At the start of next year Christine Stevens will step down as co-editor of Costume: The Journal of the Costume Society, so we are beginning the search to find her successor, who will work alongside Alexandra Kim as co-editor and the Publications team and the Editorial Panel.
Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV to journal@costumesociety.org.uk explaining how their skills and experience are suited to the position and why they are interested in the role.
To produce Costume, the journal of the UK Costume Society, twice yearly, working in partnership with your fellow co-editor and members of the journal team, coordinating with authors, other contributors and the publishing staff at Edinburgh University press.
Responsibilities
As a direct report to the Society Chair and along with the co-editor, you will be responsible for assessing all submissions to Costume ensuring that they are of a high standard and suitable for inclusion in the journal, liaising with publishers and experienced, expert peer reviewers, and ensuring that the journal publication schedule is met.
Tasks
Communicating with co-editor: keep in regular contact with co-editor by email and face to face online meetings as required, ensuring both have all necessary updated information, and sharing files on cloud-based file sharing software.
Dealing with all enquiries about submission of articles to the journal, acknowledging receipt of submissions, checking that they contain all necessary accompanying information, including images, captions and abstract and are presented in Costume style, in accordance with the style guidelines for contributors (available on the Society website and also on publishers’ website).
Reviewing submissions and, if of acceptable standard, engaging appropriate expert peer reviewers, usually two per article, to read the articles and offer comments and suggestions for improvements to assist authors in revisions.
Advising and supporting the authors in preparation of their revisions and maintaining contact throughout the finalisation of articles in house style for presentation to the publisher.
Liaising with journal colleagues producing the supporting material in the journal, including lists of new articles, lists of new books, book reviews, and ensuring updating of Society information.
Writing editorial with co-editor for each issue.
Liaising with publisher’s publication manager and copy editor throughout production process, including selection of cover colour and cover image. Providing required information to the publisher including issue information, contributor contact information and addresses for copies on publication. Ensuring images are of suitable resolution, with correct copyright information and that all authors sign copies of transfer of copyright forms required by the publisher.
Uploading complete contents using publisher’s software system to specified deadline twice yearly in May and November.
Coordinating corrections from first proofs, liaising with authors and production manager. Signing off final proofs to publisher’s deadline.
Ensuring that the guidelines for contributors are reviewed and updated as necessary.
Shaping and maintaining the editorial panel, ensuring that it is composed of relevant experts in the world of dress and fashion history, drawn from a wide geographical and subject range.
Acting as the key contact between the Society and the publishers, reporting to the publishers at an annual meeting.
Reporting to the Society executive committee meetings three times and a year, and to the members at the Annual General Meeting.
Liaising with Costume Society communications team and publisher’s marketing team for promotion of the journal, including information about the articles and selecting images for use on social media.
Keeping up contacts and identifying possible new authors, by attending conferences and meetings of related groups.
Skills and Competencies
Experience and expertise in an area of dress history, whether curatorial or academic
Experience of scholarly publication or editing within the specialised areas covered by the journal.
You should be organised and used to working within a team and on your own to meet agreed deadlines and ensure that all outputs are of a high standard.
With editorial responsibilities you should have excellent communication skills, with a strong attention to detail and be able to produce written English to a high standard.
As you will have to gather information from a number of sources and individuals, you should be a good networker, with contacts within the dress history, fashion and costuming community, whether academics, curators or makers.
You should be comfortable with a variety of software and office packages, including Word and Excel, image and file sharing software.
You should be aware that this post can be very time consuming, particularly during the months of September/October and March/April, but also throughout the year. Submissions are sent in constantly, and require detailed reading and assessment, finding suitable peer reviewers and overseeing of authors’ revisions, as well as attending Society meetings four times a year.
This role attracts an honorarium.
About the Journal
Costume is a scholarly, refereed publication presenting current research into contemporary and historic dress. The journal publishes articles from a broad chronological period and with a worldwide remit; it maintains a balance between practice and theory and concentrates on the social significance of dress. The journal also includes book reviews and listings of new books and periodical articles. The journal appears twice a year, in March and September.
Since 2017 the journal has been published by Edinburgh University Press on behalf of the Costume Society. Costume Society members receive copies of the journal as part of their membership and have access on the online journal archive.
The current editorial team’s complementary expertise and experience as curators, writers and lecturers ensure a wide network of contacts throughout the diverse world of dress and textile studies. Articles are welcomed from both established researchers and those new to the field.
Papers published in Costume are sent out for peer review to ensure that they are of a high standard and make an original contribution to dress studies.
The Costume team comprises of two co-editors, a book reviews editor, a ‘new articles’ listing contributor, a ‘new books’ listing contributor and an editorial panel of about 12 members.
About the Costume Society
The Costume Society held its first meeting in 1964, with the intention to promote the study and preservation of significant examples of historic and contemporary dress. This embraces the documentation of surviving examples and the study of material culture allied to the history of dress as well as literary, archival and pictorial sources. In furtherance of its aims, the Society offers an illustrated journal, Costume; newsletters and occasional publications; visits to public and private collections; lectures, study days and tours; and an annual conference. It celebrates success and supports the creative, heritage and academic sectors with a series of awards and grants. The Society is committed to working towards equality, diversity and inclusion in all that it does.
For information about the Society, its membership, other activities and grants awarding programme, please look through our extensive website.
