HAD Seeks TMIAH Volunteer Editor

Are you a grammar geek who spots errors in everything — a misplaced comma, a wrong reference, an em dash where a hyphen should be used? Are you a science nerd who played school as a child? Do you have a passion for language and a deep affection for astronomy and history? Are you looking for experience as a science writer? Then you are an excellent candidate to be the volunteer editor for the This Month in Astronomical History (TMIAH) series.  

Each month, the AAS Historical Astronomy Division (HAD) publishes an article on the HAD website about an astronomy event from a given month in history, e.g., the birth of a noted astronomer, a significant discovery, first light of a major new telescope or instrument, publication of a groundbreaking research paper, etc. These articles are archived on the HAD’s website and appear on the AAS News web page.

We are now seeking a talented editor for our TMIAH column. This is a two-year volunteer position that reports to the HAD Secretary-Treasurer, with oversight by the HAD Leadership Committee.

Application Process

Please submit your CV/Resume and (five) samples of your work to the HAD Secretary-Treasurer. Your work samples may be PDF files or links to online documents. If you have a website or LinkedIn profile, please share the URL(s).

The closing date for applications is Monday, 1 December 2024, at 11:59 pm ET. The two-year term for this position will begin on 1 January 2025 and end on 31 December 2026. It’s estimated that this job will take less than 20 hours per month to perform.

Job Description (Key Responsibilities)

As the editor, you will solicit article ideas, collaborate with authors, and edit their work to produce well-written, well-researched, informative, and fun articles about events from the history of astronomy. These are not journal articles — they inhabit that middle ground between journal articles and popular science.

Authors are required to submit their work at least one month before publication to allow time for editing and revision. When an author can’t be found for a given month or is otherwise prevented from submitting their work, you will write an article for that month.

To ensure the smooth monthly publication of articles, the TMIAH editor will maintain a production calendar on which you’ll track author invitations, author submissions, articles under review, and articles published. The TMIAH editing team will maintain courteous contact with authors to keep them on schedule. Once a month, the production calendar will be shared with the HAD Committee for review.

In the unlikely event of an issue that may arise from the publication of an article, the TMIAH editor will manage the situation with diplomacy and tact. The HAD Leadership Committee will be included in the loop for all communications.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a science field, preferably astronomy/physics
• Two+ years’ experience editing and writing science for fun or education
• Good editing and writing skills
• Excellent experience with MS Word
• Good visual layout and desktop publishing skills
• Effective organizational skills
• Effective communication skills with individuals from various backgrounds
• Experience as a pleasant team player
• Willingness to learn how to guide or mentor authors with courtesy and respect
• Experience with the AAS journal style, plus the Chicago Manual of Style and/or AP Style