Vacancy for a Magazine Editor

We're looking for a new (volunteer) Magazine Editor !


Our magazine which began life as a newsletter with the birth of the Borders Family History Society in 1985 has always been seen as one of the principal ways that we use to communicate with our membership.

Over the years it has grown from being a thin newsletter to a 44 page magazine, produced three times a year, normally in March, June, and October and it contains articles, members' interests, queries, correspondence.

Almost everything comes from members, either directly or via the other office-bearers, and except if you want to write a column, there is seldom any need for you to write, other than for filling up small gaps.

What you do need is a gift for spotting articles that aren't interesting, mistakes, poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and typos, a keen eye for detail; and naturally, we expect the Editor to use a grammar amd spelling checker.

Even so, there's always another person to proof-read it.

You need to be diplomatic, too, for turning down the occasional boring article.

Most of all you need to be capable of laying out content (text, tables, and pictures) using a suitable program, organised enough to ask for the content when you need it, determined enough to chase it up (though when I was Editor, this was never a problem), so that it can be printed and sent out reasonably near the publication date.

Our current Editor has enjoyed immensely the job for 3 years, but work has to take priority and he feels he is just unable to devote as much time as he would like to the role of Editor.

There are lots of testimonials from happy readers, and very rarely any moans.

We're not tyrants, and we quite understand when your circumstances force a delay to the magazine; and the current dates aren't fixed in stone.

The job could be done from anywhere that has internet access, but you do need a fairly modern computer. The last 3 editors used Microsoft Word, but that's not a requirement, so long as you can produce a PDF to send to the printer by email; and we may be able to supply the software you wish to use.

Additionally, it will be our Silver Jubilee next year, so there will be plenty of readers wanting to know what's happening.

If you're one of our members, and this seems like a job you could do and would like to do, please do let us know as soon as possible, using the form on our Contacts page and selecting Unlisted Questions.

Here's your chance to be even more well known !

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