
Narrative Editor / Developmental Editor (Volunteer) Job at Mentor A Promise in N
Mentor A Promise, New York, NY, United States
Narrative Editor / Developmental Editor (Volunteer)
Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)
Division: Storytelling & Media / PromisePress
Location: Remote via Google Meet and/or New York City (as needed)
Type: Volunteer (Unpaid)
About Mentor A Promise
Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability. Through mentorship, literacy development, social–emotional learning, creative expression, and storytelling, MAP creates safe, consistent, and empowering spaces where young people are seen, respected, and valued.
MAP’s publishing and storytelling work under PromisePress focuses on stories that reflect empathy, resilience, identity, and imagination—told with care, cultural responsiveness, and integrity.
Purpose of the Role
The Narrative Editor / Developmental Editor plays a critical role in elevating the quality, clarity, and emotional integrity of MAP’s stories . This role focuses on strengthening structure, pacing, and resonance—without rewriting an author’s voice or taking ownership away from writers.
This editor helps stories become their best versions while ensuring language remains trauma‑informed, culturally sensitive, and developmentally appropriate for children and youth.
This role dramatically improves quality through thoughtful guidance, not heavy‑handed rewriting.
Key Responsibilities
Review story drafts for narrative structure, pacing, clarity, and emotional resonance.
Provide developmental feedback that strengthens story arcs, character development, and flow.
Ensure trauma‑informed language and culturally responsive storytelling practices.
Identify areas where tone, content, or framing may need sensitivity adjustments.
Work collaboratively with writers to guide revisions while preserving author voice.
Support alignment with age‑band expectations and literacy goals (when applicable).
Participate in editorial check‑ins or story reviews as needed.
Maintain clear, respectful written feedback and revision notes.
Check and respond to emails daily, with responses within 48 hours.
Take responsibility for performance improvement by refining editorial guidance and incorporating feedback.
Qualifications
Experience in developmental editing, narrative editing, publishing, education, or literary coaching.
Strong understanding of story structure, pacing, and character development.
Ability to give clear, constructive, and compassionate feedback.
Sensitivity to trauma‑informed language and culturally responsive storytelling.
Comfort working collaboratively with writers across different age bands.
Strong written communication and organizational skills.
Commitment to ethical, inclusive, and mission‑driven storytelling.
Bonus (Not Required)
Experience editing children’s or youth literature
Familiarity with SEL, literacy development, or education‑based storytelling
Publishing or editorial background
Bilingual or multilingual abilities (Spanish or Haitian Creole preferred)
Commitment
Volunteer role, approximately 5–10 hours per week
Minimum 6‑month commitment preferred
Remote collaboration via Google Meet, with optional NYC‑based participation
MAP prioritizes consistency, care, and respect for creative labor
What You’ll Gain
Meaningful editorial experience with real community impact
Portfolio‑ready developmental editing work
Collaboration with writers, educators, and creative teams
Professional references and letters of recommendation
The opportunity to help shape stories that honor dignity, identity, and hope
How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist.
For any additional questions or concerns, please email us directly at hr@mentorapromise.org .
Edit with care — help stories become clearer, stronger, and more humane without losing the voices that make them matter.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, our volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals who are based in the United States. This limitation is due to legal, safeguarding, data‑privacy, and programmatic requirements associated with our work. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.
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In Summary: Narrative Editor / Developmental Editor (Volunteer) is a New York City nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability . This editor helps stories become their best versions while ensuring language remains trauma‑informed, culturally sensitive, and developmentally appropriate .
En Español: Narrative Editor / Developmental Editor (Voluntario) Organización: Mentor A Promise (MAP) División: Storytelling & Media / PromisePress Ubicación: Remote via Google Meet y/o New York City (según sea necesario) Tipo: Volunteer (No Pagado) Sobre Mentor Un Promise Mentor Una Promise es una organización sin fines de lucro en la ciudad de Nueva York dedicada a apoyar a niños y jóvenes de edades 5 18 que experimentan inestabilidad vivienda. Mediante tutoría, desarrollo de alfabetización, aprendizaje emocional social, expresión creativa e narración, MAP crea espacios seguros, consistentes y empoderadores donde los jóvenes son vistos, respetados y valorados. Este papel se centra en el fortalecimiento de la estructura, ritmo y resonancia sin reescribir la voz del autor o quitarle la propiedad a los escritores. Este editor ayuda a las historias a convertirse en sus mejores versiones al tiempo que garantiza que el lenguaje permanezca informado sobre el trauma, culturalmente sensible y apropiado para el desarrollo de niños y jóvenes. Esta función mejora dramáticamente la calidad mediante una orientación reflexiva, no una reescritura pesada. Responsabilidades clave Revisar proyectos de historia para la estructura narrativa, el ritmo, la claridad y la resonancia emocional. Proporcionar retroalimentación editorial que refuerce los arcos de la historia, el desarrollo del personaje y el flujo. Asegurarse de que el idioma informado y las prácticas de narración responsive culturalmente sigan siendo adecuados. Identificar áreas donde el tono, contenido o marco pueden necesitar ajustes de sensibilidad. Trabajar conjuntamente con los redactores para proporcionar revisiones mientras conservan un liderazgo. Compartir con los autores y la edición de libros de cuentas, la capacidad de escribir y la información escrita (también conocida como "Literatura") Conforme a través de la experiencia colectiva y de trabajo, comprobar las competencias creatividad de la comunidad, revisar y mejorar su conocimientos educativas e integrando la literatura por medio de comunicación, así como la formación profesional y la educación basada en la lectura de la memoria. En este momento, nuestras oportunidades de voluntariado están limitadas a las personas que se encuentran en los Estados Unidos. Esta limitación se debe a requisitos legales, de protección, privacidad de datos y programas asociados con nuestro trabajo. Apreciamos su interés por nuestra misión y su comprensión de estas restricciones. #J-18808-Ljbffr