CURRENT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Introduction
The team at Brightstone Books is creating an immersive experience for their flagship mythopoeic dark fantasy series, Mystic. Beginning with traditional print books, the project extends to a soundscape audiobook with a full voice cast, original soundtrack, and atmospheric sound effects. Additionally, weekly 5-minute visual episodes of the soundscape audiobook will be released on YouTube, using concept art from notable fantasy artists to bring an added layer of immersion. At the same time, the interactive ebook app will provide a more hands-on approach, with embedded links within the story to additional lore, maps, and character backgrounds, all to envelop the reader more fully into the world. Beyond these core projects, Brightstone Books also has plans for a documentary-style lore video series, interactive role-playing experiences, and more.
The Sage Position
The Sage oversees crowdfunding campaigns, secures endorsements, manages audiobook production, and contributes character-focused lore expansions. This position encompasses three roles: Creative, Analytical and Business.
1) Creative Role: Lore Expansion Writer (Character Focused)
Write character-focused stories set in the world of Mystic, expanding on figures introduced in the novel or drawn from Atha’s long history. These pieces will explore their lives, decisions, personal histories, relationships, and defining behaviors. Some assignments will be tied directly to major characters, while others may flesh out figures from ancient events, old kingdoms, or lesser-known lineages mentioned in passing. A deep understanding of the novel series Mystic is required. Compensation is $30/hour.
2) Business Role: Crowdfunding Manager & Endorsement Specialist
Create and manage focused crowdfunding campaigns on platforms like Kickstarter. Oversee the assembly of endorsements, artwork, advertisements, and other supporting assets. Coordinate with the team and present a clear proposal outlining campaign needs, including suggestions for promotional videos, graphics, and other materials.
The position also involves serving as an Endorsement Specialist, where you'll identify, research, and secure endorsements from authors, influencers, and public figures whose audiences align with ours. Handle both strategic targeting and direct outreach using an authentic, enthusiasm-focused communication style — not a hard sales approach.
Explanation & Compensation: Crowdfunding Manager
This position is much like being a general or a chess player. You’re not on the front lines, but you have the ability to know what pieces need to go where and see all that must be done. You have a working knowledge of what makes a good campaign, and you ensure all the departments are providing you with what you need. You might coordinate with our team and present a clear proposal outlining campaign needs, including suggestions for promotional videos, graphics, and other materials to meet your proposed vision. While this is technically a business position, a lot of creative vision is required to ensure you convey Mystic in an effective way. You’ll also need to learn or educate yourself on the various crowdfunding platforms (i.e., Kickstarter). This position is 100% performance-based, with no hourly due to the very high payout. Currently, we’re offering 7% of the net profit of each campaign. On a $100k campaign, that would be $7k, and we plan on doing 10 to 12 campaigns in the next 12 months. Skills at coordinating and managing workflow amongst deadlines is an absolute must. NOTE: We will compensate you $20/hr during your first 2-4 weeks of training and education.
Explanation & Compensation: Endorsement Specialist
The Endorsement Specialist role requires a more calculated approach. Which is also why it is more lucrative. However, it still is not sales, but intelligent networking. It also depends on where you’d like to spend your efforts. For example, getting an endorsement with commercial rights, so we can use it, would yield the following, depending on the tier (which we would provide and detail the criteria for):
People like Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Sarah J. Maas, or well-known celebrities within the fantasy genre can earn you up to $20,000 - $25,000. These would be a Tier 5.
Popular but less direct figures from the fantasy genre, such as bestselling authors, directors, actors, or producers involved in major fantasy franchises, would earn $10,000–$15,000
More common or easier-to-obtain endorsements that fall into the $250–$1,000 range come from people with respected titles or who have worked on popular projects but aren’t well-known personally. This could include fantasy concept artists, semi-popular authors or writers from game studios or movies, directors, and so forth. Example: John X, director from the popular fantasy videogame X, or Kara X, Professor of English at X University.
We will educate you on the best methods and strategies (non-sales) of networking to reach all these tiers, but it will depend on your own performance and critical thinking to achieve the best outcome. As a seasoned businessman and as one of the nation’s former top real estate professionals, AJ has a working knowledge of effective strategies, and he’ll take the time to walk you through those. This role is 100% performance-based due to the high payout. NOTE: We will compensate you $20/hr during your first 2-4 weeks of training and education.
