SAND is searching for a new Poetry Editor to join our collaborative two-person poetry editorial team!

Want to be part of a creative group of volunteers and play an active role in shaping Berlin’s literary scene? Join the SAND team as one of our two poetry editors. We’re looking for someone Berlin-based who is familiar with SAND, passionate about poetry and literary magazines, and who has great taste, a cooperative spirit, and an open mind.

Applications due by Monday, 6 February, 2023 (midnight CET)

You should have most of the following:

• A commitment to SAND’s mission and values
• An understanding of our taste and aesthetic
• Experience in writing, editing and/or translating poetry
• A clear understanding of your own personal taste in poetry, but also openness to a wide range of poetic styles and forms
• Excellent knowledge of English style, spelling, grammar, and usage (non-native speakers are very welcome to apply, as long as they meet this requirement)
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, which will be critical for working with fellow editors and poets
• 6-8 hours’ availability per week (the time commitment is seasonal, with two ‘crunch times’ in early Summer and late Autumn. During the rest of the year, you will, of course, participate in the life of the journal, but the workload will be much lower)

Your main tasks will include:

• Reading poetry submissions, currently around 700 per twice-annual issue, to be shared between the two poetry editors and possibly additional readers
• Working with our other poetry editor to prepare a shortlist
• Working directly with poets on editing individual pieces
• Corresponding with the editorial coordinator and the designer about editing and proofreading questions
• Reading and discussing the shortlists for fiction, nonfiction, and visual art with the rest of the SAND team
• Contributing to other tasks related to running the journal, depending on your interests; e.g. research and outreach, helping with launch events, fundraising, etc.
• Attending monthly team meetings at 7:30 PM on the first Thursday of the month (online and in-person)

As with all SAND positions, this role is unpaid, though it may help connect you with paid opportunities in the future. We are currently pursuing funding models that would enable us to offer the SAND team compensation for their work, but we can’t promise payment in the short-term.

If you’re excited about this position and share our values, aesthetics, commitment and passion, but are not sure if you have all of the relevant experience, please apply anyway! It’s not necessary that you have formal academic qualifications in writing or editing: We’re most interested in getting an honest and authentic picture of how applicants will fit into and contribute to the SAND team.

To apply, please put together an application packet containing the items listed below. Include your application packet as a single PDF file in an email to [email protected] with the subject: Poetry Editor application.

• Your CV
• Your cover letter
• A list of five poets that inspire your own writing or editing
• A list of five literary journals (print or digital) that you admire
• Five poems you’ve enjoyed recently. Send us the full text of these poems (as scans, clear photos, or screenshots) and include these as a part of the single application packet PDF

All applications are due by Monday, 6 February, 2023 (midnight CET)