Asylum Staff is Needed!

Asylum Staff Is Needed!

Every once in a while I stop and think about the future of Queen’s Book Asylum. I never hid that I came close to shutting the blog down a couple of times in the past. So far that hasn’t happened, obviously, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need changes every once in a while. QBA officially has 5 asylum staff members as of now, including myself, but due to various reasons, one of them is currently inactive, and another one is stopping blogging for the time being. I was already contemplating bringing a new person to the team before the news reached me so that pretty much sealed it. And here I am today, putting out a call, because Asylum staff is needed!

I decided to write a post instead of a generic social media call-out, because I’d like to be as clear as possible about what I’m looking for at the moment, and what I would expect from a new staff member. These are general guidelines, and if you think you would be a great addition to the staff, but don’t meet all the requirements, please don’t hesitate to reach out regardless! I’d love to hear from anyone who is interested, as you might bring something to the table I did not think of, and I’d hate missing out on someone just because they think they wouldn’t have a chance. For me, personal and work chemistry is more important than ticking boxes! That said, let’s get down to the details.

Who I’m looking for?

  • Since this is mainly an SFF blog, it doesn’t hurt if you like reading SFF, lol. But we have eclectic tastes, so it’s okay if you love other genres too!
  • You can be a totally newbie or an oldtimer blogger, all are welcome!
  • Be a team player, and be somewhat organized – look, I won’t ask you to be on top of everything all the time, but when we agree on a schedule, try to keep to it. Life happens, hell, do I know it does, and I totally understand, just give me a heads up in a timely fashion so we can reschedule.
  • Be proactive and communicate with the team – I’m definitely looking for someone who’d be a good fit not just with me but with the team as well. If we don’t know each other yet, no worries, I’m sure we’ll do in time. No one is excluded because of this, but in this case, we’ll have a trial month. Also, we hang out on Discord, where we discuss schedules and plans, so you’ll have to join our server.
  • Bonus points if you have experience with WordPress-based editors, but if you are a newbie, I’ll show you around until you get the hang of it (it’s not hard, I promise, despite WordPress making its best to make it so).

What we are expecting from you?

  • Preferably 1-2 reviews/month so we can have a good volume of content on the blog. You can read whatever you wish, there are only a few things we don’t allow on the blog – we don’t do politics, we condemn racism, and hate and we support the LGBTQ community.
  • I really would like to have someone who’d bring creative energy to the team, so I would like you to have ideas and enthusiasm for blogging. My goal for 2024 is to have more types of posts other than reviews. So, I’d like to have more lists, discussion posts, tags, etc. Maybe it would be nice to do a read-along or two as well. I need someone to help me brainstorm and write/organize some of these.
  • I also wouldn’t mind bringing back the Music Diggin’ Friday feature, so if you like music, and would like to write articles/lists on that topic, all the better!
  • There is a possibility to join our SPFBO judging team if and when there will be an open spot. It’s entirely voluntary, and it comes with its own responsibilities.

How we are operating?

  • As I said before, we have a Discord server with a secret Asylum Staff section where the magic happens. This is where we discuss everything related to the blog. Once every month I ask the team what they are planning to post the next month and create a schedule according to that – mind you, it’s more of a guideline than a schedule, but at least everyone has a clear idea of what’s coming up and when.
  • Everyone prepares their posts individually (we have a template for reviews), and I’m doing the posting itself after doing a last check to make sure everything is in order, adding SEO stuff, and basically the finishing touches. I don’t change anything within the text without discussing it with you first. I just like to make sure everything looks as it should be.
  • If and when we have a review request, I share it with the team, and anyone is welcome to pick it up.
  • There is no money involved whatsoever. Once a year, when it’s time to pay hosting and domain fees I advertise my Ko-Fi page and people are welcome to chip in with however much they’d like, but it’s 100% voluntary. I hate asking for money, and I don’t do it unless I absolutely have to (happened one year, when we switched domains and I went over budget…)
  • We are a close-knit group and we support each other, so whatever matter comes up, we discuss it together. Being open and kind is important to us, and want whoever joins the team to have the same values. We are always here to listen and help. We are always here for laughs too. I might or might not entertain people on my Discord server with weird panda gifs ????

I think that’s about it. If you have any questions or would like to apply, please reach out to me via DM on social media or Discord, or email me (you can find a link on our Contact page). I’ll keep the offer open until December 1st, and then make my decision if I would like to invite anyone to join the QBA family. If there is a trial month needed, it’ll take place in December, otherwise whoever joins the asylum staff, should start in January 2024. Good luck and hopefully welcome to the team!

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