Explorations in Renaissance Culture Editor Job Ad

1 September 2026
Position Announcement: Editor, Explorations in Renaissance Culture
Dear fellow SCRC Members,
As a Past President of the South Central Renaissance Conference, I write on behalf of
the SCRC Executive Board to solicit applications to become the next editor of our
journal, Explorations in Renaissance Culture. The new five-year term begins in January
2027 when Andrew Fleck’s term as editor concludes. In existence since 1974,
Explorations in Renaissance Culture (ERC) currently produces two issues per year
(Summer and Winter), each published in English and approximately 150 pages long. In
keeping with the multidisciplinary character of our organization, Explorations is devoted
to all disciplines of study in the Early Modern/Renaissance period: literature, history,
art and iconography, music, cultural studies, etc. Having created a publishing
partnership with Brill (now De Gruyter-Brill) a decade ago, Explorations has a truly
global reach, with submissions received from around the world and with a readership
in every part of the world. In keeping with other high-quality scholarly journals, it is
fully refereed by a board of established scholars from multiple disciplines and follows a
double-blind review process. A complete list of expectations and responsibilities is
below.
Editors receive a ($1,000) stipend from our publisher, De Gruyter-Brill, to defray the
cost of attending the annual conference of the SCRC. In the past, editors have arranged
additional support (in the form of graduate research assistants, additional travel
funding, or course releases) with their home academic institutions. The editor of a
journal like Explorations has an opportunity to shape the field and our understanding of
early modern studies, especially through the occasional curation of special topic issues
such as ERC’s recent collection of essays on Aemilia Lanyer. An editor will raise her or
his profile in the profession through this role and will occasionally be invited to speak
at various fora on the future of the field or of academic publishing. It is also fascinating
and fun work. If you have questions about the editorship, feel free to contact the current
editor Andrew Fleck, at andrew.fleck@utrgv.edu. Applicants for the editorship must be
(or become) members of the South Central Renaissance Conference and be familiar with
its annual conference. They may come from any of the disciplines and national
traditions of early modern studies, but expertise with early modern English will be
preferred.
To apply: Submit a curriculum vitae and a cover letter discussing the applicant’s
preparation for this role, any additional institutional support possibly available to the
applicant, and the applicant’s vision for the journal to Mary Villeponteaux
(mvilleponteaux@georgiasouthern.edu), chair of the search committee, by 7 November
2026. The search committee expects to conduct virtual interviews in December and
announce a finalist in January 2027. The search will remain open until an appointment
is made.
Best wishes,
Mary Villeponteaux
Past President, South Central Renaissance Conference
Editor for Explorations will

1. Actively solicit submissions on Early Modern literature, history, music, art,
   iconography, cultural studies, etc. Attending conferences in our field, including the
   annual meeting of SCRC, to publicize the journal and encourage submissions is an
   important part of this task. The editor should have a strong network of early modernists
   to assist in finding good readers of submissions.
2. Read and respond to all inquiries and submissions.
3. Make use of a common task management system, Editorial Manager, to track
   submissions through the process of evaluation, revision, rejection or acceptance, and
   publication.
4. Superintend the critical review and editing of, and timely response to, all material
   sent to readers.
5. Oversee the revision and final drafts of selected material through to publication.
6. Deliver “ready” copy of all materials to the publisher by the agreed upon deadlines,
   usually in May and November. (The publisher handles final typesetting but copyediting
   and proofreading are completed by the editorial team.)
7. Work closely with the publisher in both publishing the journal and in assisting its
   promotional efforts, both within the SCRC and at other conferences, and periodically
   meet with the publisher’s representative at academic meetings such as the annual
   meeting of the Renaissance Society of America or Sixteenth Century Studies
   Conference.
8. Work with the SCRC executive secretary-treasurer to compile and maintain
   subscription/membership records for SCRC subscribers and communicate this list to the
   publisher. (The publisher maintains the overall subscription list, including libraries and
   other institutions.)
9. Alert the SCRC membership and other interested parties when a new issue is
   published.
10. Provide progress reports to the Executive Committee at the annual meeting as well
    as keep members of the Executive Committee abreast of developments with the journal
    during the course of the year.
11. Oversee the annual selection of the Albert Fields Award, the SCRC’s prize for the
    best article published that year in Explorations in Renaissance Culture.
12. Revise the editorial board as needed.