Write/Edit for COSA

COSA Authors Wanted: Literature Submissions

Writing can be a rewarding form of service. Not only does sharing our experience, strength, and hope help others in the fellowship, it enhances the writer’s personal program of recovery, often bringing us to new levels of awareness and growth. COSA members may submit shares for consideration for publication in the bi-monthly newsletter, Balance, or in other COSA literature.

Click here and sign up to write for the Balance newsletter!

The Literature Committee has developed specific guidelines to help our authors keep their writing recovery-focused with consistent style and usage.

Your “One Stop Shop” for Editorial Review (ER) editing and publishing:

★ Balance Newsletter
★ Board Meeting summaries
★ COSAs in the Know weekly emails
★ Delegate Meeting summaries
★ Convention programs & information
★ Literature
★ Website content

Simply email us your article (as a Google document) along with your contact information, and tell us where and when you’d like it published. That’s it! We will facilitate the process of moving your document through ER and contact you if we need further information. If your article is to be published in multiple outlets, please send one email, copying all pertinent email addresses.

Here’s where to send your article, and how to reach us if you have any questions:
➔ Balance Newsletter – balance@cosa-recovery.org
➔ Board Meeting summaries – er@cosa-recovery.org and litcom@cosa-recovery.org
➔ COSAs in the Know – er@cosa-recovery.org
➔ Delegate Meeting summaries – er@cosa-recovery.org and litcom@cosa-recovery.org
➔ Literature – litcom@cosa-recovery.org
➔ Website content – litcom@cosa-recovery.org

Once your submission has been received, the Literature Committee will review it for possible publication. This may take several weeks, depending on the Committee’s workload. The Literature Committee’s editorial team will use the utmost care to honor and maintain the voice and intention of the author as they edit for style, usage, and content. We appreciate your time, effort, and willingness to contribute to COSA through writing.

Literature Committee

The literature committee is responsible for all of the various COSA publications. The requirements listed immediately below apply to all of the committee positions, and specific positions are then listed individually.

Interested? Contact litcom@cosa-recovery.org

Role-Specific Sobriety Requirements

  • Must be working with a sponsor or equivalent
  • Must be a member of a registered group
  • For ISO Board Members
    • Minimum Years in COSA: 2 years
    • Completed Step: 12
    • ISO Board members are expected to participate in monthly teleconferences and attend two face to face board meetings a year. One board meeting is at the Annual Conference and one is in late summer/early fall in a location to be determined.
  • For Coordinators
    • Minimum Years in COSA: 1 year
    • Completed Step: Varies with the assignment level
  • For Committee Members
    • Minimum Years in COSA: 6 months

General Sobriety Requirements

  • Be a COSA member
  • Be respectful of the COSA Traditions
  • Have access to and regularly use e-mail
  • Uphold the COSA Diversity Statement
  • Become familiar with ISO Bylaws and Service Guide
  • Use Roberta’s Rules and the COSA Safety Guidelines

Editors

Literature Committee Editors are responsible for editing documents in any of the English language production teams. Editors also proofread documents returning from Layout and Design before final distribution. Editors may be called upon to work individually, but more often they work in editing work groups. Documents considered by Expedited Review are edited for spelling, punctuation, and grammar, clarity and compliance with the Writing Guidelines. All other teams edit documents for spelling, punctuation, grammar, style and content.

Responsibilities

  • Works with Team Coordinator(s) to meet editing deadlines
  • Reviews documents for content, style, spelling, punctuation, and grammar, as required by the specific production team.
  • Proofreads previously edited documents returned by Layout Designers
  • Be available when possible for last-minute review of documents which require immediate attention
  • Consults the Editing Punch List

Helpful Skills and Abilities

  • Familiarity with the LitCom section of the ISO of COSA Services Giude
  • Ability to check email and respond within 24-48 hours

NOTE: This service description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Volunteer may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of COSA as whole.

