Job Description: Developmental and Line Editors
About CFRE Publishing
CFRE Publishing is an initiative of the Canadian Foundation for Refugee Education. We publish refugee-led research, literature, and scholarship, ensuring that refugee voices shape global conversations on education, displacement, resilience, and belonging. Our inaugural titles include memoir, scholarly reflection, and spiritual writing, each demanding thoughtful and professional editorial partnership.
The Role
We are seeking Developmental Editors and Line Editors to collaborate with authors in preparing manuscripts for publication. Editors will play a critical role in ensuring that each book maintains the integrity of the author’s voice while meeting professional publishing standards.
Success in this role means that manuscripts are refined, cohesive, and ready for copyediting and design — without compromising the originality or authenticity of refugee-led storytelling and scholarship.
This role is central to our mission: editors are not only preparing books for readers, they are enabling refugee authors to contribute knowledge, literature, and scholarship on an international stage.
Responsibilities
Developmental Editing
- Work with authors to strengthen the overall structure, argument, and flow of manuscripts.
- Provide clear, constructive feedback on narrative coherence, thematic development, and scholarly rigor.
- Suggest reorganization or restructuring where needed, while preserving the author’s intent and voice.
Line Editing
- Refine language at the sentence and paragraph level for clarity, tone, and readability.
- Ensure consistency of style and voice across the manuscript.
- Enhance the accessibility of scholarly or reflective writing for a broad readership.
General
- Collaborate respectfully and sensitively with authors from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
- Maintain deadlines and communicate progress regularly with the CFRE Publishing team.
- Prepare manuscripts for the next stages of production (copyediting, design, and typesetting).
Skills and Expertise:
Editorial Skills
- Strong command of written English, with excellent grammar, syntax, and style awareness
- Experience in developmental editing: structuring narratives, strengthening arguments, ensuring cohesion
- Experience in line editing: refining tone, clarity, and readability while preserving the author’s voice
- Ability to edit across genres that blend memoir, scholarship, and reflective writing
- Familiarity with publishing standards and workflows (manuscript preparation, style guides, editorial communication)
Mission-Aligned Expertise
- Sensitivity to voice, culture, and lived experience, with the ability to edit without erasing the author’s perspective
- Knowledge of (or openness to learn about) themes related to education, displacement, resilience, and belonging
- Skill in working collaboratively with writers, offering constructive feedback that empowers rather than overrides
Capacity to balance literary nuance with academic rigor
Professional Qualities
- Excellent communication and time-management skills
- Reliability in meeting deadlines while maintaining high editorial standards
- Adaptability to work with authors who may have diverse writing styles and backgrounds
- Ability to balance rigorous editing with respect for the author’s voice and perspective.
- Familiarity with publishing standards and editorial workflows.
- Experience working with writers from diverse backgrounds is strongly valued.
- Education or professional training in publishing, literature, writing, or related fields is an asset.
How to Apply
Please send a brief expression of interest, along with a CV or portfolio of editorial experience, to cfre@c-fre.ca