Join the team
Editing and indexing together, in service of scholarship that mattersIdeas on Fire is an academic editing and publishing agency supporting bold, interdisciplinary scholarship in the humanities and social sciences.
We collaborate with freelance editors, indexers, and publishing professionals who care deeply about ideas, rigor, and the public life of scholarship—and who enjoy working as part of an editorial team rather than in isolation.
We support interdisciplinary research rooted in the humanities and social sciences—work that draws from multiple intellectual traditions, speaks across fields, and remains accountable to the communities and movements from which it emerges.
Our projects often sit at the intersections of scholarship, activism, and art, and they demand editorial partners who are comfortable with theory, context, and complexity.
This is not generic academic editing and indexing. It is collaborative, systems-driven, and shaped by shared commitment to helping scholars build better worlds.
How our agency model works
Every project at Ideas on Fire is supported by an editorial team, thoughtfully assembled and led by our founder Dr. Cathy Hannabach and our editorial director.
That means:
- no one person is “the editor” or "the indexer" in isolation
- editorial work is situated within a larger process and set of standards
- roles are clearly scoped and intentionally complementary
- communication, timelines, and decision-making are handled at the agency level
As a freelancer, you are contributing your expertise to a larger whole. You are never responsible for carrying a project alone, managing client relationships, or compensating for missing systems. Our job as an agency is to build the infrastructure that allows excellent editorial work to happen collectively and sustainably.
This team-based model is one of the reasons our work is trusted by so many scholars, presses, journals, and institutions, and why many freelance editors and indexers choose to work with us over the long term.
Who thrives here
Working with Ideas on Fire is a good fit for you if you:
- have substantial experience editing or indexing humanities and social science scholarship
- appreciate and meet clear deadlines, expectations, and responsibilities
- enjoy interdisciplinary, theoretically engaged scholarship
- welcome and incorporate feedback on your editing/indexing work
- are attentive to language, power, and scholarly ethics
- value collaboration, clarity, and shared standards
- enjoy contributing to a well-run editorial team rather than working entirely solo
It is not a good fit if you are primarily seeking light-touch editing or indexing work, if you prefer direct author interaction, or if you are looking to direct projects end to end.
This selectivity is intentional. It allows us to build strong teams and do meaningful work together.
Why work with us
Thoughtful flexibility
Our agency has always been fully remote and internationally distributed. Editorial teams are assembled around the needs of each project, matching collaborators’ expertise, interests, and availability.
Strong systems, real support
We invest deeply in project management, documentation, accountability, and communication. You’ll receive clear project briefs, realistic timelines, responsive project management, and prompt payment—so your attention stays on the editorial work itself.
A collaborative professional community
Because we work as teams, collaboration is built into our model. Editors and indexers regularly exchange insights, ask questions, and support one another across disciplines and projects.
Room to grow within the agency
We provide a lot of opportunities for editors and indexers to stretch and grow in their skills, gradually deepening their expertise, expanding the kinds of projects they contribute to, or exploring adjacent roles within our editorial ecosystem.
Editorial professional development at Ideas on Fire
One of the benefits of working with Ideas on Fire is access to our Editorial Professional Development Series, an internal mentorship and learning program for team members.
The series includes workshops, discussions, and skill-sharing sessions on topics such as:
- advanced editorial problem-solving
- interdisciplinary and ethical editing and indexing practices
- trends in humanities and social science publishing
- sustainable freelance workflows
- emerging tools and methods in scholarly editing and indexing
This program reflects a core belief of our agency: excellent editorial work is collective, evolving, and strengthened through shared learning.
Open opportunities
Hiring: Freelance academic book indexer
The best way to learn about new openings is to join the Ideas on Fire newsletter, where we share announcements about opportunities, agency updates, and professional development offerings.