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Position Announcement

Sigma Tau Delta Managing Editor of Publications

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 Editor is appointed by the Sigma Tau Delta Board of Directors for a period of five years, serves on Board committees, attends Board meetings, and and organizes the spring Rectangle readings (held in conjunction with the spring convention and Board meeting). Sigma Tau Delta covers all publication and distribution costs, pays for expenses related to the meeting attendence, and provides various financial assistance. An honorarium of $3,500 will be provided annually.

The Editor should be a current faculty member at an institution with an active current 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 persons may contact the Sigma Tau Delta Central Office at sigmatdapply@niu.edu for additional information about the position. Applications should be submitted to William C. Johnson, Executive Director, via email to sigmatdapply@niu.edu and should include the following:

Applicant Email: In the subject line, type EDITOR POSITION; and attach:

  • a letter of application, with a statement of qualifications;
  • a full curriculum vitae; and
  • a letter of recommendation and the names of two additional references, including contact information.

These attachments should be in Word (doc or docx) or in PDF format, titled to reflect the contents of each attachment (Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, and References).

Deadline for Application:

October 3, 2021

Projected Starting Date:

January 2022

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. The Editor has the following responsibilities:

  • The Editor has general managing responsibility for publication of the organization's two literary journals, the Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle and the Sigma Tau Delta Review, published online once each academic year.
  • The Editor works with the Central Office and appropriate committees to recruit and manage student interns.
  • The Editor submits biannual written reports to the Board and is a member of the Communications Committee.
  • In addition, the Editor organizes a reading from the Rectangle at the annual spring convention.
  • The Editor attends Board meetings as a non-voting participant and will serve on other Board committees.
  • The Editor is evaluated 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 the Rectangle Reading at the annual convention
  • establish/review criteria for judging
  • coordinate with the Central Office to arrange for qualified external readers to conduct blind jurying of submissions
  • arrange for established writer(s) to judge best writing awards for the journals

Summer Months (mid-May – mid-August)

  • read submissions and select ones for further review
  • 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
  • notify authors of selected works and the award winners

Fall Semester

  • edit manuscripts and author biographies; verify citations
  • follow guidelines provided by the Central Office and the 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

Money for external readers and overall judge: The Central Office will work with the Editor and the Communications Committee each year to provide money for the external readers and for the overall judge.

Administrative tools and publication: 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.

Application Questions

Interested persons may contact the Sigma Tau Delta Central Office sigmatdapply@niu.edu for additional information about the position.