Editor in Chief, HSM Publications - Historical Society of Michigan

Posted on 4/28/25

The Historical Society of Michigan (HSM) seeks a qualified individual to serve as Editor in Chief of HSM Publications. This is a full-time, salaried position.

About the Historical Society of Michigan

The Historical Society of Michigan, the state’s oldest cultural organization, helps to connect the stories of all Michigan’s peoples to students, educators, historical organizations and the public through education programs, conferences, publications, awards, workshops, referral services, networking opportunities, and support for local history organizations. HSM is the publisher of Michigan History and Chronicle magazine, the Historic Michigan Travel Guide, the Michigan Historical Review, and other publications.

HSM is a member-supported educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Senior Manager for Events supports HSM’s mission by executing and managing all operations and logistics for the Society’s conferences and events, which currently include four annual conferences, biweekly workshops, weekly History Hounds® Lecture Series programs, monthly History Skills Workshops®, and other HSM education and training opportunities. A successful candidate will work closely with education department staff to plan and execute these events.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Editor in Chief, working under the direction of HSM’s Director of Communications, performs a variety of editing, writing, outreach, graphic design, and management duties to lead the publication of HSM’s written materials and provides editorial support for the organization’s various departments. This position also involves communicating with authors, graphic designers, printers, electronic distributors, photographers, libraries/archives, and others to produce accurate, quality, professional products. Duties and responsibilities include:

• Overseeing the production of three statewide history publications: Michigan History, Chronicle, and The Michigan Historical Review (MHR).
• Creating and adhering to often simultaneous production schedules to ensure all magazine and journal content is being produced on time.
• Managing a small group of in-office staff and contracted freelancers who assist in the editorial process, as well as working cooperatively with the off-site academic editor for the MHR.
• Leading editorial staff meetings to communicate progress on magazine production and to strategically slate upcoming issues to ensure diversity of content.
• Overseeing the shepherding and copyediting of multiple sets of manuscripts and special sections through the production cycle for Michigan History magazine, produced 6 times per year.
• Overseeing the shepherding and copyediting of multiple sets of manuscripts and special sections through the production cycle for Chronicle magazine, produced 4 times per year.
• Shepherding and copyediting articles, book reviews, and other components of the production cycle for the MHR, produced twice per year.
• Conducting consistent outreach for articles from freelance authors, historians, and industry professionals to ensure accurate, engaging content for HSM Publications.
• Procuring historical images to accompany articles, as well as requesting permission to reproduce those images from individuals, organizations, etc.
• Maintaining communications with book publishers and reviewers, including ordering books for review and distributing the publications to book-review authors.
• Communicating with a pool of freelance graphic designers to assist in the creation of magazine layouts, in addition to completing page layouts in Adobe InDesign for select magazine sections using existing templates.
• Formatting details in the MHR in Adobe InDesign and preparing galley proofs, including front cover, front matter, introduction, back matter, and back cover.
• Preparing print-ready digital files for production by printers and electronic distributors.
• Reviewing queries and submissions for redundancy and compliance with organizational guidelines.
• Reviewing completed articles to make sure they adhere to HSM’s style and specifications.
• Issuing and obtaining permission forms/publication agreements from authors, photo contributors, and others.
• Writing promotional copy and original content for magazines, conferences, and programs/events as needed.
• Editing all official correspondence and marketing materials for various HSM departments.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 3 years of editorial management experience
• Minimum of 5 years professional experience copyediting, writing, and proofreading.
• Bachelor’s degree in English, history, journalism, communications, marketing, or a related field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, along with strong vocabulary, spelling, and grammar skills.
• Competency using Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign and Photoshop).
• Experience working with print publications.
• Experience working with specification sheets and style guides, especially the Gregg Reference Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team member.
• High level of problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Must be detail oriented.
• Interest in Michigan history and/or interest in nonprofit organizations a plus.

Reports to: Director of Communications, Historical Society of Michigan

Pay Rate: $52,000-54,000 per year based on experience, plus vacation, health, retirement, and other benefits. This position works out of our Lansing office. This is not a remote position.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, including minorities, women, and people with disabilities.

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to resume@hsmichigan.org with the subject line “Editor in Chief, HSM Magazines.”