So you’d like to land a job in book publishing. If you’re not living in a major hub like New York, this may feel like a daunting challenge, and landing an internship can be difficult no matter where you live. The following resources should serve as a great jumping-off point. They are tailored to Minnesota undergraduate students pursuing an editorial position, but anyone hoping to pursue a job in publishing will find something on this list to help their résumé stand out. 

Intern at a Publishing House

It goes without saying that the best way to learn about book publishing is by interning or finding a student position at a book publisher. Locally, students should regularly refresh the MN Book Publishers Roundtable job board for internship and job opportunities. Be prepared for some opportunities to be unpaid, an unfortunate reality in our field. 

Nationally, check the Publishers Marketplace job board for opportunities at the Big Five. Since the pandemic, publishers are offering more remote positions. This is great news for students who don’t live in New York, but it also means you’re competing against a larger pool of applicants.

Below is a nonexhaustive list of companies with internship or student job opportunities. Check back seasonally, as most do not host interns year-round. Imprints with the Big Five are sometimes like Russian nesting dolls: Ten Speed Press is part of Crown, which is part of Penguin Random House. You’d have to look for openings at Ten Speed Press via Penguin Random House’s website in this example.

Minnesota Internship Opportunities
National Internship Opportunities
Sign Up for a Publishing Course

Some institutions offer six-week intensive courses that purport to teach you everything you need about publishing, such as the Columbia Publishing Course at NYC, the NYU Summer Publishing Institute, and the Denver Publishing Institute. They can be expensive. If you’re having trouble landing an internship and you have the extra funds, they can offer an equivalent amount of exposure to the publishing process. Employees from big houses will guest speak or be involved in teaching, so these courses are also excellent networking opportunities. A colleague of mine participated in the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford and found that she didn’t learn anything new or different from what she’d already been exposed to in her local internship, so keep in mind that it may not be worth doubling up.

Work at a Bookstore

This is one of the fastest ways to learn the markets, and it looks fantastic on a résumé, particularly if you’re interested in marketing or publicity. The Twin Cities have many lovely indie bookstores, including our beloved Magers & Quinn and Wild Rumpus and newer stores like Black Garnet Books and Tropes & Trifles. Keep an eye on local indie stores for fun events (networking opportunities) as well. You’ll absorb more from a regular bookstore, but a position at a used bookstore will still demonstrate your love of books on a résumé.

Write for Online Media

Join your student newspaper. Journalism is different from publishing, but there’s overlap. If you attend the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, write or work for the MN Daily or Wake magazine. Try college-focused publications like the Odyssey or other print or online student media. You’ll get a taste of the short-form, short-timeline publication process. Note that writing and editing are discrete but related skills. 

Join Your School’s Literary Magazine or Undergraduate Anthology Staff

You’ll learn the full publication process from participation in your school’s literary magazine, plus you’ll likely get a copy to take home to represent your hard work (one of my favorite parts of publishing!) and add to your portfolio. The U of M offers The Tower as a two-semester course. U undergraduates can submit their own writing for consideration and get experience of the process from the author’s point of view.

Start a Book Review Blog/Account

Post about books as you read them. You don’t have to post with the intent to gain followers, but having an online record of your reading is a great portfolio piece. Keep up with forthcoming titles by reviewing galleys, also known as advance reader’s copies (ARCs), on Eidelweiss and NetGalley. You can access early electronic copies of books for free through these sites and leave reviews. Like working at a bookstore, this shows you are keeping up with the market. Publishers also appreciate early feedback on the book before the final version is printed.

Join a Book Club

Start, lead, or participate in a book club. Sometimes, publishers will ask if you’ve read any recent releases, and it’s great to be able to point to your book club participation. 

Take Reputable Online Courses

Adobe Creative Suite is the standard software set for publishing. Check out LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) courses on programs like InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator if you are interested in learning about “packaging” books, which includes the book cover and interior designs. I’ve taken Photoshop courses on this platform and found them helpful and well-done. Some publishers use InCopy instead of Word, so it may behoove you to take an intro course for that program as well. You can get a free one-month trial and cram some learning in. Many of these courses also provide you with files so that you can follow along with the video in these programs as you watch, which is a fantastic way to familiarize yourself with the tools. If you don’t have a subscription to the suite, try a free trial or visit your school’s computer lab, as they likely have multiple computers with the software licensed. 

Many content creators these days are giving away their tips and tricks in long and short tutorial videos on YouTube, TikTok, and other social media sites. Spend some of your scrolling time finding a creator whose teaching style you resonate with, and absorb as much as you can. These are great free resources if you are willing to wade through the muck. 

