Creative Director – Children’s Literature & Story Development (Volunteer)

Creative Director – Children’s Literature & Story Development

PromiseStories | PromisePages (Children’s Publishing Division)

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP) – PromiseStories Division

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Type: Founding Leadership (Volunteer Executive Track or Structured Contract Role)

Reports To: Chief Creative & Publishing Officer

Works Closely With: Children’s Book Writers, Illustrators, Editor-in-Chief, Curriculum Team, PromisePress Production, Accessibility Advisor

About PromiseStories | PromisePages

PromiseStories is MAP’s storytelling and publishing division dedicated to producing children’s literature rooted in dignity, imagination, cultural depth, and emotional intelligence.

PromisePages, our children’s publishing imprint, develops books that reflect:

• Students experiencing housing instability
• Multicultural identity
• Emotional resilience
• Family complexity
• Hope without sentimentality

Our books are not surface-level narratives.

They are structurally thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, and developmentally aligned.

We believe children deserve literature that respects their inner world.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Creative Director – Children’s Literature & Story Development to lead the vision, editorial cohesion, narrative architecture, and creative standards of MAP’s children’s book writing team.

This founding leadership role will oversee story development across manuscripts, ensure narrative consistency and literary quality, and guide writers toward emotionally grounded, culturally responsive storytelling.

The Creative Director will bridge:

• Literary craft
• Child development awareness
• Cultural nuance
• Publishing standards
• Mission alignment

This role requires both artistic discernment and structured editorial leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the creative vision and narrative standards for PromisePages
• Guide writers in story structure, character development, emotional pacing, and thematic integrity
• Oversee manuscript review cycles and developmental feedback processes
• Ensure alignment with age-appropriate literacy and social-emotional learning frameworks
• Collaborate with illustrators to ensure visual storytelling coherence
• Maintain editorial consistency across tone, voice, and cultural representation
• Identify narrative gaps or oversimplifications in early drafts
• Strengthen authenticity in stories reflecting housing instability and diverse lived experiences
• Contribute to series architecture, publishing roadmap, and long-term brand voice
• Collaborate with production teams on readiness for submission, CIP compliance, and final formatting standards
• Maintain timely, professional responsiveness via email and chat in Google Workspace

Qualifications

• Background in children’s literature, creative writing, publishing, English, or related field
• Demonstrated experience developing or editing children’s manuscripts
• Strong understanding of narrative structure and literary craft
• Experience providing developmental editorial feedback
• Ability to maintain mission alignment without compromising literary quality
• Strong portfolio or publication history preferred

Preferred Skills

• Experience working with diverse cultural narratives
• Familiarity with trauma-informed storytelling principles
• Experience collaborating with illustrators and layout teams
• Knowledge of publishing standards, CIP processes, and manuscript preparation
• Experience leading creative teams or editorial boards

Commitment

• Founding leadership role
• Structured engagement (minimum 5–10 hours per week for executive volunteer track; scalable during production cycles)
• 6-month minimum commitment preferred for continuity of story development
• Remote with NYC collaboration as needed

What You’ll Build

• A cohesive children’s literary identity for PromisePages
• Developmentally aligned, emotionally resonant story collections
• A structured manuscript review and quality assurance system
• A publishing culture rooted in craft, dignity, and creative excellence

Children do not need louder stories.

They need truer ones.

Help shape literature that honors their imagination, complexity, and resilience.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, leadership volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, copyright, and publishing compliance requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.