Volunteer Edit the Sussex Bird Report, a ‘Gold Standard’ publication

What will you be doing?

The Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) is the county's leading bird club. We have produced a popular annual bird report since 1962. The report is in A5 format with about 300 pages, richly filled with photos, graphics and artwork. It helps to foster interest in Sussex’s birds and their conservation and is a key reference for researchers and amateurs alike. It is provided free to all members and sells well. Standard elements include summary accounts for each bird species recorded during the year and various papers on specific species or sites. You would lead a team of eleven volunteers who together have the varied skills and experience to prepare the report for publishing. Your role is to lead and coordinate the team’s work. This includes oversight of design and content choices; making sure that all the content meets the expected standards; commercial negotiations with print companies; and filling vacancies in the team if these arise. You may, if you wish, draft some of the species accounts as this will help you understand what is involved. The editorial team meets once a year, in-person if possible, and you will also join the Society’s Scientific Committee, which meets quarterly, either online or in-person.  Attached is a sample from a recent Sussex Bird Report to provide a flavour.  

What are we looking for?

We need a volunteer with a good knowledge of Sussex’s birds, an excellent command of written English, experience of drafting or editing high quality written material, and some experience of managing teams and working to deadlines. Your CV will need to demonstrate at least three years’ experience in some or all of those areas. You will enjoy producing work of real quality. That’s it! Other members of the team have complementary scientific, design, photograph editing, typesetting and database use skills. You do not need any previous experience of editing publications.

What difference will you make?

The Sussex Bird Report is the flagship regular publication of the Society and is key to maintaining and increasing membership as well as promoting the conservation of our birds and their habitats. Taking on the Editor role will mean making a vital contribution to the reputation and membership of the SOS. As a member of the Scientific Committee, you will also have an opportunity to influence other aspects of our work such as our bird survey strategy.