I've spent the majority of my life writing and reading. I wrote my first story when I was seven, and let me tell you, it was a stunner. ;) Ever since then my biggest dream has been to write and publish my own books. I never knew quite how I would accomplish the second part of that dream, but I thought that if my favorite authors—J.K. Rowling, Hilary McKay, Jane Austen—could do it, so could I. At first I was only interested in the publishing world from the viewpoint of someone who wanted to publish their own work. But then I began to consider the possibility of working in publishing. Didn’t working in publishing mean that you were allowed to sit around and read books all day? It didn’t sound half bad. In addition, movies and television often romanticize the publishing industry. After all, if Aria on Pretty Little Liars (my favorite TV show—don’t judge me) can snag a job in the publishing industry fresh out of college, I can too, right?
My first experience in the publishing world began from a simple search for a summer job. I had worked in odd jobs the summers before and wanted to find something that pertained more to my studies in English. So, I began with a simple search for English and writing jobs and internships, and found a website called BookJobs.com, which provides a listing of positions related to the publishing industry. After searching for keywords like “internship” and “summer,” I stumbled upon a diminutive listing that advertised open internship positions at an online-based publishing company called Dreaming Big Publications.
I emailed the address listed on the page and asked if there were still positions available. The editor-in-chief of the company responded right away and said yes, there were—she was getting the company off the ground and had reached the point where she needed help, so she was seeking interns. I sent her my resume and told her a little about myself, and she thought I’d be a good fit for the company. Gaining the position was easier than I could believe, but keeping it would require hard work.
I quickly found that the publishing industry was not as glamorous as I’d imagined it to be. When you’re a small press publisher, it’s hard to get your books noticed. Each new book release takes the work of many people promoting it through social media, press releases, book review requests and more to gain even a minute amount of attention. It’s difficult, but it’s also rewarding to feel like you’re contributing to something that's, well, part of an actual business and not just school.
I quickly found that the publishing industry was not as glamorous as I’d imagined it to be. When you’re a small press publisher, it’s hard to get your books noticed. Each new book release takes the work of many people promoting it through social media, press releases, book review requests and more to gain even a minute amount of attention. It’s difficult, but it’s also rewarding to feel like you’re contributing to something that's, well, part of an actual business and not just school.
I think one of the biggest takeaways I received from obtaining this internship was the realization that you have to actively look for internships, rather than waiting for them to come to you. And if you’re not successful in obtaining an internship with a big publishing house, look for smaller, locally-based publishing companies—their internships are often less competitive and will also provide you with valuable experience.
What can you expect from this website?
This website aims to explore the publishing world through the lens of the experience I've gained in my internship. My knowledge is limited to the realm of small press publishing. I don't know much about the big publishers, and my only knowledge on how to gain a publishing internship or publish a book comes from my experience at Dreaming Big. If you're interested in finding publishers, either for internships or to publish your own work, a good place to start is the 2017 Writer's Market (or a previous edition), which provides lists of publishers and magazines, as well as tips for cover letters and more.
Please feel free to hop around the rest of this website to learn more about my experiences as a publishing intern and to gain more information on the publishing process, editor and author relationships, book reviews, and press releases.
Please feel free to hop around the rest of this website to learn more about my experiences as a publishing intern and to gain more information on the publishing process, editor and author relationships, book reviews, and press releases.