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Inklings Book Contest Volunteer

Join us in being a part of the magic of making the annual Inklings Book Contest happen! There are multiple ways you can take part. Read below to find out more and click the Sign Up Now button at the bottom of the page to sign up to volunteer. After you do, we’ll reach out with more information.

Inklings Book Contest Letter Writer

Contest Letter Writers Will…

  • Write 5-10 letters to Inklings Book Contest applicants
  • Utilize templates to expedite the letter-writing process while also responding specifically and personally to each young writer
  • Email each PDF letter directly to the contest applicant and their guardian
  • Help spread the word about the contest!
  • Note: this job pairs very well with judging! If you judge and letter-write, we’ll make sure that the majority of your letters are for submissions you’ve already reviewed during judging.

Skills and Experience Needed:

  • Professional or higher-education level creative writing and/or teaching experience
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Google Drive and Google Docs

Time Commitment:

  • Training meeting via Zoom in February
  • Letter writing in April and May
  • We estimate around 30 minutes per letter

 

Inklings Book Contest Judge

Contest Judges Will…

  • Review a virtual stack of Inklings Book Contest submissions
  • Provide notes and recommendations for each piece in your stack
  • Help spread the word about the contest!
  • Note: this job pairs very well with letter-writing! If you judge and letter-write, we’ll make sure that the majority of your letters are for submissions you’ve already reviewed during judging.

Skills and Experience Needed:

  • Professional or higher-education level creative writing and/or teaching experience
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Google Drive and Google Docs

Time Commitment:

  • Training meeting via Zoom in February
  • Judging will take place in late March (exact window of time TBD)
  • We estimate around 3-4 hours of time over 4-5 days

 

Inklings Book Contest Mentor

Contest Mentors Will…

  • Meet with their winning contest writer for two 30-minute sessions via Zoom or Google Meet
  • Coach their winning writer through revision to prep their story or poem for publishing in the annual Inklings Book anthology
  • Pick a “revision focus” for their winning writer and write an editorial letter and a “Dear Reader” letter for the anthology that explains how you and your mentee went about the revision process
  • Help gather final materials for publishing
  • Help spread the word about the contest!

Skills and Experience Needed:

  • Professional or higher-education level creative writing and/or teaching experience
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Google Drive and Google Docs, Zoom/Google Meet
  • In most cases, we prefer one year of contest volunteer experience in another role before mentoring
  • Due to the one-on-one interaction with a mentee, contest mentors are required to fill out an application, take part in a brief interview, and take a child safety training course.

Time Commitment:

  • Training meeting via Zoom in February
  • Mentoring will take place in April and May
  • We estimate about 10-12 hours total, including training, mentoring, and preparing materials

 

Inklings Book Contest Finalist Blog Publication Volunteer

Contest Blog Publication Volunteers will…

  • Prep finalists’ stories and poems for publication on our blog
  • Proofread stories and poems
  • Layout stories and poems in Canva
  • Prep and publish blog posts of finalists’ stories and poems
  • Email finalists with a link when their post is published

Skills and Experience Needed:

  • Strong writing and proofreading skills
  • Comfort with internet-based applications
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Google Drive and Google Docs
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Airtable
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Canva
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn WordPress (with Divi theme)

Time Commitment:

  • Preparing finalist blog posts will take place June-August
  • The time commitment varies based on what time you’re able to give to the project

 

Inklings Book Contest Administrative Volunteer

Contest Administrative Volunteers Will…

  • File applications and submissions in Google Drive
  • File judge’s notes in Google Drive
  • Help put together virtual “packets” for judges, letter writers, and mentors
  • Help spread the word about the contest!

Skills and Experience Needed:

  • Extreme comfort with computers and internet-based software
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Google Drive and Google Docs
  • Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Airtable

Time Commitment:

  • Filing and administrative organization will take place from February – April
  • The time commitment varies based on what time you’re able to give to the project
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