Help Wanted!
& Other Housekeeping
last updated: 6/2/25
I’m seeking a researcher/academic to collaborate with, maybe a data journalist. Someone whose professional focus is data sets and crunching numbers who’d be interested in collaborating with me on the data-angle of the aftermath of my viral post about cis allyship — all the potential wisdom contained in the great heap of responses. Said responses haven’t stopped coming either (and I haven’t managed to even read all of them still, much as I’ve really tried and it’s picked up again recently such that my replies became too much for me to handle, once again, more than a month on...). So …. Maybe whoever-it-is is also trans/gnc? And/or maybe they study bigotry itself or even specifically transphobia? Or how humans change our minds/unlearn (prior misguided views…)? Anyway, if you are someone who would want to maybe try to work on this project with me, please reach out via that contact form. I encourage folks to share this with anyone who may be interested… (A decade ago, for example, I collaborated with two data journalists on this big feature about police violence and its disproportionately high impact on folks diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities. FWIW, see: the long follow up to that piece I wrote later on.)
I’m soliciting stories from fellow trans masc folks who’ve received endometriosis diagnoses — whether only post-hysto like me, or whenever. Please see this public thread for more info on what I’m soliciting and why. In brief, if you’re willing and generous enough to share any of your own story with me, to start: Just summarize your story as short or as long as you like and it email it to my contact form here. (You can at any time ask to be anonymous/use a pseudonym; please just state so in your initial query if you prefer so and/or we can always discuss all such matters — if I contact you for further interview.) If I want to speak further with you, I may follow up and ask to arrange an interview (only if you want). I will try hard to respond to all these messages individually. Regardless: Know I feel great gratitude to all who share about something so intimate and vulnerable with me. This is just me beginning my research for such a story, so, if I do decide I want to write about your story potentially, know I will ask to interview you (much more) before ever doing so.
Finally: I’m hiring for three roles, mostly for upcoming projects... I’m doing so in a deliberate-but-unhurried-fashion, say, in some cases especially pending other pieces falling into place…
Top priority: An illustrator / cartoonist-type who’d want to work on a one-off for now, a gig that could potentially (best case scenario!) lead to an ongoing collaboration. Please link your portfolio/website in your email and describe your relevant experience illustrating for/collaborating with journalists or media types. Also if applicable, describe your interest in my work or the topics I tend to focus on. Please also state your rate for an initial commissioned piece, as well as your rate for if you were to be illustrating for me on an ongoing basis (like monthly, for example, or maybe every other week?); fine to give a ballpark/range, rate-wise. I’ll describe more about what this project is and so forth if we interview. Because of the nature of this project, I strongly encourage trans/gnc folks to apply to this one.
Also, less urgent: A very part-time hourly assistant (like less than 5 hours a month, for now; could increase later though). The role would involve research projects and some other such editing/reading-type activities, all stuff we’d agree to, as well as some longer-term projects I might have you work on. (Note this will only be professional assistant-type work; I’m not in need of nor asking for a personal assistant, otherwise). Please state your hourly rate in your query email. Please state your relevant professional experience in your initial query. Also please describe your interest in my chosen areas of interest, if relevant, as well as anything else you’d like me to know about yourself (especially in terms of why you think we’d be a good fit). Having myself been an assistant in various capacities, including editorial and having been an assistant to a even few (famous) authors back when, I want to add: I will always likewise try my best to treat you and your work (and your time, etc.) with respect.
Potentially (if the right person should manifest/pending other stuff): I’m also looking for a podcast producer for an upcoming potential new collaboration. I previously co-created Mad Chat in 2019 with a very talented audio producer and I remain really proud of what we made. Our 10-episode pilot season had many fans — even the NYT, which wrote this (random) rave review after it ended, in 2020. This was despite the show being totally independently produced, funded on a total shoestring (by yours truly, with the last of my first book advance, basically). I tried hard to get it picked up by a podcast network/studio or to find any other funding source but didn’t succeed at the time (especially given it was then the top of the pandemic).
To be clear, I’m now hiring for a fully different project. But I’m explaining all this to say: I’m not new to podcasting… I have hosted one and I know what it takes to launch one. I have also guested on/contributed to bigger shows — including two times for This American Life (this one and my latest, about my singing voice before and after T). I also myself produced two reported pieces for 99% Invisible (on historic mental health care and on the past and future of bathroom segregation). I even took and supposedly learned all the technical skills to make ‘audio nonfiction’ (as we’d then have called it, ~20 years ago as an undergrad). Point being: podcast/audio-stuff isn’t totally unfamiliar to me... Hence I have enjoyed and am again seeking someone more experienced / skilled than myself to potentially launch a project with… In your initial email, please describe your experience and share your best 30-minute-whatever-audio-I-should-listen-to-of-yours, and then state your hourly rate (for audio production/editing work, so, duties would include production meetings and actual sessions, as well as cutting tape).
To apply for any of these three roles (illustrator/assistant/audio producer):
Please email me via the contact form on this page. Introduce yourself however you’d like, including your relevant work experience. Be clear in your subject line which of the three positions you are applying for. Note I am not going to be inclined to combine any of the three (for various reasons); you can try to make the case otherwise if you feel you’re perfect for more than one of the above.
Interest in mental health / gender and / or familiarity with my work in particular is always a plus. Applicants who are trans/gnc are especially welcome, given who I am and the nature of my work.
I’d mentioned a few other things to my Bluesky audience I’ll repeat here for fairness’ sake: I work best with others who are hard-working, diligent, good at communication and attentive to details. I am not a fan of having my time/energy wasted, especially not right now because I’ve got a lot going on (hence I’m maybe once again hiring an assistant…).
If we interview, I’ll tell you more about what I’m up to... Note, if we interview and I want to hire you, I will almost certainly ask for some professional references.
Again, apply using the web form here please include your rate (guessing is fine). Suffice to say those who don’t follow these instructions aren’t likely to be seriously considered.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me whatever. Again best way is to please use the contact form.
Thank you,
Sandy
p.s. *Mad Chat’s 10-episodes are totally disappeared-into-the-ether right now due to some technical cause I admittedly didn’t fully grasp, nor did I when this happened a few years ago/do I now have time/bandwidth to even dig into what the fix would entail …. This is an example of a project I’d love to hand off to a [willing] assistant to at least assess on my behalf….
p.p.p.s. As another example: My former online magazine Wag’s Revue is now as of the last few months entirely offline. Its first 10 (of 20) issues have for a few years needed to been rebuilt/migrated elsewhere seemingly… due to technical reasons the late magazine’s long-ago sometime web guy explained as he also mentioned his daughter was marrying and seemed way too busy to deal with my question about my dead magazine’s website. Again, a conundrum I’d love someone else at least maybe look into, on my/the project’s legacy’s behalf…
p.p.p.s. If you feel so inclined, I appreciate you sharing/forwarding this post (or my Bluesky posts mentioning the same) with anyone who may be interested. Thanks!!!
p.p.p.s. If you were forwarded/shared this page and are new to me, here is a recent explainer I wrote reintroducing myself and my work. This website itself is another great place to start.
p.p.p.p.s. If you did already apply to any of these or write me about any of the rest, please hang tight! I appreciate your patience with me; I’m just overwhelmed, lately, as hopefully makes some sense given all the aforementioned. I will start replying to some applicant pools soon and I will try to respond to all who apply, at least eventually. Thanks for your interest.