Are you a strong writer with a keen eye for visuals looking to develop your editorial skills and help us share our one-of-a-kind design collection with the world? Letterform Archive seeks a talented editorial assistant to support the creation of our editorially rich website and exemplary, visually driven publishing program. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a demonstrated passion for design history who is curious about the inner workings of a young arts organization and independent publisher.

DESCRIPTION

Reporting three days a week to the publisher of Letterform Archive Books and two days a week to the editorial director of the Archive’s website, the editorial assistant will work closely with editorial team members across the organization, coordinating artwork digitization for both the Books and Curatorial teams; drafting image captions and artwork labels for publications, exhibitions, blog posts, social media posts, and other content; conducting rights research and outreach; reviewing manuscripts in galley, proof, and blueline stages; providing competitive research for potential acquisitions; editing and formatting posts and pages for the website; and assisting in the creation of newsletter copy.
This position is in our office in San Francisco up to five days a week.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• An undergraduate degree in English, Art History, Journalism, or a related course of study
• A demonstrated interest in art, design, or typography
• Strong samples of undergraduate-level art or design writing
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Meticulous attention to detail, with a focus on accuracy
• Strong research skills
• Tech-savvy, with proficiency in G Suite, Adobe Suite, and macOS

PRINCIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Organize monthly artwork deliverables for digitization, reviewing and organizing visual assets for use in publications and on the website
• Research artwork specifications and generate captions for all imagery used across the organization, from the website to publications to gallery wall text
• Check copyediting and proofreading changes, indexes, tables of contents, cross references, and other book elements for accuracy
• Conduct rights research for licensed imagery and request approvals for usage
• Conduct competitive research for potential acquisitions
• Write, edit, and format blog posts
• Audit web content for readability and accessibility and compile info for new pages
• Coordinate incoming and outgoing deliveries and other workplace logistics
• Organize the publishing team’s product sample library and maintain its archive of process work
  In addition to set editorial assistant projects, the editorial assistant will be relied upon to pitch in as needed.

ARCHIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop familiarity with the Archive’s holdings and fluency in our mission
• Help publicize Archive programs, publications, and services
• Provide support at periodic evening or weekend events, including assisting at exhibition openings, author signings, publishing-related salons, or art book fairs
• Provide backup support as a gallery/shop attendant, when the need arises