Dispatch from a Summer Intern

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be a publishing intern—What skills must you possess to land the internship? What will your daily duties be like? Will your internship really prepare you for the competitive publishing industry?

Today we hope to answer all these questions and more through the words of a recently departed summer intern, Emma Nichols, on her last day on the job (Still looking for a fall internship? We have a few Editorial and Publicity slots still available!).

We miss you Emma; Best of Luck in your senior year!

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I find myself walking around the office in fits of pre-stalgia—is there already a term for nostalgia that occurs too early? Even the mundane tasks of my day—printing out a UPS label—have me wondering if this will be the last time. Maybe this morning was the last time I’ll search for books in the stacks, making a mental list of the titles I’d like to read. I know when I come back to visit, these piles will be replaced; maybe that’s partially the cause of my pre-stalgia—I’ve become attached. 

Unlike Michael—one of my bosses and a former Overlook intern—no one has asked me what it’s like to be a publishing company intern. But I’m going to tell you anyway. I’m lucky enough to be a double-intern, working in both editorial and publicity. My work in editorial is pretty simple: read & report. My editorial day came just once a week, so at times it took three weeks to read a manuscript through, but the thrill of recommending we publish a title—and imagining it in print—was worth the time and effort. I even had the opportunity to proof the manuscript I was most excited about—Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell (coming soon to a bookstore near you).

My duties in the publicity department—which occurred twice a week—were more varied and equally as enjoyable. I’ve written galley letters and blog posts, mailed review copies, searched blogs, tracked down email addresses and book reviewers, mailed review copies, social networked, thought of interview and reader’s guide questions, mailed review copies, learned Microsoft Excel, posted events, created email lists, and mailed some review copies. (I never realized how many free books media outlets receive; maybe I need to reconsider my job aspirations for the sake of my personal library). These are just some tasks I could expect to do on any given day. But I also had the opportunity to assist at a double launch event for The Boxer’s Heart by Kate Sekules (at the infamous Gleason’s Gym!) and attend BEA for a few hours.

If I had to choose, attending BEA was probably the highlight of my Overlook experience—discounting the wonderful people I’ve worked for, of course. If you’ve never been to the Book Expo, simply imagine a giant arena of publishers, publicists, agents, reviewers, and stacks of free galleys laid out on make-shift streets flanked by fold-out tables. Still, that can’t encapsulate the sheer joy I felt, browsing publishers’ tables and discussing literature with publicists. I had to concentrate on not appearing overwhelmed and overjoyed, lest someone realize I hardly belonged—an intern simply intent on soaking up the literary scene rather than advancing my career or writing a book review (although I am interested in both).

 I see my internship at Overlook as more of an apprenticeship; though we’re only paid in books, we’re not overworked and we’re certainly gaining worthwhile experience (I never fetched a single cup of coffee). What I’m saying is, unpaid internships build character! And I’m now better prepared for a full-time job in publishing. 

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Emma Nichols is a former publicity/editorial intern at The Overlook Press. Her favorite Overlook title is Phantoms on the Bookshelves by Jacques Bonnet. She is currently a student and the editor-in-chief at Petrichor Review.

Intern Adventures Finale: Farewell from Intern Michael

Today marks my last day as an intern at Overlook -- I hope you've all enjoyed the wild ride as much as I have. After three months on Wooster St. I think I have enough experience under my belt to be qualified as an "expert intern." A few days ago Kate posted up an article on our twitter feed called Six Myths About Publishing, a post that debunked rumors and popular misnomers about agents, editors, and book sales. As my way of saying goodbye to Overlook and all of our blog readers I thought I'd share my version of the same article, "Four Myths About Interning."

1. Myth: Interning is for college students
Truth: Interning is for the unemployed and the pre-employed (or the plain desperate)

I think there might have been a time when internships were more or less restricted to the summer months and positions were reserved for aspiring professionals of college or recent post-graduate age. If such a time ever actually existed it is certainly a far-cry from today's internship pool. Nowadays interns run the gamut from the traditional care free summer undergrad to ambitious high school students seeking a leg up on their university admissions applications to degree-wielding post-grads unable to find paying work. These days no internship is too big or small, no applicant too qualified for work.


2. Myth: Interns are slaves
Truth: While some interns do certainly toil on pointless errands and latte runs, there is substantial work to be found in most offices

I can't speak on behalf of all interns because I'm sure there are positions out there that do resemble the dreaded "gofer" (as in, "go for some coffee") job, but in my experience most employers are looking for interns who can actually assist them in their day-to-day activities. Unfortunately this material work might mean some data entry or mass-mailing projects, but along with these boring tasks is usually an opportunity to learn something useful. An intern can pick up a lot of experience just by observing and asking the right questions.


3. Myth: Internships are unpaid
Truth: Most internships are unpaid (especially in publishing), but even unpaid experience can be valuable in the long run

I guess this doesn't really apply to those in dire need of a paycheck, because yes, most publishing internships are unpaid. For those who can afford it, an unpaid internship is a worthy long-term investment. At Overlook, for example, an internship is a great entry to a salaried career. At least three current employees are former interns and those interns who graduate and don't get hired often move on to other jobs in publishing.


4. Myth: Once they've left, interns are easily forgotten
Truth: Interns may come and go seasonally but their legacies leave a lasting impression

This last one might be more optimism than myth-busting, but I like to imagine that the other staffers at Overlook won't forget about me once I've left (see: Summer Intern Already Forgotten).

Leave a comment if you think I've missed any major intern related fallacies or want to share a story of intern(hard)ship. That's it for this summer, see you next year when I'll hopefully be returning as "Editorial-Assistant Michael."

