial submission through double anonymous peer review to publication decision making. This work includes developmental editing/mentoring of early career contributors;
• Assisting with training of paid student editorial assistants in copyediting and journal outreach;
• Assisting with maintaining the journal website;
• Assisting with journal promotion at conferences and via e-newsletters/social media accounts;
• Representing the journal at academic conferences, including meet-the-editor sessions;
• Soliciting new submissions, including for Issues in Review sections;
• Attending advisory board meetings (1-2 per year) and participating in ad hoc advisory group working groups as needed;
• Advising the General Editor regarding advisory board membership, policies, and practice;
• Assisting the General Editor with preparation of SSHRC Aid to Scholarly Journals grant writing.

New Assistant Editor position(s) will start in October 2023 and be for an initial five-year term, with options for renewal and/or promotion to the role of Associate Editor.

The new Assistant Editor(s) will receive active support and mentoring from the journal’s current core editorial team. They will begin by shadowing the Editor, Melinda Gough. and/or Associate Editor, Erin E. Kelly, during copyediting, proofing, and publication of the 26.2 (December 2023) issue. During their first year in the position, they will also shadow the Editor and/or Associate Editor in managing new submissions and other aspects of the peer review process, attend relevant editorial team and advisory board meetings, and participate in one advisory board working group. (For more about such groups, see the Editorial for 26.1, June 2023.)

No previous editorial experience is required, but candidates must be interested in developmental editing, particularly with early career researchers; willing to facilitate vetting of new submissions using the journal’s guidelines for peer review; willing to work with authors to help develop publishable copy and follow the journal’s style guide (and, where relevant, and with help from the journal’s paleographer and general editor, our paleography guide); able to work within deadlines tied to the journal’s predetermined production schedule; and committed to working collaboratively with other members of the journal’s editorial team (including student editorial assistants in training).

Candidates should have broad familiarity with the field of medieval and early modern drama studies. We are particularly keen to receive expressions of interest from medievalists, and from applicants with experience in and/or interest in learning more about the following areas: archival/records-based theatre history; performance studies (including Performance/Practice as Research); disability studies; critical race studies; gender and sexuality studies.

While prospective applicants will include scholars with their own records of peer-reviewed publication as well as subject expertise in areas relevant to Early Theatre’s focus and scope, we also welcome applications from individuals who may not have significant prior publishing experience but who are interested in learning more about, and contributing to, scholarly communication in the fields of medieval and early modern drama and performance. We particularly encourage applications from candidates who are members of communities that have been historically underrepresented in scholarly publishing and in medieval/early modern studies, and from scholars affiliated with Canadian postsecondary institutions (however, this position is not limited to Canadians).

This position provides an opportunity to help shape the field by joining a dynamic editorial team committed to disseminating diverse scholarly approaches to medieval and early modern theatre and performance studies. It also offers opportunities to hone one’s editorial skills, support authors at various stages of their careers, learn about new developments in research and in scholarly publishing, and expand one’s professional networks.

The position of Assistant Editor is a service position and is typically unremunerated. Should the successful candidate(s) be precariously employed, however, they will be eligible for material support relevant to the position (e.g. computer equipment, attendance at one national or international conference per year as a representative of the journal, and/or a small stipendiary honorarium).

For more information:

If you would like to discuss the role informally prior to applying, please contact the Editor, Dr. Melinda Gough, and Associate Editor, Dr. Erin E. Kelly, at earlytheatre@mcmaster.ca.