Joining Us
The Benefits of Working With Olympia
At Olympia Academic Competition Questions, we understand that our strength comes from the talented individuals who work for us. Thus, we are proud to be the only major Quiz Bowl question provider to offer our writers a guaranteed monthly income in return for their efforts. Furthermore, we are also the only question provider to offer bonuses for the early submission of one's questions, as well as for additional questions above and beyond one's regular assignment. We feel that these benefits help us recruit the top question writers available, which in turn allows us to provide the best questions possible for our customers.
Requirements For Working At Olympia
Timeliness
Timeliness is paramount for Olympia writers. Unlike at most question writing companies, at Olympia, writers are required to submit a regular monthly assignment of questions. While this generally allows us to avoid last minute requests for additional questions to finish our sets, this requires disciplined writers who can consistently turn in their assignments on time. While we do understand that real life circumstances can intrude upon one's obligations, a consistent pattern of late question submissions will be grounds for termination of one's contract with Olympia.
Understanding of High Quality Quiz Bowl
At Olympia, our highest priority is providing high quality Quiz Bowl questions for our customers. As a result, we require all writers to understand high quality Quiz Bowl, including the importance of pyramidal questions and bonuses which accurately differentiate the skill levels of teams. While we are willing to teach the details of how to write a good Quiz Bowl question, especially to associate writers, we do request all applicants understand the basics of high quality Quiz Bowl and what sets Olympia apart from many other Quiz Bowl question writing companies.
For more information regarding high quality Quiz Bowl, please see here.
For information regarding writing high quality questions, please see here.
Other Considerations
At Olympia, we believe strongly in our role as a Quiz Bowl question writing company founded by Quiz Bowl players for Quiz Bowl players. We feel that the best writers are those with personal familiarity with Quiz Bowl competition; as a result, we recommend that all applicants have some background in Quiz Bowl or other buzzer based knowledge competitions. However, we do understand that not all areas have such competitions and that participation in such competitions is not a prerequisite for writing good questions, and will take that into consideration when evaluating our applications.
Also, at Olympia, we hold our writers to the highest ethical standards. Thus, any evidence of plagiarism is grounds for immediate termination. We do understand that any activity based fundamentally on repeating facts from other sources cannot define plagiarism in the same way as it is usually defined; however, verbatim copying from print or Internet sources or from previous tournament is strictly prohibited. This includes copying from previous questions written by the same writer that have been previously used in competition or another public setting.
Timeliness is paramount for Olympia writers. Unlike at most question writing companies, at Olympia, writers are required to submit a regular monthly assignment of questions. While this generally allows us to avoid last minute requests for additional questions to finish our sets, this requires disciplined writers who can consistently turn in their assignments on time. While we do understand that real life circumstances can intrude upon one's obligations, a consistent pattern of late question submissions will be grounds for termination of one's contract with Olympia.
Understanding of High Quality Quiz Bowl
At Olympia, our highest priority is providing high quality Quiz Bowl questions for our customers. As a result, we require all writers to understand high quality Quiz Bowl, including the importance of pyramidal questions and bonuses which accurately differentiate the skill levels of teams. While we are willing to teach the details of how to write a good Quiz Bowl question, especially to associate writers, we do request all applicants understand the basics of high quality Quiz Bowl and what sets Olympia apart from many other Quiz Bowl question writing companies.
For more information regarding high quality Quiz Bowl, please see here.
For information regarding writing high quality questions, please see here.
Other Considerations
At Olympia, we believe strongly in our role as a Quiz Bowl question writing company founded by Quiz Bowl players for Quiz Bowl players. We feel that the best writers are those with personal familiarity with Quiz Bowl competition; as a result, we recommend that all applicants have some background in Quiz Bowl or other buzzer based knowledge competitions. However, we do understand that not all areas have such competitions and that participation in such competitions is not a prerequisite for writing good questions, and will take that into consideration when evaluating our applications.
Also, at Olympia, we hold our writers to the highest ethical standards. Thus, any evidence of plagiarism is grounds for immediate termination. We do understand that any activity based fundamentally on repeating facts from other sources cannot define plagiarism in the same way as it is usually defined; however, verbatim copying from print or Internet sources or from previous tournament is strictly prohibited. This includes copying from previous questions written by the same writer that have been previously used in competition or another public setting.
Positions With Olympia
Here is a listing of the types of positions we have open at Olympia Academic Competition Questions
Copy Editor
We currently do not have any openings for this position.
Olympia Academic Competition Questions is currently looking for a dedicated copy editor to help inspect our final products before they are shipped out to our customers. This position involves reading over every question in all of our tournament sets and checking for spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes as well as math errors. Copy editors will also be responsible for including pronunciation guides, and may also need to fix problems with clue placement and other non-typographical question quality issues. As a result, copy editors should have some degree of Quiz Bowl question editing experience; however, such editing will not be a major part of the copy editing position. Olympia is willing to offer $25.00 per GATA, ASCA, VHSL, or IESA format tournament set edited and $50.00 per ACF format tournament set edited for this position.
Individuals applying for the Copy Editor position are welcome to also apply for Olympia's other openings.
