Sigma Tau Delta invites applications for the position of Managing Editor of Publications. The Editor manages the publication of the organization’s two literary journals, the Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle and the Sigma Tau Delta Review, published once each academic year. The Rectangle features creative works while the Review includes critical pieces. The Editor is appointed by the Sigma Tau Delta Board of Directors for a period of five years, serves on Board committees, attends the spring Board meeting, and organizes the spring journal reading held in conjunction with the spring convention. The Editor is also responsible for selecting and working with up to three student interns, whose term runs from May 15 to August 15. Sigma Tau Delta covers all publication and distribution costs, pays for expenses related to the meeting attendance, and provides various financial assistance. An honorarium of $5,000 will be provided annually.
The Editor should be a current faculty member at an institution with an active Sigma Tau Delta chapter. The position provides considerable exposure for the school at which it is housed. All copies of the Rectangle and the Review bear the school’s name, and they are catalogued with the Library of Congress.
Interested candidates may contact the Sigma Tau Delta Central Office at sigmatdapply@niu.edu for additional information about the position. Applications should be submitted to Matt Hlinak, Executive Director, via email to sigmatdapply@niu.edu. In the subject line, type EDITOR POSITION; and attach:
- a letter of application, with a statement of qualifications;
- a letter of recommendation; and
- a full curriculum vitae, including two additional references.
These attachments should be in Word (doc or docx) or PDF format, titled to reflect the contents of each attachment (Letter of Application, CV, and Recommendation).
Deadline for Application:
October 1, 2026
Projected Starting Date:
January 2027
Editor of Publications Position Description
The Sigma Tau Delta Managing Editor of Publications is appointed by the Sigma Tau Delta Board of Directors for a term of five years and serves under its direction. In this position, the Editor is expected to:
- maintain general managing responsibility for publishing the organization’s two literary journals, the Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle and the Sigma Tau Delta Review, published online once each academic year;
- work with the Central Office and appropriate committees to recruit, select, and manage up to three student interns;
- submit biannual written reports to the Board;
- organize a reading from the Rectangle and Review at the annual spring convention;
- attend the spring Board meeting as a non-voting participant and serve on other Board committees; and
- complete a performance evaluation after the first and third years in the position.
A general timeline for the publications is outlined below:
Spring Semester
- organize and invite authors to participate in a Journal Reading session at the annual convention
- establish/review criteria for judging
- coordinate with the Central Office to recruit qualified external readers to conduct blind review of submissions
- arrange for established writer(s) to judge best writing awards for the journals
- screen internship applications, recruit reviewers, interview final candidates, and select up to three student interns, based on applicants in the Winter Awards Cycle.
Summer Months (mid-May—mid-August)
- orient and train student interns
- read all submissions and select ones for further review
- recruit external readers
- send selected submissions to external readers
- determine overall content for the Rectangle and the Review after results from external readers
- send manuscripts for the Rectangle and the Review to the overall judge(s)
- prepare acceptance and rejection correspondence to be distributed by email through the submissions system
- supervise student interns (May 15—August 15 term) as they begin the editing process, typically meeting every few weeks
- notify authors of selected works and the award winners
Fall Semester
- edit manuscripts and author biographies; verify citations
- communicate with authors to finalize editorial changes
- follow guidelines provided by the Central Office and the graphic designer
- deliver publication-ready documents to the Central Office
- work with the designer and Central Office to review publication layout for edits and corrections
- approve final layout
Budgetary Concerns
The Editor will work with the Central Office and the Executive Committee each year to provide stipends for the external readers and for the overall judge.
Internship stipends will be approved by the Board and managed by the Central Office.
The Central Office provides online software and administration for submission and judging and manages journal publication. Additional funds may be available to assist with other costs.