Intern Adventures: Testing the Editorial Waters

Have you been craving more updates about the glamorous life of a publishing intern? Fear not--our wonderful publicity-and-sometimes-editorial Intern Michael is here to update you on his exciting 10-to-5 and take any questions you may have in the comments! Happy reading!

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Since I started working at Overlook earlier this summer, many people have asked me the obvious question: “What exactly does an intern at a book publisher do?” To many an asker’s disappointment, the innocent query can result in a somewhat boring discussion unless a conversant is duly prepared for a detailed rundown on the inner-functions of the website CisionPoint. The temptation to glamorize my position here can be a bit overwhelming and at times I’m tempted to exaggerate the truth about the less exciting duties of a publicity intern.

Intern Michael hard at work in the Overlook offices Tuesday.
No, we're not making him read ALL of those books. (Just most of them.)
Thanks, Michael!

In a post last month I detailed some of those responsibilities, including the fulfillment of media requests and the collection of names and email addresses for contact lists. While I recognize and appreciate the necessity and value of tasks like these for any business to function, they never quite qualify as the most compelling explanation of the job I chose to undertake this summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love working in publicity. One thing I’ve discovered while working here is that there is a huge amount of fulfillment to be found in the marketing and promotion of meaningful literary works in an industry that is as competitive as books.

That said, there is still an incredible amount of work that needs to be done in order to bring those books to market, not all of which makes for the most thrilling of conversations.
Since starting here two months ago I’ve had the good luck to receive some jobs outside of the publicity department. While these odd assignments provide me with better fodder for making my job sound more important than it is, they also give me more insight and a better understanding of the way that Overlook functions overall as a publishing house.

At least once a week I try to sit down for a few hours and read submissions that we receive from literary agents and agencies. These submissions range from completed and bound books that have been published in foreign countries and are seeking North American distribution to incomplete manuscripts and proposals that desperately want a publisher’s interest and approval. I try to give them all as much time and attention as possible as I write reports which are then delivered to our editors for their input and opinions.

On several occasions I’ve had the opportunity to work with our sales team in the research and development of sell sheets, promotional tools which our staff uses to assist in the sale of our current or upcoming titles. Last week I created a sheet for the paperback edition of Return to the Little Kingdom: How Apple & Steve Jobs Changed the World. In spite of some recent bad press on the iPhone 4, it wasn’t difficult to find an overwhelming amount of positive statistics and headlines about Apple, information which can then be used to drum up interest in this book about Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

The more time I spend at Overlook, the more I realize that while some of the more monotonous tasks that are required of an intern are indeed dull, they do represent an essential aspect of the overall mission of the business: the publication of distinguished books of outstanding quality that would otherwise remain “overlooked” by other houses. While my internship here might not include the same perks and excitement that belong to our head publisher Peter Mayer , I do feel like I get enough exhilaration at work by formatting and printing the Publisher’s Weekly morning report he reads every day.

Intern Adventures Continued

Today Intern Michael returns with an update on what he has been working on this summer as a member of Overlook’s publicity team.

Overlook author Robert Forbes poses with a friend at ALA '10 in Washington DC

Last week marked the completion of my first full month as an intern at Overlook, and in the short amount of time that I've spent working here I've learned some valuable lessons about the ins-and-outs of book publishing. Let me share some with you.

1.) When it comes to visiting authors, interns are to be seen and not heard.

Just kidding. Before starting at Overlook I couldn’t have guessed the number of visits that a publishing house receives from visiting authors. Between meetings with editors and layovers on book tours, Overlook has a steady stream of writers coming and going on a weekly basis. Since the beginning of June I’ve met a handful of Overlook authors including Peter Quinn, the author of THE MAN WHO NEVER RETURNED, and next week I eagerly expect an introduction to R.J. Ellory during the launch party for his latest novel, THE ANNIVERSARY MAN on July 7^th at Partners & Crime in the west village. Everyone that I’ve met so far has been incredibly friendly and if I have any bitterness it’s only because I wasn’t invited to lunch when Katie Arnoldi (POINT DUME) came to visit last week.

2.) Everybody gets free books.

You would be amazed by the number of requests for review and desk copies Overlook receives on a daily basis. On any given day I can expect to collect, package, and ship anywhere between five and fifty titles for reviewers, bloggers, journalists, and teachers. If I wasn’t working so hard as an intern (and if I wasn’t able to pilfer materials from the library for myself from time to time) I would definitely get into the business of book media. These people must have more books in their collections than the New York public library. Jokes aside, I’ve also learned how important this relationship is in book publishing, between publishers and media. Without reviewers (that is, the people who really really love to read) there wouldn’t be any way for us to sustain this industry.

3.) Write Write Write Write Write

If you thought that authors pen a lot of words, you would be surprised by the amount of material that publicists write during a normal work day. Between press releases, promos, pitches, galley letters, and media correspondence, my bosses type away at their computers for what seems like hours on end. Recently they’ve entrusted me with the responsibility of writing some original copy and I think I’m getting the hang of it! Today I will be reading galley copies of Susan Hill’s upcoming release SHADOWS IN THE STREET and a new nonfiction title SOUTH AFRICA'S BRAVE NEW WORLD and then taking a stab at writing up some press materials to send out later this week.

While it may not appear that the life of a publishing intern is all fun and games (especially since the US got eliminated from the World Cup and no one will be sneaking off to watch games during lunch breaks) there is certainly more excitement to be found at Overlook beyond book mailings and media outlet research. As I write this post my bosses are out of office on assignment at ALA in Washington DC, and I can only imagine the fun they must be having hob-knobbing with fellow book nerds. If the stresses and rigors of travelling become too much for them to handle, I’d be more than happy to cover the next out of state convention (Frankfurt in October anyone?).

Robert Forbes with copies of his Overlook books BEASTLY FEASTS and LET'S HAVE A BITE