Full Writer
This position requires the monthly submission of 20/20 (20 tossups and 20 bonuses). We prefer that full writers have some degree of Quiz Bowl question writing experience, though we are willing to consider applicants without such experience. For its full writers, Olympia offers $2.00 per tossup and $0.50 per bonus part (so that an ACF format bonus would be worth $1.50). In addition, we offer 50% bonuses for submission of questions at least two weeks before deadline and for additional questions submitted beyond one's monthly assignment, which are cumulative. We also anticipate offering regular increases in pay over the next several years.
It is possible that as we receive additional contracts, our writers may be required to write additional types of questions (such as short quick recall questions or worksheets). Please include in your application whether you would be willing to write such types of questions.
Associate Writer
We currently have two openings for this position, preferably an individual who can write pyramidal language arts and technology questions.
This position requires the monthly submission of 10/10 (10 tossups and 10 bonuses). It is not necessary that associate writers have Quiz Bowl question writing experience, though it is a plus. For its associate writers, Olympia offers $1.00 per tossup and $0.25 per bonus part written (so that an ACF format bonus would be worth $0.75). In addition, we offer 50% bonuses for submission of questions at least two weeks before deadline and for additional questions submitted beyond one's monthly assignment, which are cumulative. We also anticipate offering regular increases in pay over the next several years.
It is possible that as we receive additional contracts, our writers may be required to write additional types of questions (such as short quick recall questions or worksheets). Please include in your application whether you would be willing to write such types of questions.
Copy Editor
We currently do not have any openings for this position.
Olympia Academic Competition Questions is currently looking for a dedicated copy editor to help inspect our final products before they are shipped out to our customers. This position involves reading over every question in all of our tournament sets and checking for spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes as well as math errors. Copy editors will also be responsible for including pronunciation guides, and may also need to fix problems with clue placement and other non-typographical question quality issues. As a result, copy editors should have some degree of Quiz Bowl question editing experience; however, such editing will not be a major part of the copy editing position. Olympia is willing to offer $25.00 per GATA, ASCA, VHSL, or IESA format tournament set edited and $50.00 per ACF format tournament set edited for this position.
Individuals applying for the Copy Editor position are welcome to also apply for Olympia's other openings.
Full Writer
This position requires the monthly submission of 20/20 (20 tossups and 20 bonuses). We prefer that full writers have some degree of Quiz Bowl question writing experience, though we are willing to consider applicants without such experience. For its full writers, Olympia offers $2.00 per tossup and $0.50 per bonus part (so that an ACF format bonus would be worth $1.50). In addition, we offer 50% bonuses for submission of questions at least two weeks before deadline and for additional questions submitted beyond one's monthly assignment, which are cumulative. We also anticipate offering regular increases in pay over the next several years.
It is possible that as we receive additional contracts, our writers may be required to write additional types of questions (such as short quick recall questions or worksheets). Please include in your application whether you would be willing to write such types of questions.
Associate Writer
We currently have two openings for this position, preferably an individual who can write pyramidal language arts and technology questions.
This position requires the monthly submission of 10/10 (10 tossups and 10 bonuses). It is not necessary that associate writers have Quiz Bowl question writing experience, though it is a plus. For its associate writers, Olympia offers $1.00 per tossup and $0.25 per bonus part written (so that an ACF format bonus would be worth $0.75). In addition, we offer 50% bonuses for submission of questions at least two weeks before deadline and for additional questions submitted beyond one's monthly assignment, which are cumulative. We also anticipate offering regular increases in pay over the next several years.
It is possible that as we receive additional contracts, our writers may be required to write additional types of questions (such as short quick recall questions or worksheets). Please include in your application whether you would be willing to write such types of questions.
Applying To Work With Olympia
Once you've perused our list of requirements, applying to join our team at Olympia Academic Competition Questions is an easy task.
Simply email us with the following:
1/ Your Name and any current Quiz Bowl affiliations you possess (including teams you play on or have played on, other question writing companies you work for and your role at those companies, other Quiz Bowl organizations you are a member of, etc.)
2/ Your experience writing Quiz Bowl questions, if any.
3/ What position (full writer, associate writer, or another position) you wish to apply for.
4/ What subjects you're willing to write questions in.
5/ A writing sample of 5 tossups and 5 bonuses written at middle school difficulty. Tossups should be roughly 4 lines long in 12 point Times New Roman font; bonuses should have three parts and including an easy, medium and hard part. Please format the sample in ACF format (detailed here), except in size 12 font.
We look forward to seeing your applications.
Simply email us with the following:
1/ Your Name and any current Quiz Bowl affiliations you possess (including teams you play on or have played on, other question writing companies you work for and your role at those companies, other Quiz Bowl organizations you are a member of, etc.)
2/ Your experience writing Quiz Bowl questions, if any.
3/ What position (full writer, associate writer, or another position) you wish to apply for.
4/ What subjects you're willing to write questions in.
5/ A writing sample of 5 tossups and 5 bonuses written at middle school difficulty. Tossups should be roughly 4 lines long in 12 point Times New Roman font; bonuses should have three parts and including an easy, medium and hard part. Please format the sample in ACF format (detailed here), except in size 12 font.
We look forward to seeing your applications.
