Publishing Internships - Who and When

Posted by Simone Preuss Dec 1, 2008

I have received a few comments on publishing internships, specifically when to do one and who can participate. These are valid questions and before I talk about the when and who, I want to address publishers’ requirements.

If you look at various publishers’ web sites and their internship requirements, you will see that most are open to students, either doing their bachelors or after graduation. Some may require prior work experience, either in publishing or another field. But as internships are meant to be a first stepping stone, there are many that do not require previous work experience. Therefore, internships are a great way to enter a field with little or no experience.

What internship coordinators or publishers are looking for is someone who is interested in the field and has done some research about it. For example, someone who knows what the different departments of a publishing house are (editorial, production, marketing, sales, etc.) and who can state a preference.

Also, depending on which publisher you are targeting, certain college degrees may be required. For example, a publisher specializing in books on finance might look for interns with academic experience in this or a related field. Staple requirements will also be good communication and interpersonal skills, also good writing or presentation skills.

The questions of who and when are related. Generally, anyone meeting the internship criteria can apply, regardless of age. The vast majority of publishing interns will be students or recent college graduates in their early 20s but there is no age restriction as such. In fact, I know quite a few people who discovered publishing as their second career and therefore started in their 30s or 40s. Plus, anyone coming to publishing as a second (or third) career already has been inducted to an office environment or working with colleagues. Often, if someone is coming to publishing from a related field (such as printing, book selling, distribution, etc.), the knowledge acquired will make an internship redundant.