3) Analytical Role: Audiobook Overseer
Prepare the novel manuscript for full cinematic audiobook production. Including adding performance cues where needed, and creating a pronunciation guide to maintain consistency. In addition to preparation, you'll handle audiobook recruitment. You'll work with the team to develop a list of potential voice actors who match the novel’s characters, including recognizable names. For high-profile talent, you'll assist with handling direct outreach and negotiate terms, offering favorable bonus structures such as a percentage of crowdfunding revenue or merchandise incentives to secure both endorsement and strong performance. This can double as part of your Endorsement Specialist compensation as well. You may also conduct auditions for lesser-known voice actors to fill remaining smaller roles. Beyond casting, you’ll assist with selecting composers and sound designers who align with Mystic’s atmosphere and vision as well.
Once everything is in place, you’ll oversee the full audiobook production process to ensure that the tone, pacing, and emotional delivery match the world of Mystic. This includes guiding sound design and music choices, ensuring that everything from the voice acting to the soundtrack remains cohesive and immersive.
Compensation: $27/hour (potential bonuses available, stacks with Endorsement specialist in some cases)
Team Meetings
In-person team meetings will be held quarterly at our office in Salt Lake City, though this may vary depending on our needs. If you are located outside of Utah but within the USA, that's no problem, we will cover your travel and accommodation for these meetings. If you are remote only, please let us know before applying.
What We’re Looking For
A multidisciplinary candidate who can balance creative, business, and analytical roles.
Strong writing skills with a love dark fantasy and lore.
Able to identify talented acting skills and is familiar with the fantasy audiobook market
Able to plan and run crowdfunding campaigns from concept to launch, including budgeting, asset coordination, and scheduling.
Capable of identifying and contacting high-value endorsement targets with a smart, and natural approach (not mass emails or cold-pitching).
Self-motivated, reliable, and detail-focused.
Genuinely passionate about fantasy and immersive storytelling.
NOTE: If you don’t have a lot of technical experience with crowdfunding, securing endorsements, or marketing in general but love fantasy, are good with people, and passionate about writing, and have excellent work ethic, we encourage you to apply anyway. We can train and educate you on how to be successful. Your success is our success, so if you’re willing to invest your time with us to learn, we’re ready to invest our time to ensure you prosper.
Hours & Compensation: (Please be sure to read our FAQ: Hiring FAQ)
Monthly compensation: $30/hour for creative and $27 hour for Analytical per above for this position. Potential to increase hours and pay based on continuing experience and production. For the Business it is performance based with hourly payed for the first 2-4 weeks of training in the amount of $20 per hour.
Hours: You may choose how many hours you want to work when you apply, up to 25 hours per month per role — but the hours must be equal across all three roles. For example, if you choose 25 hours for Creative, then Business and Analytical must also be 25 hours, totaling 75 hours. You're welcome to exceed your Business hours, since that role is performance-based, not hourly. In this position, hourly pay applies only to your Creative and Analytical roles. The Business role is compensated based on your results each month. Full-time paid hours are only available after you’ve been with us for 6–12 months.
Growth: This role offers significant opportunities for expanded responsibilities and professional development for candidates who demonstrate exceptional value and alignment with our vision.
Flexibility: This is an independent contractor position; allowing you to set your own schedule to accomplish projects. Aside from our meetings you're free to work at the location of your choice. No taxes will be taken from your pay, you will be responsible for your own taxes and benefits.
How to Apply:
Please first read the "Hiring FAQ." Afterward, provide a resume or a summary of relevant experience and education. Introduce yourself and briefly explain why you believe you'd be a good fit for the Sage position, specifically referencing the three roles mentioned above. Be sure to include how many hours you'd like to work per month, as outlined above. Submit your application to careers@brightstonebooks.com with the subject line “The Sage Application.”
You will be notified if you have made it to the second round no later than May 21st. Additional details about our fantasy series and specific projects will be shared with candidates who advance to the second round. If you do not get contacted by then you did not make the second round, and we wish you the best in your endeavors. PLEASE NOTE: This position may close early if we identify a candidate we feel fits exceptionally well. Please check our website under "careers" for the latest status.