The first edition is volunteer-run, and we won't pretend otherwise. But the plan is for this paper to pay for itself: advertising, distribution, and a little patience, so that the people who report, edit, design, and draw it get paid for the work instead of thanked for it. Tell us where you'd like to land now, and you'll be first in line when the money shows up.
No degree required, no newsroom pedigree needed. Students, working journalists, hobbyists, and anybody finding their creative voice are all welcome here.
Editor-in-Chief
Runs the paper end to end: the issue lineup, the deadlines nobody likes, and the final call on what prints.
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You decide what The Unreliable Narrator is actually about. That means choosing the lineup for each quarterly issue, working with every section head, and being the person who says yes, no, or not yet. You also set the editorial line, and you defend it in public when someone is mad about it on the internet.
What you'd do
Set the theme, lineup, and deadlines for each quarterly issue
Assign and edit stories, columns, poems, and comics
Run the editorial meeting and keep it under an hour
Final sign-off on every page before it goes to print
Represent the paper to Abi's, contributors, and advertisers
Helpful, not required
You can cut a 1,200-word draft to 600 without hurting it
You have opinions, and you can explain them without being a jerk
Comfortable making a decision with incomplete information
Prior editing helps, but a good eye and consistency matter more
Time per issue6-10 hours per issue, plus occasional email
ParticipationHybrid
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toAbi's Books & Brews ownership
AuthorityFinal call on all content, layout, and issue themes.
Volunteer for the first issues. Once advertising covers production costs, this becomes a paid part-time role first.
Rolling - no deadline
Managing Editor
The keeper of the calendar. Chases drafts so the editor does not have to.
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Every paper that misses its print date missed it in the two weeks before, not on press day. You own the schedule, the tracking sheet, and the gentle but relentless follow-up that gets copy out of people.
What you'd do
Own the production calendar from pitch to print
Track drafts, revisions, and art deadlines in one place
Run contributor check-ins and keep everyone informed
Coordinate with the printer and the layout lead on handoff
Keep a paper trail of what was promised and when
Helpful, not required
Organized enough to make other organized people nervous
Writes clear, friendly follow-up emails
Comfortable nudging volunteers without burning goodwill
Spreadsheet comfort is a real plus
Time per issue4-6 hours per issue
ParticipationRemote
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toEditor-in-Chief
AuthorityDeadlines and production workflow. Content approval sits with the editor.
Volunteer for the first issues, with the aim of paid once ad revenue exists.
Rolling - no deadline
Staff Writer / Reporter
Goes out, asks the questions, comes back with something true.
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Local reporting is the whole point of a community paper. Short features on the shop next door, a profile of the person who has run the same booth at the farmers market for thirty years, an explainer on why a street is torn up for eight months. We want reported pieces, not press releases.
What you'd do
Pitch and report one or two short features per issue
Conduct interviews in person, by phone, or by email
Deliver clean copy at the assigned word count and deadline
Verify names, titles, numbers, and quotes
Work with a photographer or shoot your own art
Helpful, not required
Curious about Richmond and willing to talk to strangers
Can write a clear sentence and a fair one
Understands the difference between an opinion and a fact
No clips required, no journalism degree required
Time per issue4-8 hours per issue
ParticipationHybrid
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toManaging Editor
AuthorityNone. Story angles are proposed and approved.
Unpaid for the first issues. Per-piece payment is the next budget line once ads fund the paper.
Rolling - no deadline
Columnist
A standing byline with a point of view, once per issue.
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We are looking for a small roster of recurring voices: one on the neighborhood, one on books, one that is just funny. A column is a promise to the reader, so we care more about whether you can sustain a voice than whether the first one is brilliant.
What you'd do
Deliver one column of 500-800 words per issue
Keep a consistent voice and recurring angle
Respond to editorial notes without rewriting your soul
Show up for at least two issues in a row
Helpful, not required
A voice that sounds like a person, not a brand
Reliable on deadlines
Thick enough skin for light editing
Any subject, as long as you will keep at it
Time per issue2-4 hours per issue
ParticipationRemote
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toEditor-in-Chief
AuthorityFull latitude on the column's subject within the issue theme.
Volunteer for now, with a paid columnist slot planned once the paper sustains itself.
Rolling - no deadline
Copy Editor / Proofreader
The last line of defense between a good draft and a printed typo.
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You read everything twice, once for sense and once for commas. You are allowed to be the pickiest person in the building, because the paper gets blamed for what you miss.
