Job Openings
Riptide Is Hiring!
Riptide continually strives to publish only the best of the best LGBTQ fiction. This means we're seeking only the best of the best staff to make it happen. To entice such talent, we offer competitive wages (our editors make between two and seven times what editors at other erom presses make), flexible hours, tremendous opportunity for advancement, and a laid-back, close-knit atmosphere. You'll work from home, and because we are a small press, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your work will directly impact our success.
We're growing constantly, so we're hiring in multiple departments. Please read below to see which positions are open and what we're looking for in our applicants.
Admin
Primary Duties: Assist in the day-to-day marketing and PR tasks for the press. Perform research, help to cultivate and nurture our contact lists, prep blog tours, explore new marketing opportunities, develop marketing plans, assist with social media accounts, send review requests, vet NetGalley requests, liaise with authors to assist in their marketing efforts, design and order swag, design and manage ad campaigns, assist at conventions, write press kits, etc.
Required Skills: Superior research and communication skills, both written and in person. Friendly, energetic, and personable manner. Ability to work autonomously, under extremely tight deadlines in a high-pressure environment, with potentially little direction or supervision. Demonstrable creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Up-to-the-minute knowledge of social media, including standbys like Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, book-specific sites like Goodreads and LibraryThing, and emerging trends. Knowledge of the book industry, and specifically of the gay romance industry, is helpful but not necessary.
Required Experience: At least 90 credits toward an undergraduate marketing or publishing degree is required. Degree is preferable. Internship experience is desired but not necessary. We will train the right candidate, including college seniors.
Salary: $10 to $12 per hour, experience depending. Additionally, internship credit is possible for college seniors.
Notes: Candidate must be within commuting distance of Lawrence, NJ; you'll be expected to work in person with the Marketing Coordinator at least once per week. Currently, this is a part-time staff position (anticipate 15 to 25 hours per week), but in time it may lead to an offer of full-time employment.
How to Apply: Send cover letter, resume, portfolio, at least two references, and a sample Riptide press release (your choice of topics) to our Marketing Coordinator, Stephanie Grober.
Application Email:
Editorial
Primary Duties: Checking print and ebook galleys for layout errors such as stacks, widows, orphans, crashing elements, misplaced or misaligned graphics and headers, etc. Also checking converted files against the finished PDF to ensure no errors occurred during the conversion process.
Required Skills: Intimate knowledge of MS Word and the track changes function. Tremendous attention to detail and an eagle-eye. Strong time management skills; this is a deadline-driven job.
Required Experience: At least one year of full-time (or freelance equivalent) proofreading or production proofing for a publishing house, magazine, newspaper, or professional website. Internships may be counted in this time. We are willing to train the right proofreader for production proofing duties, but would prefer someone with at least some experience in production proofing.
Salary: $8 to $10 per hour, depending on experience.
Notes: Fast turnarounds are not required, but if you're able to work under tight deadlines (24 hours or less), please be sure to let us know.
How to Apply: Send cover letter, CV, salary requirements (within range posted above), and available hours to our Associate Production Manager, Alex Whitehall. Qualified applicants will be asked to take a test.
Application Email:
Primary Duties: Review line-edited manuscripts for grammar, pacing, flow, POV, word choice, logic, consistency of style and voice, fact checking, etc. You're the one who will catch blue eyes turning green, or the word "sat" used three times in three sentences, or a POV character noticing a detail he can't possibly see (like his hair mussed on the back of his head). You'll call out words that don't quite seem to fit, kill unnecessary dialog tags, offer replacement suggestions for extra adverbs, and suggest actions be reordered for accuracy or clarity. You'll slice ruthlessly at flab, point your sniper rifle at repetitious concepts, and demonstrate how to transform excess navel gazing into dialog and action. You'll make minor inline corrections for grammatical errors, and leave thorough comments for everything else. You will perform one primary pass on the mansucript before turning it back to the lead editor, and may be asked to perform one to three quick secondary passes to address whatever minor issues remain after the author has responded to your edits (re-reads are neither expected nor required during secondary passes).
Required Skills: Intimate knowledge of CMS and Merriam-Webster. Intimate knowledge of MS Word and the track changes function. Strong knowledge of US versus UK English conventions. Strong researching and fact-checking skills. Ability to learn and help to maintain house style guides and develop style sheets for individual manuscripts with uncommon usages. Strong time management skills; this is a deadline-driven job.
