Each May, MQR welcomes applications for new blog contributors. Contributors commit to submitting monthly posts for one year. We are interested in contributors who write from the local and particular to create posts that are relevant and connected to the global, and we are keen to maintain a pool of contributors who both represent the spectrum of concerns covered by the journal and push existing conversations into new territory.
If you (or a colleague/friend/hero) would like to join the MQR blog contributor crew, please ensure that the application arrives by email to redclay@umich.edu no later than midnight (EDT) on May 15th.
Application Guidelines
Please note that ONLY the applications that follow these guidelines to the letter, will be screened. (Those that do not follow the guidelines will be disregarded.)
- Your email subject line must say (and only say): MQR Blog Application
- Include in the body of your email:
- your name, email, resident location (not your legal residence, but your actual one)
- your area(s) of interest
- your area(s) of expertise
- a short list of ideas for creating/filling niches that MQR Blog is not currently filling (note: your answer demonstrates strategic analysis of the blog and the journal)
- a list of blog topics for the coming months that you would like to pursue
- a short writing sample–in the body of the email–that is is NO MORE THAN 750 words and is relevant to MQR’s established blogging style (or clearly demonstrates why this innovation will be vital to MQR blog going forward)
- anything we should know that is not represented by your prior answers and would make you an incredible MQR blog contributor?
- Do not attach anything to your email.
FAQ
1) How many posts will I submit? Can I submit posts when I feel like it and/or when I am inspired? You must commit to delivering one post per month, according to an established schedule.
2) I have great ideas, but I’m just getting started as a writer and/or I am a terrible proofreader. Will I have help and guidance to develop my work? MQR runs with a bare-bones staff, and your own powers of proofreading must be stellar. We expect your piece to arrive ready to publish. Although our blog editor is available to provide strategic guidance and direction, you must be a highly proficient, reliable, and self-reliant writer to succeed as an MQR blog contributor.
4) I’m a Luddite. Will someone prepare my posts for publishing? You must be tech savvy enough to navigate a WordPress blog publishing environment successfully. MQR will provide you with a Contributor Guide, and you will be expected to rely on it as your go-to resource for business-as-usual questions. In the case of unusual issues, you will be expected to escalate the question/problem to the blog editor and blog crew for trouble-shooting and resolution.
3) Is this a paying gig? Yes, we pay a bit.
4) I’m way outside the box. Do I really need to follow your application directions to the letter? We appreciate innovative thinking and writing, and yes, following the application directions and making your query easy to read will endear you to the editor and demonstrate that your level of audience awareness and your organization skills are up to snuff.
5) When will I hear from you? If your application looks promising, then we’ll be in touch directly by the end of May. We’ll welcome new contributors to the crew by May 31 and announce them here and on Facebook. Please do not overload our already overloaded blog editor with follow-up emails once you have submitted your application.
Thank you for your interest in MQR and for helping to spread the word about our blog contributor application process. We look forward to hearing from you. Cheers!