Requirements/Necessary Tools

  • Reliable computer
  • Consistent, reliable Internet accessExcellent communication skills in all aspects of service
  • Knowledge of standard English spelling, punctuation, and grammar
  • Familiarity with the LitCom Guidelines for Submissions
  • Membership in the Literature Committee Yahoo Group
  • Attend monthly Literature Committee teleconferences (strongly preferred but not required)
  • Ability to improve overall content while preserving the voice of the author
  • Ability to use email, and send attached documents [Required of all ISO volunteers]
  • Ability to use (or develop skills in) Microsoft Word and Google Docs software
  • Familiarity with COSA’s Twelve Steps, Traditions, and Concepts

Literature Translator

Literature Translators are responsible for accurate translation of COSA literature from a source language (often English) to a specific target language. They may perform the translation or oversee translation by an outside professional hired by the ISO. Translators must be able to speak and write fluently in both the source and target languages.

Responsibilities

  • Translating, or overseeing professional translation of, specific pieces of approved COSA literature by an agreed-upon deadline
  • Coordinating the efforts of Translation Editors to improve translated COSA literature
  • Corresponding with LitCom Chair, Literature in Development Coordinator, and Literature Translators of other target languages
  • Cooperating with COSAcopy Responders to post items to Google Docs for editing
  • Cooperating with Design & Layout Specialists to create accurate and attractive publishable final documents
  • Communicating with Literature Committee members, ISO Board members, and source language writers as needed

Helpful Skills and Abilities

  • Good verbal and written communication skills
  • Organizational ability
  • Knowledge of the Guidelines for Submission of COSA Literature
  • Familiarity with COSA’s service structure
  • Detail-oriented
  • Patience and diplomacy

Requirements/Necessary Tools

  • Phone
  • Computer/printer and e-mail
  • Willingness to develop computer skills in MS Word, Yahoo! Groups, and Google Docs
  • Attend monthly Literature in Development and Literature Committee teleconferences
  • Membership in the Literature Committee Yahoo! Group
  • Familiarity with COSA’s Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts
  • Demonstrates fluency with standard English spelling, punctuation, and grammar in their regular ISO service correspondence
  • Demonstrates fluency with target language spelling, punctuation, and grammar in their regular correspondence with Translation Editors

NOTE: This service description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Volunteer may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of COSA as whole.

Translation Editor

Translation Editors are responsible for supporting accurate translation of COSA literature from a source language (often English) to a specific target language in cooperation with their Literature Translator. They must be able to speak and write fluently in both the source and target languages.

Responsibilities

  • Editing translated source documents in Google Docs by an agreed-upon deadline
  • Proofreading translated source documents in Google Docs by an agreed-upon deadline
  • Cooperating with the Literature Translator of a given target language to improve all COSA literature in that language
  • Corresponding with LitCom Chair, Literature in Development Coordinator, and Translation Editors of other target languages
  • Cooperating with COSAcopy Responders to utilize Google Docs for editing
  • Communicating with Literature Committee members, ISO Board members, and source language writers as needed

Helpful Skills and Abilities

  • Good verbal and written communication skills
  • Organizational ability
  • Knowledge of the Guidelines for Submission of COSA Literature
  • Familiarity with COSA’s service structure
  • Detail-oriented
  • Patience and diplomacy

Requirements/Necessary Tools

  • Phone
  • Computer/printer and e-mail
  • Willingness to develop computer skills in MS Word, Yahoo! Groups, and Google Docs
  • Attend monthly Literature in Development and Literature Committee teleconferences
  • Membership in the Literature Committee Yahoo! Group
  • Familiarity with COSA’s Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts
  • Demonstrates fluency with standard English spelling, punctuation, and grammar in their regular ISO service correspondence
  • Demonstrates fluency with target language spelling, punctuation, and grammar in their regular correspondence with Literature Translators and other Translation Editors

NOTE: This service description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Volunteer may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of COSA as whole.