What you'd do
Copyedit and proof every piece before layout
Enforce one style guide across the whole issue
Flag factual questions, not just grammar
Proof the layout proof against the final text
Helpful, not required
Strong grammar and an opinion about the Oxford comma
Detail-obsessed in a useful way
Comfortable editing other people's writing kindly
Familiarity with a style guide is a plus
Time per issue3-5 hours per issue, front-loaded before print
ParticipationRemote
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toManaging Editor
AuthorityStyle and grammar. Substantive changes go back to the editor.
Volunteer for the first issues.
Rolling - no deadline
Photographer
Shoots the shop, the street, the events, and the people the stories are about.
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Photos are what make a paper feel like a place. Most assignments are small and local: a portrait, an event, a storefront, a dog that someone insists is newsworthy.
What you'd do
Cover assigned events and portraits, roughly two per issue
Deliver edited, print-ready files at deadline
Shoot a few standby shots around the shop for evergreen use
Credit contributors accurately
Helpful, not required
Comfortable shooting people who are not models
Own camera, any kind, phone acceptable in a pinch
Can deliver clean, well-exposed files on time
Print experience is welcome but not required
Time per issue2-6 hours per issue, often on event nights
ParticipationIn person
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toManaging Editor
AuthorityImage selection within an assigned story, in consultation with the editor.
Volunteer for now. Freelance per-assignment rates are planned once ads fund the budget.
Rolling - no deadline
Illustrator & Cartoonist
Draws the covers, the spots, the comics, and the jokes that hold a page together.
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This is the role that gives the paper its face. Comic strips, spot illustrations, a cover for each issue, and whatever strange idea you can defend in one sentence.
What you'd do
Contribute comics, spot art, or a cover per issue
Work to a page size and a print-safe palette
Turn around revisions within a few days
Keep files organized for the layout lead
Helpful, not required
Any style, as long as it is yours
Comfortable with deadlines and a print-safe file
Can take a note like 'can it be less sad' without despair
Traditional or digital, both welcome
Time per issue3-8 hours per issue, depending on the assignment
ParticipationRemote
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toEditor-in-Chief
AuthorityCreative control of their own pieces within the issue theme.
Volunteer for now. Artists keep the rights to their work and get a printed credit.
Rolling - no deadline
Layout & Design Lead
Turns a folder of drafts and images into pages that are actually readable.
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Grids, columns, headlines that fit, and a front page that makes someone pick it up. You will work in our page studio, and you own the typographic rules so nobody invents a sixth font.
What you'd do
Lay out every page of the issue in the page studio
Set and enforce the typographic system across the paper
Fit long copy without shredding it
Prepare the final file for the printer and check the proof
Helpful, not required
A real eye for hierarchy, spacing, and column rhythm
Print production literacy helps a great deal
Patience for copy that arrives 10 percent too long
Design software experience, or willingness to learn our studio
Time per issue8+ hours in the two weeks before print
ParticipationHybrid
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toEditor-in-Chief
AuthorityVisual presentation. Copy is not changed without the editor.
Volunteer for the first issues; a paid production role is the goal once the paper has revenue.
Rolling - no deadline
Advertising & Sponsorship
Finds the local businesses who want to be in a paper their neighbors actually read.
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The paper pays for itself or it does not survive. You build the rate card, talk to the shop down the street, and keep the wall between advertising and editorial absolutely clear.
What you'd do
Build a simple, honest rate card and media kit
Reach out to local businesses and community sponsors
Manage insertion orders and artwork deadlines
Keep ad placement documented and separate from editorial
Report revenue and pipeline to the editor each issue
Helpful, not required
Comfortable walking into a business and starting a conversation
Can explain value without overselling
Basic budgeting and record keeping
Sales experience helps, friendliness helps more
Time per issue4-8 hours per issue, concentrated early
ParticipationHybrid
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toAbi's Books & Brews ownership
AuthorityNone over content. Advertisers get no say in what the paper covers.
Volunteer at first. A commission structure is planned once the paper is selling ads regularly.
Rolling - no deadline
Distribution & Circulation
Gets the paper off the press and into actual hands around Richmond.
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A community paper that sits in a box is a very expensive box. You map the drop points, build relationships with the businesses that host stacks, and count what comes back.
What you'd do
Map and maintain drop points across the neighborhood
Deliver stacks on release day and refill mid-cycle
Track pickup and report which spots actually move copies
Coordinate with the printer on pickup and quantities
Helpful, not required
Reliable transportation and a valid license
Likes walking into small businesses and saying hello
Keeps a simple, accurate log
No experience needed
Time per issue2-4 hours per issue, mostly on release day
ParticipationIn person
CompensationExpression of interest (volunteer for now)
Reports toManaging Editor
AuthorityNone.
Volunteer for now, with mileage covered where possible.
Rolling - no deadline
Newspaper team interest form
A few minutes now saves everyone an awkward interview later. Nothing here is published, and nothing is a commitment.