Required Experience: A minimum of two years of full-time (or freelance equivalent) fiction copyediting experience at a publishing house, literary agency, or magazine.
Salary: $.50 to $1.25 per 100 words, experience and skill depending.
Notes:
How to Apply: Send cover letter, CV, and salary requirements to rachel@riptidepublishing.com. Qualified applicants will be asked to take a test. Those who pass the test will be placed in queue for supervised live runs, for which they will receive payment.
Application Email:
Cover Artists
Primary Duties: Creating front-only or full-wrap digital paintings in high resolution for both ebook and print book use. You will work with extensive data provided by the author to create two to four concept sketches that accurately reflect the genre and content of the book, serve as a strong marketing tool, and display strongly in both large and thumbnail sizes. Work with marketing and the Art Director to hone concept sketches. Turn chosen concept sketch into a final painting. Be prepared for multiple rounds of minor revisions.
Required Skills: Superb photo-realistic digital painting skills and creativity. Strong ability to work with a team and take direction and criticism. Must be able to work without a reference; you will often have to create original faces from author descriptions. Ability to integrate painting with stock photos is not required, but highly desired. Ability to design the cover (choosing or creating, integrating, and arranging typography elements such as title, author, spine, and back cover elements with the finished painting) is not required, but highly desired.
Required Experience: None. Your portfolio can speak for itself, though if you have a professional design or fine art background, please be sure to mention it.
Salary: Front cover only, no typography: $100 to $200. Front cover only, with typography: $125 to $300. Full wrap, no typography: $150 to $350. Full wrap, with typography: $200 to $450. Ranges depend on experience, skill, and the complexity of the requested painting.
Notes: All Riptide painters work for hire; this means you sell us both the image and the copyright, rather than license it to us. You may still include commissioned paintings in your portfolio, you will receive credit (with a website/portfolio link) on the copyright page of each title you paint for, and you will be given a bio on our staff page where you may link to your website/portfolio.
How to Apply: Send a cover letter, CV, portfolio link, and salary requirements (within the listed ranges only, please) to our Art Director, L.C. Chase.
Application Email:
Primary Duties: Creating complete, front-only digital covers in high resolution for short- and novella-length ebooks. You will work with extensive data provided by the author to create two to three concept layouts that accurately reflect the genre and content of the book, serve as a strong marketing tool, and display strongly in both large and thumbnail sizes. Work with marketing and the Art Director to hone concepts. Turn chosen concept into a final cover.
Required Skills: Superb digital manipulation and digital effects skills and creativity. Strong ability to work with a team and take direction and criticism. Must be proficient with selecting and manipulating appropriate stock photos (and vetting them for overuse) and fonts. You are welcome to use your own photos with appropriate legal documentation.
Required Experience: None. Your portfolio can speak for itself, though if you have a professional design, photography, or fine art background, please be sure to mention it.
Salary: $50 to $75 per cover. Please note you are responsible for providing your own stock photos and fonts.
Notes: You will work for hire. This means you sell us both the final image and the copyright, rather than license it to us. You may still include commissioned covers in your portfolio, you will receive credit (with a website/portfolio link) on the copyright page of each title you do covers for, and you will be given a bio on our staff page where you may link to your website/portfolio.
How to Apply: Send a cover letter, CV, portfolio link, and salary requirements (within the listed ranges only, please) to our Art Director, L.C. Chase.
Application Email:
Primary Duties: Providing made-to-order, royalty-free, digital photographs for use in book cover designs. You will work with our Art Director to design the shoot, and provide her with multiple options from which to choose the final photo. You will be responsible for sourcing models, props, costumes, etc., and providing all associated legal documents (model release forms).
Required Skills: High proficiency in digital photography. Superb creativity. Access to all necessary equipment (cameras, lighting, studio space, etc.). Strong ability to work in a team atmosphere and take direction and criticism.
Required Experience: At least one year (or freelance equivalent) of studio experience, with models, on either a professional or focused amateur level.
Salary: $100 to $300 per final image, depending on the complexity of the shoot and retention or sale of copyright and/or exclusivity.
Notes: Images may be licensed royalty-free in perpetuity, exclusively or non-exclusively; or you may sell us the copyright. If you wish to retain copyright and non-exclusivity, under no circumstance may an image designed for us be licensed to another book publisher.
How to Apply: Send a cover letter, CV, portfolio link, and salary requirements (within the listed ranges only, please) to our Art Director, L.C. Chase.
Application Email: