Behind the Scenes with Allison Hawley March

by Hannah Crawford

Around Rainbow Rumpus, Allison Hawley March is the person who makes sure things get done. Join us this month as Allison tells us what it takes to be the Managing Editor of an online magazine.

What do you do for Rainbow Rumpus?

I am the Managing Editor, which means I help everyone stick to deadlines and supervise the work of the copy editing team. After the copy editors have looked over the month’s stories for kids, teens, and grown-ups, I go over them again with a fine-toothed comb to make sure we keep the same tone from month to month, and that we haven’t completely missed any big errors.

How did you discover Rainbow Rumpus and why did you start volunteering for the magazine?

I found Rainbow Rumpus through VolunteerMatch, which is a fantastic resource if you’re not familiar with it. I was a few years out of college and looking for a volunteer gig that could help me get some more experience in copy editing. I was attracted to the mission of Rainbow Rumpus, having been pretty involved in LGBT advocacy in college.

I love that we create literature for kids that shows everyday families they don’t necessarily get to see in other books. Despite the fact that my husband and I make up a non-LGBT family, I can’t wait to share Rainbow Rumpus resources with my kids someday—this magazine really crosses boundaries, and I think our stories speak to everyone, regardless of the kind of family in which they grew up.

What has been the most challenging part of working for the magazine?

Because we conduct all of our work online, it can sometimes be hard to stay disciplined with no one but yourself as your "boss." I’m a bit of a procrastinator, so I have to really challenge myself to stay on top of when things are due—especially because others are relying on me at different steps of the process.

What is your best memory from working on Rainbow Rumpus?

I love spreading the word about Rainbow Rumpus, and referring friends and parents to the website and the printable picture books. It doesn’t make for one specific memory, because I get to send people to Rainbow Rumpus over and over again!

What’s something you’d like to see in Rainbow Rumpus’ future?

I’d love to see a time when Rainbow Rumpus is as widely recognized among parents as other magazines, like Highlights. It’d be great to go into someone’s house, see printable picture books alongside other kids’ books, and have it be no big deal: “Of course we have Rainbow Rumpus stuff—doesn’t everyone?” I want to see our readership continue to grow among all kinds of parents and grown-ups—LGBT, heterosexual, everyone—while we keep our unique focus on LGBT families.

And maybe a Rainbow Rumpus book line. A book line would be great!