The Help Wanted FLAQ:
Is there any salary for these positions?
No. Flak makes no money, whatsoever. This is reflected in our paychecks, which range from nothing to absolutely nothing whatsoever.
So — why would I want one of these positions? Do you just think I'm nuts, or what?
Well, sort of. But there are benefits. We edit well. The magazine looks good, and Flak stories make nice clips. The editors are very patient, supportive and open-minded. Also, there's a real sense of satisfaction to being part of a kickass little team.
Plus, you get some exposure. Flak gets 200,000+ visits a month. Flak articles have been linked to by sites including Slate, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic.
How flexible are the editors in terms of how much time I put in?
Oh, please — super damn flexible. We're all students, grad students or working journalists. We put in time when we've got it. When we need to work on other stuff, someone covers for us.
And, in general, if you're excited to be part of the crew, you'll make the few hours you need to. If you don't, no big deal — hang it up, and move on. We're comfortable with that. You can be comfortable with it, too.
THE POSITIONS
Podcast Producer
You should be: A podcasting enthusiast with a decent radio voice and the equipment and software to record, edit, and post audio as a podcast.
We want you to: Help Flak launch its new podcast feature, with weekdaily broadcasts of Flak content and the occasional original feature.
Estimated time commitment: About an hour a day, five days a week; more for special features and projects.
Contacts: James Norton (jim@flakmag.com)
Cartoonist
You should be: A sharp, funny writer with an established style that in no way resembles the art of Gary Larson or Jim Davis. We've also recently been deluged by would-be contributors who combine absurdist/shock humor with low-quality illustration — if this describes your style, we'd like to pass in advance. Flak is hoping to acquire comics with cleverly crafted (or even just old-school excellent) artistic sensibilities; the Web norm of amateur art/Photoshop copy/paste + pop-culture/scatalogical/obscurist comedy is no longer doing it for us.
We want you to: Put together a weekly comic for Flak Magazine. If it can be unique to Flak, that's great; if it runs concurrently on another website, that's okay, too. We can hash out the details. We're happy to help edit / proofread / develop your strip, but it's up to you to make it sing.
Estimated time commitment: One comic per week
Contacts: James Norton (jim@flakmag.com)
Graphic Designer
You should be: A reasonably talented and somewhat experienced graphic designer/artist with knowledge of Photoshop and/or Illustrator.
We want you to: Create graphics (generally for Opinion and Feature pieces) on a short turn-around, and help us refurbish our back catalog of badly illustrated articles. You graphics should look professional, and cleverly reflect the content of the article they accompany. For reference, here's an example of a very good Flak graphic.
Estimated time commitment: About 3-4 hours a week
Contact: Sean Weitner, sean@flakmag.com
Television Writer
You should be: A strong writer who actually watches television, has something to say about it, and doesn't need to write in the first person.
We want you to: Watch television. And then write articles/reviews that either explore the merit of individual ads, networks or shows, or that speak more generally about televised cultural trends. Writing can be irreverant, sarcastic and/or humorous (this is TV, afterall), but it should always be intelligent and explore this most pervasive medium from an original angle. For a more detailed idea of what we're looking for, read our very own TV Guide.
Estimated time commitment: As long as it takes you to write as much as you're willing to write. (I mean, you're watching the TV regardless, right?)
Contact: Joey Rubin, joey@flakmag.com
Winter Intern
You should be: An aspiring journalist with good writing skills, a nuanced interest in the arts and/or politics and basic HTML and FTP knowledge.
We want you to: Split your time between line edits, site refurbishing/maintenance and longterm editorial projects. Your interests are key to determining the right work balance. Flak editors would work with you on your writing, Web design and editing skills, while you contribute in a meaningful way to the site's everyday health and long-term prospects. Position starts December 15 and lasts until March 15.
Estimated time commitment: A set weekly commitment of between 5-10 hours
Contact: James Norton, jim@flakmag.com
