The Asparagus Journalism Society seeks a part-time publisher to join our team. We are advertising the position as “publisher” because in the publishing world that’s what we call the person responsible for leading the business side of things. But you don’t have to have publishing experience to be the right person for this job.

You could be the right person if you’ve worked in non-profits, the arts, or even (gasp) business, and been responsible for things like managing constituent relationships; bringing in revenue from individuals, governments, foundations, and/or businesses; making and managing budgets; and planning and managing events. If we decide you’re the right person but the title “publisher” doesn’t feel right for you, we can figure out a title that suits the duties you’re taking on.

Organization Overview

The Asparagus Journalism Society is the non-profit organization that publishes Asparagus Magazine. Asparagus is an award-winning publication dedicated to telling the large and small stories of how we can live sustainably, from an environmental, social, and cultural perspective. We aim to approach these stories in a way that is intersectional, impactful, firmly grounded in science, but also fun. BC’s 2022 Magazine of the Year, Asparagus publishes print issues when we can (always on 100%-post-consumer-recycled paper) and shares stories year-round on asparagusmagazine.com and our membership platform, The Green House.

Asparagus started publishing online in February 2018. A successful crowdfunding campaign paid for the first print issue, which came out in the summer of 2019. In the intervening years we have published a total of 10 print issues and hundreds of online articles. The publication is funded through a combination of reader memberships and donations, government grants, advertising by select organizations, events, and merchandise sales. To learn more about what drives us, read the Asparagus Manifesto.

Responsibilities

Since founding Asparagus in 2018, Jessie Johnston has served as the magazine’s publisher and editrix-in-chief. This state of affairs was never supposed to last this long, and it’s past time Jessie handed off publisher duties to someone else. While there are definitely enough tasks for a full-time publisher, we don’t yet have the funds to pay someone full time. So, our goal is to find a person who is a good fit for our team and able to take on some of the responsibilities below. Assuming that person is successful in bringing in more revenue, some of that money would be used to pay them to take on more responsibilities or to hire someone else to take them on, as appropriate.

The final job description will be crafted from this list of responsibilities, but we do not expect every candidate to have experience or interest in all of them. In your cover letter, please indicate which of these you would like to fall under your purview to start.

• Designing and implementing an annual membership campaign
• Member stewardship (via Patreon and other platforms)
• Identifying and tracking grant opportunities
• Writing or supporting grant applications
• Identifying and pursuing foundation funding opportunities
• Cultivating and managing partnerships with community and cultural organizations
• Planning and managing events (launches, community gatherings, panel discussions, etc)
• Working with editrix-in-chief to create and manage annual budget
• Creating and implementing marketing campaigns
• Analysing marketing analytics and making recommendations based on data
• Recruiting and managing volunteers
• Identifying and pursuing non-traditional distribution partners
• Attending board meetings and supporting board relationships

Experience

Essential

• Constituent recruitment/cultivation and stewardship (whether audience, donors, readers, or any constituent of an arts or community organization)
• Community outreach and partnerships
• Budget creation and management 

Assets

• Fundraising (individual and/or foundation)
• Grant writing 
• Marketing of any kind (digital, social media, in-person)
• Web/marketing analytics 
• Event management
• Volunteer management
• Working with a non-profit board
• Experience with Patreon
• Alternative magazine distribution
• Working with printers

Traits of an Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate is passionate about environmental and social sustainability, with a strong commitment to anti-oppressive practice. Asparagus encourages all candidates—including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQIA2+ people, and members of any marginalized gender or group—to apply. Asparagus Magazine’s editorial centres perspectives often excluded from mainstream environmental media, and your voice is wanted here.

This position requires a self-motivated and experienced candidate. The publisher will work both independently and in collaboration with the editrix-in-chief and board. Our ideal candidate likely has 10-plus years of work experience and comes with their own contacts and way of working. We look forward to welcoming a mature and self-possessed publisher to our team.

Compensation

We currently have $5,000 budgeted for this position, which we envision paying out at a rate of $40/hour over a period of 4 months. How the work is distributed over those months and what the future looks like after they are completed will be determined in collaboration between the new publisher and the Asparagus leadership team.

Location

Asparagus is run out of East Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Some members of our team work entirely remotely, but we do enjoy having the option of connecting in person a few times a year. Asparagus does not have an office.

To Apply

Please send a resume and cover letter (including your proposed responsibilities) to board@asparagusmagazine.com by April 30, 2026.