Fresh Jobs at HSRC

• HSRC Press, a unit of the Human Sciences Research Council, seeks to appoint freelance editors who are able to provide high quality editorial services for the editing of its academic and scholarly publications and research surveys, to its freelance database. In addition to the duties and requirements set out below, there may be a project-specific brief. 

Minimum Requirements    

• A Major in English language/literature/linguistics or a tertiary qualification in any of the social-or health sciences would be advantage.
• Excellent grasp of English grammar, English syntax, and general English usage
• Proven experience in general editing as well as editing a minimum of FIVE published scholarly or academic books or academic journals in English.
• In your CV, provide a list of up to twenty relevant books/journals that you have recently edited (state publisher & date of publication) and alongside each of the titles in your list, state which of the following referencing styles you followed: Oxford, Harvard, Modern Language Association (MLA),

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Using the MS Word files of the manuscript as supplied, edit the content (text and artwork) according to the Press guidelines and project brief, with track changes operative.
• Edit the references according to the Press referencing guidelines or as briefed.
• Mark up all queries for the authors, using the electronic COMMENTS feature or in a separate MS Word document.
• Implement the author's feedback.
• Prepare the manuscript for setting.
• Check the first pages and mark up all corrections for the setter in the PDF.

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• HSRC Press, a unit of the Human Sciences Research Council, seeks to appoint freelance indexers who are able to provide high quality indexing for its academic and scholarly publications to its freelance database. In addition to the responsibilities and requirements set out below, there may be a project-specific brief.

Minimum Requirements    

• Proven experience in indexing a minimum of FIVE academic/scholarly books in the fields of the social sciences and humanities.
• In your CV, include a comprehensive list of relevant books/journals that you have indexed along with the publisher details.
• A tertiary qualification in any of the following: humanities, social sciences, economics, hard sciences or information sciences.
• Attach examples of three indexes that you’ve completed as PDFs.

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Using the PDF of the manuscript as supplied, the indexer must compile a single or double index as relevant, with one level of subentry, in MSWord format. Other details will be specified in the brief.

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• HSRC Press, a unit of the Human Sciences Research Council, seeks to appoint freelance typesetters who are able to provide high quality typesetting of its publications to its freelance database. In addition to the duties set out below, there may be a project-specific brief.

Minimum Requirements    

• Must work on a Mac or similar and in InDesign (CS5 or later)
• Must have proven experience in typesetting a minimum of FIVE academic books and/or scholarly books and be familiar with the conventions of setting academic indices, footnotes and figures.
• In your CV, include a comprehensive list of relevant books/journals that you have typeset, along with the publisher details.
• In your CV, list all the formats you work in as well as the version you use, for example, InDesign, Quark, RTF etc. as well as the relevant version.

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Using the MS Word files supplied, set the manuscript according to the design specifications provided
• Take in the editor’s markup of the first pages and supply second proofs
• Take in the proof-reader’s corrections on the second pages, set the index and supply third proofs
• Take in the author’s corrections on third pages and supply the final pages for sign off
• Supply print-ready electronic files as well as open files

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• HSRC Press, a unit of the Human Sciences Research Council, seeks to appoint freelance designers who are able to provide high quality book covers, among other designs, for its academic and scholarly publications, to its freelance database. In addition to the duties and requirements set out below, there may be a project-specific brief.

Minimum Requirements    

• Proven experience in the design of a range of trade, academic and scholarly book covers
• A portfolio (via a link/ or included in your CV as a single PDF) of relevant book cover designs
• In your CV, include a comprehensive list of book covers that you have designed, along with the date of publication and publisher details of each

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Present HSRC Press with concepts for book covers.
• Refine the selected concept to a neat draft, in line with the feedback provided.
• Submit neat finals for sign-off.
• Submit the deliverables as per the brief and contract

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• HSRC Press, a unit of the Human Sciences Research Council, seeks to appoint freelance non-fiction book reviewers for its scholarly publications to its freelance database. In addition to the responsibilities and requirements set out below, there may be a project-specific brief.

Minimum Requirements    

• Proven experience in reviewing a minimum of THREE non-fiction trade book manuscripts
• In your CV, include a list of relevant projects, including publication date and publisher, but do not exceed twenty items
• Include two to three examples of book reviews you have done
• A major in English language/literature/linguistics or a tertiary qualification in any of the social- or health sciences would be an advantage but is not essential

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Using the manuscript supplied, submit a report (one to two pages) on the quality and publishing viability of the manuscript under consideration.
• Assess, among other issues, the tone, style, content, structure and clarity of the argument.
• Suggest remedies for identified shortcomings.