Copy Writer

About The Village Voice

Founded in 1955 by a small group led by Norman Mailer, the Village Voice is the nation's original alternative newsweekly. The winner of three Pulitzers, the paper built a reputation for itself as an aggressive interrogator of the powers that be as well as a reliable resource for finding and promoting cutting-edge arts and culture. Over the years it has been home to a wide range of writers and artists, including literary luminaries e.e. cummings, Katherine Anne Porter, Ezra Pound, and James Baldwin, photographer Sylvia Plachy, cartoonist Lynda Barry, investigative journalists Wayne Barrett and Tom Robbins, “Dean of American Rock Critics” Robert Christgau, and film authority J. Hoberman, among many others.

Over the past several months, the Voice has rededicated itself to being an indispensable resource for progressive New Yorkers of all sorts. It has steadily increased distribution (120,000 and growing) and recently upgraded its paper stock from 27.7# newsprint to 35# bright white. The newsweekly will continue to roll out upgrades and redesigns this year in advance of an extensive relaunch slated for unveiling in 2017.

The Village Voice seeks an experienced and talented freelance-to-fulltime copywriter to generate big ideas and bring fresh life to our brand related copy as we segue into a relaunch year. The copywriter will be part of Village Voice’s marketing team and report to our Marketing Director on crafting and communicating our brand’s messaging in an energetic, intelligent, sophisticated and pithy manner. S/he must be a well-rounded juggler with a sense of positivity and an ability to function well in a deadline-driven environment.

The Village Voice brand conveys dynamic stories for its clients across multiple integrated platforms, including digital, print and events. We’re looking for a seasoned writer with polish, wit and a strong marketing sensibility to join our team. This brand storyteller will work alongside the marketing and design teams to contribute toward the evolution of our messaging by creating relevant and engaging content. The ideal candidate is collaborative, adaptable, versatile, and efficient; experienced in both commercial and B2B brand messaging.

Responsibilities include:

• Cultivate a consistent brand voice for The Village Voice across multiple platforms
• Craft stories around client partnerships through both campaign and execution level thinking
• Write compelling long-and-short form body copy, headlines, taglines, etc.
• Generate conceptual ideas, in collaboration with the marketing department
• Develop messaging across collateral marketing materials and on all integrated platforms
• Create copy for digital advertising, corporate communications, customized client proposals, promotions, social media copy, etc.
• Think strategically to provide a range of copy options and demonstrate an ability to work within multiple themes
• Take a customer-centric approach to crafting copy that understands the Village Voice audience as well as its clientele

• 5+ years professional writing experience
• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, advertising or a related field
• Excellent proofreading and editing skills
• A self-motivator with comfort working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment on tight deadlines
• A well-established, diverse writing portfolio, with a focus on writing for brands
• Experienced in balancing multiple projects simultaneously and prioritizing your workload
• Familiarity with The Village Voice and some knowledge of our digital, print, events and social landscapes
• Experienced in working as part of a team with the ability to work independently apart from the team when necessary

To apply, please submit your cover letter, writing samples/portfolio link and resume.