Publishing Internships
Interested in a career in publishing? Apply to intern with WMU's Third Coast magazine or Medieval Institute Publications. Earn 2 credits toward your degree. Open to junior or senior English majors or minors with a 3.0 GPA.
Third Coast Magazine Internship
- Are you a literary enthusiast eager to gain hands-on publishing experience across multiple domains?
- Are you passionate about discovering new voices in fiction and helping bring compelling stories to readers?
- Are you a thoughtful critic interested in analyzing and reviewing contemporary literature?
- Are you digitally savvy with an understanding of how to build literary communities through social media?
If so, consider applying to intern with Third Coast, one of the nation's premier literary magazines.
Position Responsibilities
- Evaluating fiction, poetry, or non-fiction submissions and participating in editorial selection meetings
- Reading and critiquing recently published books for potential review
- Creating and implementing social media strategies across multiple platforms
- Contributing to weekly editorial team meetings
Qualifications
- Junior or Senior English major or minor status with at least a 3.0 GPA
- Strong writing and critical reading abilities
- Effective written and oral communication practices
- Basic knowledge of social media platforms and content creation
- Attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines
- A service-oriented mindset and willingness to invest time and energy in the role
Benefits
- 2 credits of ENGL 4950: Internship towards your degree
- Hands-on experience in literary magazine publishing
- Portfolio development opportunities across multiple publishing functions
- Professional connections in the literary publishing world
- Potential for publication credits and editorial acknowledgment
Application Instructions
Email the following to both Latifa Ayad-Hall, Editor-in-Chief, and Sophia Khan, Managing Editor:
- A current resume
- A statement of interest, explaining your motivation for applying and how this internship connects to your professional goals
- A brief description of which aspects of the position most interest you and any specific skills or ideas you could bring to the role
Medieval Institute Publications Internship
- Do you have an interest in publishing?
- Are you curious about what goes on behind the scenes when a book is proposed or in production?
- Do you ever feel a burning need to whip a bibliography into shape?
Learn the steps that go into putting a new book or journal issue into the hands of readers and earn credit toward your degree while working with WMU's Medieval Institute Publications.
Position Responsibilities
- Participate in publisher meetings at which new books are pitched and accepted for publication, current projects are monitored and troubleshot, new publishing initiatives are developed, and marketing campaigns are discussed
- Input metadata for projects that have been accepted for publication into our metadata database, BooksoniX, and learn about the ONIX publishing protocol
- Assist with marketing, including writing book blurbs and social media copy; preparing conference materials and series, journal, and book flyers; and liaising with academic journals to arrange book reviews
- Digitize books and prepare ebooks for digital publication and distribution
- Explore what happens after a book gets published and how vendors like ProjectMUSE and JSTOR work with publishers
- Learn about key publishing-industry terms and processes, such as XML metadata feeds, subject categorization schemes, and accessibility standards for digital publishing
- Expand your existing skills (or learn new ones) with software like Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Canva, and InDesign and platforms like ScholarWorks and ProjectMUSE
Qualifications
- Junior or Senior English major or minor status with at least a 3.0 GPA
- Excellent spelling and grammar
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work in a team and meet deadlines
- Flexibility in switching rapidly from one task to another and the ability to keep track of multiple projects at once
- Knowledge of foreign languages and Latin a plus, but not required
Application Instructions
Email the following to both Theresa Whitaker, MIP Editor-in-Chief, and Todd Kuchta, English Department Chair:
- A current resume
- A statement of interest, explaining your motivation for applying and how this internship connects to your professional goals