I’ve recently been fed a ton of ads from random websites and programs for publishing-related training. Review these critically before forking over cash for something that might be a scam or AI-generated. Is there a real person behind this course, and what are their credentials? There’s nothing in publishing that’s kept secret and can only be learned from a high-ranking veteran, but it’s nice to be able to confirm the information you find online is both up to date and not stolen from someone else.

Network at Local Events

Your school’s English department will host author talks, literary roundtables, social hours, and other related events. Take advantage of them. Your local library likely does the same, so consider following them on social media or subscribing to their newsletter to keep up to date.  

Every October, Rain Taxi puts on their free Twin Cities Book Festival. Lots of local and Midwest publishers, as well as authors and some booksellers, set up tables. It’s a great way to network and chat with local publishers. Visit their tables and ask people about what they do and their favorite parts of their jobs. Most are happy to share. 

Go to authors’ book signings or release parties. There may be industry professionals from the publisher whom you can speak with, or you could even ask the author about their experience working with their publisher. 

Locally, the MN Book Publishers Roundtable hosts paid luncheons at Open Book during which professionals share about techniques, tools, or current events in publishing. The Professional Editors Network (PEN) hosts quarterly social hour events specifically for networking and chatting about work. They also have monthly meetings on great topics, and non-members can attend two free meetings a year.

The Loft Literary Center hosts affordable literary events. Anything at Open Book is a treat, especially Minnesota Center for Book Arts and Milkweed’s bookstore. If you’re interested in traditional book arts, MCBA teaches classes on screenprinting and book binding (and if you intern there, you can take a class for free).

Northeast Minneapolis is home to the annual Art-A-Whirl festival, a free event for touring artist studios, shopping artisan wares, and celebrating our rich arts scene. While this isn’t explicitly a book-related event, it includes printing studios and paper and book artists as well.

Many of us bookworms are also introverts, which can make it hard to network. At the very least, show up. Go to events, check out local businesses, and keep up with book news on Publishers Weekly. You don’t have to make new friends wherever you go, but put yourself in the space where the magic happens, and opportunities will follow.

Apply for a Local Apprenticeship

The St. Paul Almanac has an editorial apprenticeship program. This will appeal to students interested in community-focused work and gives an overview of the editorial process over about 8 weeks. Check out equivalent community-publication opportunities in your area.

Work for a Library 

While some university campus libraries are organized by individual college (you won’t get a good idea of the market working at a law library like I did), at least you’ll be surrounded by books. Working or volunteering at a local public library may give you a good idea of customer demand for certain media, and you can see what kinds of literature and resources your community values. 

Volunteer with a Local Nonprofit

Volunteer with a local organization related to reading or literacy. You might tutor kids in an after-school program or volunteer for a local nonprofit. 

I can’t recommend Literacy Minnesota enough, and they release a yearly anthology of adult student writing called Journeys, which recruits interns. Like a student literary magazine, this anthology will give you the opportunity to learn about submissions, editing, typesetting a book, printing the final product, and throwing a launch party. 

For an hour a week, you can volunteer as a kids reading tutor with Reading Partners, which has a dozen locations around the country, including St. Paul right off the Green Line (next door to Literacy Minnesota!). Search online for local literacy efforts in your community and see how you can get involved at any level. 

Incarcerated individuals have limited and restricted access to reading materials, from novels to GED prep books. The Women’s Prison Book Project sends books to incarcerated individuals, with a focus on vulnerable communities. You can spend an afternoon helping pick and pack. 

Do the Chicago Manual of Style Workouts

The Chicago Manual of Style is the standard style guide for American trade book publishing, compiled by the University of Chicago Press staff. Academic journals and journalists use other styles. This is the one you’ll want to study in addition to the MLA you probably use in class. Your university library likely has a subscription to the online version, which may be preferable to a student to spending up to $75 dollars on the print version (yes, you can get it cheaper on Amazon, but that Goliath is doing its darnedest to kill our industry). Search the book in your university library’s catalog for the online subscription before buying yourself a copy.

Anyway, they offer quizzes on their blog called “workouts.” Each workout tells you which rules will be tested on in the quiz, so refresh yourself on those rules and test your knowledge. You don’t need a subscription to the online version to take these quizzes! You can still learn from them if you’re unable to get your hands on a book or online subscription. If you have any interest in copyediting, take these quizzes to hone these skills. I can’t stress enough how important it is to learn Chicago’s spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage rules.

Ask to Interview a Professional

If you want to learn more about a publisher or a specific role in publishing, email the publisher or an employee and ask for an informational interview. Seriously, just reach out directly. The recipient may have time to email you or meet for a coffee to chat. Lots of people in our industry are friendly and kind. Publishing is generally more a labor of love than a lucrative career, so it’s filled with people who are passionate about their work and eager to help others up the ladder. Reaching out to professionals is a fantastic way not only to make connections but also to get insider knowledge.

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Good luck, students! Feel free to reach out to me via my contact form if you have any questions.