The Opportunist's Oriel

You've done the research, so now you know what you want, you know how to talk about what you want, and you may even have some pretty spiffy backup plans in case something goes awry. But wait a moment, we're getting ahead of ourselves. How do you get that shiny editorial job? 

The world is inundated with educational options for editors-to-be: after undergrad, do you pack up, buckle down, and move out to pursue a master's degree in publishing? Would English work, if your graduate program of choice doesn't have publishing? Or what about an MFA? A PhD? 

The truth is that these post-undergrad options tend to be underfunded and time-consuming. While a publishing master's from a top-flight school might earn you a second glance as your application passes across your future boss's desk, it's also going to cost you a lot of money, in tuition fees, living expenses, and the opportunity cost of committing to what would likely be a 2-year+ program. Think about it: if you had the choice, would you rather spend two years learning about publishing in a classroom or on the job? A professional career can be jumpstarted in two years on the job; unless you're lucky enough to attend a university with a strong publishing program whose professors are in the industry and to have one of those professors take a strong interest in your prospects, two years in university won't start your career.

(note: full-on programs are unnecessary, but publishing certificates are quite popular nowadays, especially in freelance. They're short, which means they tend to be more affordable, and they connect you with people in the industry. Does this mean they're paid opportunities to network? Yes. But if you think that leg up would be worth your money, publishing certificates are a happy medium between no post-undergrad certification and a master's program.)

Right now, what publishing-people-to-be need more than anything (besides luck) is an internship, fellowship, apprenticeship, etc. Anything that gets you working in the sector you'd like to end up in within publishing.

The good news is, there are lots of publishing internships out there. The bad news is that not all of them are paid, and those that are tend to offer fewer than full-time hours, which can make it difficult to make ends meet without taking a second job. It takes a lot of luck to land these internships. But, as a wise person once told me, it's possible to create your own luck. Which is to say, apply broadly, apply widely, apply as if every internship is your dream.

Use the database below to research internships of interest! 

Disclaimers about the database: 1) this database only includes information on internships that are regularly offered and offered broadly. This means it does not feature presses that ask applicants to query about a position, or university presses that'll only take on candidates from their student body. 2) In some cases, I've had to rely on old posts for the sake of a searchable database. 3) Again in pursuit of searchability, internships that have rolling deadlines have been assigned a window based on industry practice for earliest opening and latest closing. 4) Internships that lack the window's opening or closing will be assigned one: one month before the close, or one month after the opening, respectively. 

As always, this should be the start of your search, not the end! You should always study the specific job posting and ask your employer pertinent questions regarding pay, the length of the position, and so on.

Not satisfied? Me neither! The database above centers on internships run through publishing houses, but if you'd like to increase your chances of entering the publishing world, check out literary agencies, newspapers, or magazines as an alternate career path. If you're reading this, you're probably interested in editorial specifically, but consider alternate specialties within a house, like production, marketing, legal, managerial, etc. Publishing is a highly competitive industry, so determining how and where you can be flexible will be helpful as you look to start your career.