Volunteer With Locus!

Volunteer information below. If you are looking for Internship Info, look here.

What: We could use extra help with all kinds of tasks, from archiving to data entry to
outreach and much more. Our office is in Oakland CA and one or two in-person
volunteers are always welcome. Volunteers contributing remotely would also be
great!

Why: Locus is a historic publication — the trade journal of the science fiction, fantasy,
horror community. Our core staff is dedicated and hardworking, not to mention
passionate about genre, but there are more things to do than we can handle on our
own. As a volunteer, you’d support our staff so that we can continue to put out
fantastic issues and website content. In this sense, you’d be a part of our long
history. Volunteering can be a great way to acquire new skills and contribute to your
community, and chances are you’ll learn about the SFF publishing industry along
the way. Depending on your involvement, opportunities may arise to meet
interesting authors and editors, or participate in cool events.

When: We work during the week, so ideal times to help are during our business hours: Monday
through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific. Some projects can be handled
outside of those hours as long as volunteers are able to check in during our work
hours.

There is always a learning period when it comes to taking on new tasks. Because of
this, ideally volunteers will help for a minimum of two hours a week. (Note: for
internships, please see hour minimums and other details below.)

Who: Ideal volunteers appreciate and enjoy genre. You should have the ability to work
with other people in an office environment, to take instruction, and to effectively
and respectfully communicate and articulate your likes, dislikes, and concerns. An
enthusiastic desire to learn and participate is helpful. Basic familiarity or even
facility with various software (like Gmail, Excel, Zoom, and so on) is super useful.

Specialized skills – knowing your way around Adobe Photoshop, MySQL, Quickbooks,
or WordPress; expertise with CMOS; being a social media maven; experience with
grant writing; and so on – these are not required but are highly valued in what we
do. Please make sure to let us know if you have specialized skills or experiences
which you are willing to utilize as a volunteer. That said, we also need help with just
moving books around, keeping things filed and tidy, and basic office work, so
willingness to help out is the main requirement.

How: Here is the volunteer form if you are interested!

Please fill out the form if you’re interested! You will receive an automated
confirmation. We will reach out if we are able to take you on as a volunteer.
We’ll keep your application on file, in case we can’t fit you in now but can fit you in
at a later date. Thank you!

Internships

We’re a fun group of people to work with, and an internship at Locus, the leading monthly trade
journal covering science fiction, fantasy, and horror, looks great on a resume! Go to our internship page to find out more: https://locusmag.com/internship/

We offer part-time unpaid internships to enthusiastic SFFH readers, in a geek-friendly and open,
goal-oriented atmosphere. The internship positions are well suited to recent graduate or current
college students interested in journalism, literature, and/or publishing but we’re open to all
applicants. 
Tasks run the gamut from customer service, archival work, data entry, running drafting emails to
cool authors, occasional proofreading or post-drafting for the website, grant research, grant
proposal writing, crowdfunding campaigns and subscription drives, social media support
(youtube, booktok, twitter, instagram, facebook), and, of course, helping to coordinate the
infamous Locus Awards Weekend. You will be working with award-winning editors and writers,
become familiar with all aspects of the online and in-print magazine, which may include photo
color-balancing, page layout, small-business administration, and how to get a beautiful print
magazine out every month of the year. 
An internship with us can count towards work-study, independent study, or other credits
(depending on the institution) for a college degree – including some MFA programs – and we
are able to offer international students an unpaid 20-hour per week job contract for OPT or CPT
requirements. See our internship page.