Summer is around the corner and with it summer internship opportunities. For those thinking of book publishing, now is the time to apply. Research the book publishing industry carefully and spend some time figuring out which publisher would be the best fit. Keep small presses and non-profit publishing in mind and open up internship opportunities further.
How to Approach the Search for a Summer Internship in Book Publishing
There are two ways to go about searching for an internship in book publishing:
- Deciding on a preferred and feasible internship location or,
- Based on interest and skills, focusing on publishers first.
Both approaches are valid as it will not make sense to move cross-country, for example from Los Angeles to New York, if similar opportunities can be found close to home. Remember that most publishing internships are either unpaid or pay very little, so economic considerations play a big role.
On the other hand, for someone interested in film or Hollywood, obtaining an internship with a book publisher in Los Angeles might make the most sense. Also, if planning to study abroad, it might be feasible to add an internship in publishing or a related field at the end of the study tenure.
Where to Search for Publishing Internships
Deciding on one’s individual preference – location or publisher – makes narrowing down the search for a fitting publishing internship quite a bit easier. The key is to think out of the box and to be creative with one’s approach. Bookjobs provides a list of publishers and their internship programs including company description, location, internship duration, payment and contact information.
Other valuable resources for book publishing internships are individual publisher’s web sites and college internship databases. Also, keep in mind that some areas of book publishing are more popular than others and therefore harder to get into because of more competition or more stringent application requirements.
So for those unsure or undecided of the area of publishing to pursue, keep in mind that it might be better to move from one department to another later rather than not getting in at all. Publishing departments that provide excellent learning opportunities yet are not as flooded with applications as, let’s say the editorial department, are:
- finance and accounting,
- legal and contracts,
- production,
- sales and
- sub rights.
How to Apply for Book Publishing Internships
Though publishing is all about writing and therefore reading, make sure to send a cover letter along with the resume that does not make for unnecessary reading for those reviewing internship applications. Ensure that it fulfills all the points below:
- Clearly states the reason for the interest in book publishing,
- mentions the preferred department or departments to work with and why,
- briefly summarizes accomplishments and academic achievements related to the desired publishing internship,
- is short and to-the-point,
- avoids the obvious like a love of reading and books and
- is typo-free.
Writing a good cover letter that fulfills all these points is not easy and will take time. But because publishing professionals are inundated with inadequate applications that don’t even state the basic fact – why someone wants to obtain a particular internship – the well phrased and thoughtfully written cover letters will stick out and make a good first impression.
So, before jumping into a publishing internship, make sure to match the different book publishers and their internship programs with your skills and background and to research all opportunities carefully.
The more research beforehand, the more targeted the application and the clearer the understanding of the internship experience in publishing. Put together a publisher's profile for each one of interest; here's one of Random House, the largest general trade book publisher in the world. These articles will help understand the book publishing industry better: What Publishers Do (from book concept to reader feedback) and how to break into publishing.
Simone Preuss - Simone is a freelance writer, editor and translator who decided to go solo after a successful career in publishing. That was more than ...
Join the Conversation