A “Contributing Editor” has two jobs: writing (that’s the ‘contributing’ part) and editorial.  I’m part of a team that includes other incredibly talented editors and art designers, but here’s how the job breaks down for me:

“Contributing”: Sometimes I pitch ideas for the magazine, and sometimes I’m given assignments. For example, ASK has an upcoming issue about garbage and recycling. For that one, I pitched an article about a visit to a recycling center, and I was assigned an article about middens (ancient garbage dumps).

“Editor”: On the creative side, I help come up with issue ideas, am another set of eyes during reviews of art and article layouts, and consult on how a story reads. On the practical side, I proofread and copy edit.

Being a Contributing Editor means constant variety, and I love every minute of it!

This month I was lucky enough to have articles in ASK and Highlights, and I’m finishing off October with this article in Click!

I’m sharing some slimy love in October’s ASK with “The Sea’s Super Slimer,” my article about hagfish. This is one of my favorite articles ever; hagfish are so gross that it was really fun and interesting to learn about them!

“The Spooky Science of Fear” is all about how our brains process fear and why it’s important. As always when I write for kids, I learned a ton, too!

I wrote “Building Bionic Bodies” for the September issue of ASK. It’s an overview of prosthetics through the ages…where we started, what’s being done today, and what the future might hold.

Not only did ASK take a pitch I proposed about a visit to a recycling facility, but I was offered–and accepted–a position as a contributing editor for Click, ASK, and Muse magazines! As a contributing editor, I’ll do a combination of proof-reading and fact checking, idea generating, and writing. I couldn’t be happier!

In this month’s ASK…meet the small bird who doesn’t chirp or tweet. Instead, he taps his wings together to make his song!