Staff & Membership #
CCM’s staff is divided into two branches: the Editorial Board (EB) and the Creative Team (CT).
Editorial Board #
The Editorial Board takes the lead on publishing each issue and oversees all administrative and design tasks. It is comprised of six roles. Click through each to learn more about the position. Open positions contain a link to the application. Applicants may fill out multiple applications; we will place you in the position you seem strongest in.
= Position open
= Position closed
Editorial Director
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The Editorial Director is the head of the Editorial Board. They are responsible for the logistics and direction of the organization. This includes running meetings, maintaining documentation, and setting agendas.
Responsibilities
- Prepare and announce the agenda for weekly staff meetings. This requires delegating tasks, tracking their progress, and ensuring we stay on schedule. The Editorial Director is also responsible for announcing organizational changes such as membership changes, deadline extensions, meeting cancellations, etc.
- Create applications for submissions and staff.
- Prepare tutorials, minutes, and other documentation for posterity and onboarding. These documents are expected to be organized and easily accessible to other members.
- Communicate with staff to streamline work processes.
- Interface with CTM and EB in the case of disciplinary action and/or potential dismissal.
- Assign appropriate accommodations for staff, assist with conflict resolution, and act as a resource for the server and staff.
- Keep track of financial obligations (such as website domain renewal) and ensure we are up to date on payment.
Editorial Assistant
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The Editorial Assistant is responsible for establishing a timeline, onboarding CTM, and facilitating the review process. They can substitute for the Editorial Director in case of their absence.
Responsibilities
- Sketch out the timeline for each CCM publication.
- Facilitate the biyearly review process by tracking submissions with a spreadsheet, coordinating blind review, and tallying votes.
- Lead the biyearly CTM recruitment and onboarding. This includes contacting the applicants, selecting pieces for mock review, and managing the orientation.
- Take meeting minutes and upload them to Google Drive and Discord.
- Coordinate workshops alongside Managing Editors.
Managing Editor
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This role is divided between two people. Managing Editors lead workshops and review sessions and architect the newsletter. One Managing Editor should be more language-oriented and the other more familiar with visual arts.
Responsibilities
- Oversee the monthly newsletter process. This requires selecting the newsletter theme, soliciting content from members, writing copy, etc.
- Update the Google Calendar with monthly deadlines for newsletter curation.
- Conduct the biyearly review process. One Managing Editor will head the Language/Cultural & Social (LCS) review team and the other will lead the Visual/Spatial/Auditory (VSA) team.
- Managing Editors will oversee workshops according to their skillset. (LCS Managing Editor runs writing workshops; VSA Managing Editor runs visual arts workshops.)
Creative Director
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This role is divided between two people. Creative Directors are expected to create marketing material and guide the visual identity of CCM.
Pre Requirements
- Creative Directors must have access to photo editing software. Adobe Suite is preferred, especially Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. If they do not have access to Adobe Suite, they must demonstrate that they can work synergistically with their Co-Creative Director using alternative software such as Procreate, Krita, Gimp, etc.
Responsibilities
- Create graphics for social media posts and newsletter/blog posts.
- Create transparent thumbnails for issue publication.
- Spearhead the effort to create a cover for each issue based on the theme and tone. This does not necessarily mean they must design the covers by themselves–they are encouraged to collaborate with CTM–but they will be guiding the process and updating CCM regarding its progress.
- Will create design files that can be easily accessed by other team members. In case of emergency, they should be templatized and editable for another member to intervene.
- Assemble print-ready layouts of digital issues. We have a template for print layout, but the Creative Directors must decide the order and layout of pieces and create a PDF deliverable.
Communications Director
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This role is dedicated to managing how we interface with the public.
Responsibilities
- Run Creation Week and solicit ideas from EBM, CTM, and the general public to initiate social media campaigns, posts, etc.
- Oversee our email account and reply within three business days.
- Send acceptance/rejection emails for submitters and applicants.
- Manage Twitter and Instagram accounts–this includes networking, replying to direct messages, etc.
- Develop a repeatable, predictable schedule for social media activity and campaigns.
- Investigate litmag contests, conferences, and other opportunities.
Web Developer
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The Web Developer is expected to manage our website’s code and oversee the Discord server.
Pre Requirements
- Must be well-versed in HTML, CSS, and Javascript for front-end web management.
- Must know how to host static websites (or be willing to learn).
- Be aware of best practices for accessibility on the web; must be able to implement Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Responsibilities
- Work in collaboration with the Creative Directors to update the website’s front-end code. Our current workflow utilizes Hugo, Netlify, and Github.
- Update the website according to new information (such as staff changes).
- Upload the issue. The Web Developer must communicate their progress to develop an accurate timeline.
- Secure the login/password information to all social media accounts and periodically update the credentials based on membership changes.
- Oversee our Discord server and maintain the bots, server health, etc.
Creative Team #
CTM are recruited twice a year, but off-season applications are also accepted. They operate on more of an as-needed basis and are not expected to devote the same level of commitment as Editorial Board members.
Creative Team Member
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Creative Team Members assist with review sessions and blog content.
Responsibilities
- Attend review sessions, contribute substantively to the conversation, and vote on submissions. There are usually 2-3 review sessions per issue cycle, each one lasting approximately 2 hours or less.
- Each CTM is expected to contribute to the blog and/or social media content at least once per issue cycle.
- Assist with community-building efforts by helping organize events and social media campaigns.
Eligibility #
Anyone over the age of 18 can apply to join our staff! Ideal applicants will be communicative, creative, and cooperative. They will also have strong organization skills and be capable of meeting deadlines. Our application requirements vary depending on the position, but they all currently require you to:
- answer a few questions about yourself,
- share any relevant experience,
- and submit three creative samples.
Check individual applications for more information.
Recruitment #
- Creative Team Members will be actively recruited once per issue cycle.
- Applications are open year-round, but “off-season” applicants may have to partake in an asynchronous orientation.
- Synchronous orientation for CTM usually occurs approximately one month before review.
- Editorial Board applications will stay open until they are filled and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
- If an applicant does not currently qualify for an EB position, they may be offered a role as CTM instead and forgo the CTM application process.
- Applications are reviewed by the EB and then voted on. At least 75% of the staff must agree on new staff members.
- All applicants should receive feedback on their application within one month.
Revocation of Membership #
Although we prefer it doesn’t come to this, in cases of repeated misconduct, there may be situations in which the Editorial Board will elect to remove a member of CCM.
- If a staff member’s behavior is problematic, the Editorial Board will vote on whether or not to issue them a formal warning. Examples of concerning behavior include:
- Missing more than four consecutive meetings with no warning.
- Consistent non-participation in tasks.
- Mistreatment of fellow staff or members of the broader community.
- After three formal warnings have been issued, the member will be notified of their upcoming removal.
- Depending on the severity of the offense, the member may or may not be banned from the Discord server.
- In the case of a staff member vanishing/“ghosting,” staff may choose to forgo formal processes and consider the staff member as having de facto quit. A staff member is classified as “ghosting” if:
- They are unreachable after two separate attempts to contact them.
- They have not partaken in anything related to CCM (with no warning) for four consecutive meetings.
- If a staff member did not intend to quit, they may re-apply later, but there will be a meeting to clarify they are now capable of fulfilling their obligations.