The Royal Musical Association invites applications for the post of Editor for the RMA Monographs series, to succeed Prof. Simon Keefe, who has served in the post since 2011. The monographs are supported by funds made available from the estate of Thurston Dart and are published for the RMA by Routledge. Their purpose is to provide a medium for specialised investigations of a topic, concept or repertory – studies that would be too long for most periodicals, but produce short stand-alone volumes of no more than 50,000 words. The series began in 1985 and has published 40 volumes to date. The current ambition is to publish at a rate of two volumes a year, although not on a regular schedule. Further information about the aims and scope of the RMA Monographs is available from https://www.rma.ac.uk/publications/ and https://www.routledge.com/Royal-Musical-Association-Monographs/book-series/RMA.
Job Description
The Editor is responsible for selecting and preparing for publication academic content of the highest quality for the RMA monographs, and is the key figure in the publication process. The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Solicit submissions from scholars at all stages of their careers, aiming over time for broad coverage in subject matter
- Attend national and international conferences (at the RMA and elsewhere) to promote the series to prospective authors
- Ensure that appropriate readers are found for each submission and that the double-blind review process proceeds as smoothly as possible, feeding back to authors in a timely fashion
- Make recommendations when applicable to RMA Publications Committee for book contracts to be issued to authors
- Liaise with Routledge over contractual and other publishing matters
- Ensure that the final, post-contract submission from an author is of an appropriate standard for publication and authorise the onset of the production process at Routledge, participating in that production process as required
- Attend RMA Publications Committee meetings three times each year (currently January, May and September), submitting progress reports in advance as appropriate
- Lead on progressing towards Open Access publication of RMA monographs in line with UKRI and REF policy
The Editor reports to and is a member of the Editorial Board of the RMARC andthe Publications Committee of the RMA, and is entitled to attend meetings of the RMA Council. The Editor is expected to be a member of the RMA during their tenure (though not necessarily at the time of application).
The Editorship is normally a five-year appointment in the first instance, the first year of which is probationary. The post attracts an honorarium of £800 p.a.
Person Specification
The Editor will be able to demonstrate the following essential knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications:
- A higher degree in musicology
- An appreciable record of publications in musicology
- Experience of editing
- A knowledge of musicology and related disciplined and subdisciplines
- Knowledge and awareness of the wider academic community
The Editor should demonstrate vision, leadership, creativity, sound planning skills (including a keen eye for emerging directions in musicological scholarship), strong management skills (liaising with authors and the production team, robust quality assurance in relation to manuscripts, and the production of each issue), along with good communication skills.
Informal enquiries should be directed to the Chair of the Search Committee, Prof. Catherine Tackley (catherine.tackley@liverpool.ac.uk). Applications should be sent by email to Prof. Tackley and should comprise the following:
- A curriculum vitae (maximum 4 sides A4)
- A covering letter outlining ambitions for the series and details of the candidate’s relevant experience and expertise in relation to the person specification
- Names and contact details of two referees
The deadline for applications is Tuesday 3rd January 2023, 12 noon. Interviews will be held online on the morning of Tuesday 17th January 2023.
We particularly encourage applications that reflect the full diversity of music studies and from individuals who self-identify as members of groups that are often under-represented in the RMA and music academia more broadly.