Internship Opportunities

If you are interested in publishing, Dzanc Books has a great opportunity for you. Dzanc Books has established a year round internship program that provides ongoing unpaid working experiences which not only help advance the mission of Dzanc but gives interns the chance to learn about various aspects of publishing.

Interns will deal directly with the co-founders of Dzanc, as well as authors, booksellers, literary journals, distributors, and teachers. Programs you will be involved in will be conducted online and include editing, marketing, distribution, proofreading, fundraising and grant writing. Dzanc Books, as a unique nonprofit press with a large list of remarkable authors and dozens of charitable programs involving literacy and writing, provides a great opportunity to experience publishing first hand. Interns will gain invaluable insight into the running of an independent, nonprofit literary press and the publishing business in total. Not to mention the free books!

Student Credit

Dzanc is currently working with Columbia College Chicago, the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Illinois State University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, which enables us to provide credit hours to students who commit to the agreed upon time to a specific internship. Dzanc is confident we'll be able to do so with other Colleges and Universities across the nation as well. This creates the great opportunity to learn about the publishing industry from the inside, as well as obtain university credits.

Editorial Interns

Editorial interns will work closely with each other and members of Dzanc's editorial staff. While assisting on a wide range of projects, interns will gain hands-on experience and training in most aspects of editorial work, while also gaining a good understanding of nonprofit literary publishing.

Interns' responsibilities will include:
• A commitment to work fifteen to twenty-five hours per week.
• Reading, evaluating and reporting on fiction, and nonfiction submissions.
• Replying to author submissions and questions.
• Seeking out promising new authors by reading print and online journals, blogs, etc.
• Working on special projects as needed.

Qualified candidates will have:
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• The ability to work independently.
• Computer literacy.
• Undergraduate experience in English or a related field.
• Knowledge about and passion for the contemporary publishing industry (preferred).
• Knowledge of contemporary literature, including Dzanc titles (preferred).

Marketing Interns

Marketing interns will assist the Marketing and Publicity Director with Dzanc's promotion and sales efforts. Ideal candidates will be inventive, hard working, web-savvy, and full of creative ways to market our titles. While assisting on a wide range of projects, interns will gain hands-on experience and training in all aspects of book marketing, while also gaining a good understanding of nonprofit literary publishing.

Interns' responsibilities will include:
• A commitment to work fifteen to twenty-five hours per week.
• Assisting with promoting nation-wide events.
• Assisting with tracking, formatting and archiving of book reviews and other media.
• Assissting with on-line promotional initiatives.
• Assisting in the production of advertisements, press releases, and promotional materials.
• Assisting with mailings to media, consumers, booksellers, and other contacts.
• Working with Marketing Director to track revenue and research additional sales outlets.

Necessary Skills and Qualifications:
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented individual with excellent written, verbal, and organizational skills.
• Skill in coordinating and completing both special projects, and routine tasks.
• Excellent computer skills with experience in Microsoft Office and database management.
• Ability to work independently and with others.
• Dependability, flexibility, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to work well under pressure and with deadlines.
• A passion for publishing and a knowledge of contemporary literature and Dzanc titles (preferred).

Apply

Email a cover letter explaining your interest in obtaining a Dzanc Internship, and which specific internship you are interested in, along with your resume (attached MS Word Document) and the name and email addresses of at least two references that we can contact. Send email to intern@dzancbooks.org.

If you are a current student hoping to obtain credit, please also note this and supply us with the name and email address of the individual responsible for your program so that we may contact them and begin the process of developing a program that will allow us to offer credit hours.