Volunteer Editors & Copy Editors — Rock & Art | Remote, Worldwide

About the role

We are looking for Volunteer Editors and Copy Editors to help shape, strengthen and refine Rock & Art’s editorial work.

Editing at Rock & Art is not simply about fixing grammar.

A good editor helps a writer discover what an article is actually trying to say. They identify gaps in reasoning, strengthen structure, question unsupported assumptions, improve clarity and ensure that an argument remains coherent from beginning to end.

At the same time, copy editing ensures that the final text is accurate, readable and consistent.

Depending on your experience and interests, you may work primarily as a substantive/developmental editor, cultural editor, copy editor or proofreader. You do not need to perform every type of editing.

What you will do

Depending on your role, you may:

• Review submitted and commissioned articles.
• Evaluate structure, argument, narrative logic and editorial coherence.
• Identify areas requiring additional research or context.
• Question assumptions, generalisations and unsupported claims.
• Help writers distinguish evidence from interpretation or opinion.
• Assess whether an article delivers meaningful value to the reader.
• Suggest structural changes where necessary.
• Work collaboratively with writers through revisions.
• Copy-edit for grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation and readability.
• Ensure consistency in terminology, tone and editorial conventions.
• Proofread final drafts before publication.
• Identify potential issues that should be escalated for fact-checking or legal/risk review.
• Apply relevant Rock & Art Editorial System (RAES) standards and workflows.
• Help ensure that individual articles contribute coherently to Rock & Art’s wider body of knowledge.

You will not be expected to know RAES before applying. Relevant editorial frameworks, standards and workflows will be introduced during onboarding.

What we are looking for

We are interested in editors who understand that editing is both a technical discipline and an intellectual practice.

You may be:

• an experienced editor or copy editor;
• a journalist with strong editorial experience;
• an academic or researcher with experience working with complex texts;
• a professional writer with strong editing skills;
• a student or graduate in journalism, literature, languages, humanities, communications or a related field;
• an experienced independent editor building a portfolio;
• a subject specialist who has developed strong editorial skills within a particular cultural field.

Professional editorial experience is welcome but is not mandatory for every level of the role.

What matters most is your ability to work carefully with someone else’s ideas without imposing your own unnecessarily.

Strong candidates will generally demonstrate:

• excellent written English;
• strong command of grammar, syntax and editorial conventions;
• excellent reading comprehension;
• structural and analytical thinking;
• attention to detail;
• sensitivity to voice and authorial intent;
• the ability to distinguish an editorial problem from a difference of opinion;
• intellectual honesty;
• respect for evidence and attribution;
• constructive communication;
• willingness to explain editorial decisions;
• openness to working within a shared editorial framework.

Experience with long-form journalism, cultural criticism, essays, academic writing, research or independent publishing is particularly valuable.

Our editorial philosophy

At Rock & Art, editing is not about making every writer sound the same.

We want to preserve individual voices while ensuring that the work meets shared standards of clarity, rigour and responsibility.

We believe:

Context must precede judgement.

Evidence matters more than assumption.

Clarity is respect.

Structure creates meaning.

Intellectual honesty matters more than certainty.

Editorial independence requires responsible judgement.

Representation requires responsibility.

An editor may challenge a writer’s argument. They should not erase the writer’s voice simply because they would have written the piece differently.

We value disagreement when it improves the work.