Why not really make the most of your freshly-empowered break times (see this issue’s editorial) by getting involved with subtext, whether as an occasional contributor, a proof-reader or an editor? We offer no benefits, no pay and no glory. It’s fun, though. Please don’t think you need training or experience — we don’t have a clue what we’re doing either.
Get involved with our motley crew by emailing subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk.
One would be forgiven for thinking that the handful of names at the bottom of each issue of subtext represents the full number of people responsible. As editors, we’re primarily responsible for making everything look nice (or as nice as 10pt Courier New can look, at least); the real meat of each issue is largely the result of our correspondents (both credited and uncredited, both regular and irregular), without which subtext would not be able to carry on.
Our publication frequency is a function of how much we receive from our correspondents: we don’t have an issue until we have enough content to fill one.
We’ve posted a few adverts for new editors, but what we really need is more contributors. So, if you have something worth sharing (be it a report from an event you attended, an article on Lancaster Uni history, an opinion piece, a tip, etc.) please do drop us an email at subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk.
Finally, we don’t imagine we’ll ever find ourselves included in any official orientation material for new starters, so please do share us with any colleagues you know who may be interested in, but have yet to be exposed to, our parochial muckraking exploits.
Having recently produced an heir, one of the subtext collective will soon be taking some much-deserved parental leave. We wish them the very best with their little sub-editor, but this does leave us with very few (named) editors during a time of high drama in both the HE world and beyond.
We consider subtext, along with fresh-faced contemporaries like subtext and historical antecedents like subtext, to be maintaining a historic but important link to a rosier, more irreverent time in academia; a time when the relationship between academics and management was more ‘critical friendship’ and less ‘commercial in confidence’.
At its peak in May 2006 our little band of troublemakers numbered ten and we find that snark, like misery, loves company. We are asking for more of you lovely readers, contributors, letter-writers and detractors to join us!
You will:
Hours flexible. Pay nil. Politics negotiable.
subtext is a Diamond Open Access publication and you can choose whether you wish to be credited or anonymous. Though our primary audience is Lancaster University staff, our readership of tens/hundreds/thousands/millions includes alumni, emeriti, students and locals and we welcome applications from all of these groups.
If you’re interested, or would just like to know more, drop us an email at subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk and we’ll be in touch.