Discord & Mastodon Community Growth Expert

Freelance Discord & Mastodon Community Manager
About the project

We are a publisher and bookstore offering print books, ebooks, audiobooks, music, and marketing packages for self-publishing authors. We’re looking for one highly experienced freelancer to set up and manage a coordinated social program on both Discord and Mastodon.

This is a hands-on role. We need someone who has recently worked directly in both platforms—not someone who has only general social-media experience or is proposing to learn them on the job.
Mandatory recent experience

Do not apply unless you have worked directly in both Discord and Mastodon within the last six months.

To be considered:

Your freelancer profile must clearly describe recent, hands-on work with both Discord and Mastodon, including when you used each platform and what you did.
If your profile does not include that information, provide a detailed account in your proposal. Include the project or organization, your role, the dates you worked on each platform, the size or type of community, and specific results or responsibilities.
Provide verification information for at least one company or organization you worked with on these platforms. With its permission, include the organization’s name, a contact person and business email, or other verifiable evidence of your role. Do not disclose confidential client information or share private server access.
Clearly state whether you personally handled the work on both platforms. Agency or team experience alone is not enough unless you personally performed the work.

Applications that don’t meet these requirements will not be considered.
Scope of work
Discovery and strategy

Review our bookstore, publishing, music, and self-publishing marketing services.
Recommend the target audiences and positioning for each platform.
Develop a practical strategy that distinguishes Discord’s community and event role from Mastodon’s public posting and discovery role.
Recommend an achievable content and moderation schedule.

Discord setup and management

Set up and organize a branded community server, including channels, roles, permissions, welcome information, rules, onboarding, and moderation procedures.
Create a structure that can serve readers, audiobook listeners, music fans, authors, and self-publishing creators without overwhelming new members.
Plan and manage activities such as book discussions, author or artist Q&As, bookstore events, and educational sessions for independent creators.
Welcome members, encourage conversation, enforce community rules, and escalate sensitive or business-related issues to us.

Mastodon setup and management

Advise us on account setup and suitable instance considerations; we will make the final account and instance decisions.
Develop the profile, bio, links, pinned welcome post, and initial posting approach.
Create and publish posts about bookstore recommendations and events, books, ebooks, audiobooks, music, authors, and useful self-publishing guidance.
Participate appropriately in conversations with readers, authors, booksellers, and relevant communities.
Use relevant hashtags and accessible practices, including descriptive image text.

Content, reporting, and improvement

Create a monthly content calendar and draft posts for our review.
Coordinate posts and events across Discord and Mastodon without simply duplicating the same message everywhere.
Track meaningful outcomes, such as active participation, event attendance, relevant audience growth, website or event-page visits, and qualified inquiries about our services.
Provide a concise monthly report with results, observations, and recommended changes.
Keep community resources, channel descriptions, moderation guidance, and account documentation organized and up to date.

Required skills and experience

Please describe your level and give examples for each area.

Discord setup and administration — expert: hands-on experience configuring servers, channels, roles, permissions, onboarding, moderation, and community events.
Mastodon account and community management — expert: recent direct experience publishing, engaging, using hashtags, and understanding how instances and federation affect participation and discovery.
Community management — advanced: able to welcome and retain members, prompt useful discussion, handle conflict calmly, and apply clear moderation standards.
Content planning and writing — advanced: can write engaging, brand-appropriate posts for readers, creators, authors, musicians, and local bookstore customers.
Event coordination — advanced: can plan and promote online and bookstore-linked events, manage schedules, and follow up afterward.
Analytics and reporting — intermediate or better: can choose realistic measures, interpret results, and recommend improvements without relying on follower counts alone.
Organization and communication — advanced: dependable, responsive, comfortable working to an approval process, and able to flag risks or delays promptly.
Accessibility and inclusion — working knowledge: writes clear, welcoming content and uses accessible image descriptions and inclusive community practices.

What we will provide

We will provide the freelancer with:

Information about our business, products, audience, services, and priorities.
Brand guidelines, logos, approved images, and relevant links where available.
Access to the appropriate business contacts for questions, approvals, and escalation.
Timely review of content and decisions that require our approval.
The final decisions on pricing, business claims, promotional offers, moderation policy, and account ownership.

The freelancer must not invent product details, publish unapproved claims, make commitments on our behalf, change pricing, or promise results for marketing services. We expect them to obtain approval for sensitive, controversial, paid, or high-impact content.
Deliverables

Please propose a schedule and price for the following initial work:

A short strategy and recommended channel/account structure.
A configured Discord server and a prepared Mastodon profile.
A written moderation and escalation guide.
A first-month content and event calendar.
Initial welcome materials and launch posts for both platforms.
A monthly management and reporting plan.

We expect the freelancer to continue managing and improving the program after setup. In your proposal, specify your availability, estimated hours per week, what is included in your ongoing fee, and any work that would be billed separately.
How to apply

Please include:

A brief introduction and your proposed approach for these two platforms.
Evidence of direct Discord and Mastodon work within the last six months, including dates and your personal responsibilities on each.
At least one organization or company that can verify relevant work, with permission to contact it—or another credible verification method.
Examples of communities or content you managed, with links or screenshots only where you have permission to share them.
Your proposed setup timeline, weekly availability, and rates.
A short explanation of how you would keep community-building useful and welcoming without making the platforms feel like constant advertisements.

Applications without clear recent hands-on experience on both Discord and Mastodon will not be considered.