Internship Programs
Since its founding in 1980, the University of Arkansas Press has periodically provided internships to individuals seeking experience in the field of publishing. Though these programs serve the needs of the press, their main value is in the instruction they offer to the intern, not only allowing a glimpse into the world of academic publishing but also providing the skills necessary to succeed in professional positions. Dozens of interns in the intervening years have begun their publishing careers at the press, and many have gone on to advanced careers here at the McIlroy House and at university presses around the country. The renewed internship program described below aims to continue this tradition by creating instruction- and project-based positions where interns at various levels can contribute to the work of disseminating scholarship and creative work while at the same time developing a skill set certain to entice future employers.
Acquisitions Internship
The University of Arkansas Press’s acquisitions internship is designed to give students the opportunity to experience the professional life of an acquiring editor at a university press. Interns will learn how academic publishers collaborate with writers, researchers, and other publishers to commission, discover, and acquire new and existing content and prepare it for publication and marketing.
Overview
The program is designed to last two semesters, during which period the intern will keep a consistent schedule of weekly hours while classes are in session. Upon complete of the internship participants will be well equipped for an entry-level position in a variety of publishing environments and will have developed a working knowledge of the following elements of developing scholarly and creative work.
- The role of university presses in scholarly communication
- Publishing disciplines and genres
- Research in the humanities and the creative arts
- Manuscript commissioning and acquisitions
- Contracting, rights, and permissions
- Content development
- Book project planning and management
- Peer review
- Cloud-based document management and image preparation
- Style and documentation
Responsibilities
Interns will maintain a reliable and consistent schedule of fifteen hours per week for twelve weeks per semester. They will report to the press internship coordinator from whom they will receive year-long as well as daily assignments. Responsibilities will include query review, acquisitions marketing, peer-review correspondence, submission auditing, filing and version management, manuscript and art preparation, research, and data entry, and other tasks assigned by the acquisitions department.
Compensation
Interns are paid a modest hourly stipend, and the press will provide the support necessary to receive departmental credit or other academic recognition. Interns who perform their duties satisfactorily will receive professional recommendation from the press.
Evaluation
Interns will be evaluated based on their fulfillment of assigned tasks. Supervisors will maintain a task sheet outlining the intern’s assigned responsibilities and will provide quantitative as well as critical feedback halfway through the term and after the end of the internship.
Qualifications
Interns must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the University of Arkansas. They will have strong computer and Internet skills, a command of Microsoft Word, a good typing speed, a history of punctuality and reliability, professional and academic references, and the ability to engage positively with their coworkers.
Application
Openings will be posted at the University of Arkansas Careers website, where one can find more details and application instructions.
Marketing Internship
The University of Arkansas Press’s marketing internship is designed to give students the opportunity to experience the professional life of book marketer at a university press. Interns will learn how marketing professionals publicize books and authors, manage metadata, and build sales relationships.
Overview
The program is designed to last one semester, during which the intern will keep a consistent schedule of weekly hours while classes are in session. Upon complete of the internship participants will be well equipped for an entry-level position in a variety of publishing environments and will have developed a working knowledge of the following elements of marketing in the publishing industry:
- Metadata management
- Writing and editing marketing copy for social, web, and other uses
- Selling to customers, retailers, and wholesalers
- Web, social, and print design
- The book award submission process
- The book review submission process
- Building and analyzing sales reports
- E-Book distribution
- Journal distribution
Responsibilities
Interns will maintain a reliable and consistent schedule of fifteen hours per week for twelve weeks. They will report to the press internship coordinator from whom they will receive semester-long as well as daily assignments. Responsibilities will include metadata changes (updating author biographies, primarily), building mailing lists and other related research, submitting books for awards, preparing sales data, and other tasks assigned by the marketing department.
Compensation
Interns are paid $11/hr., and the press will provide the support necessary to receive departmental credit or other academic recognition. Interns who perform their duties satisfactorily will receive professional recommendation from the press.
Evaluation
Interns will be evaluated based on their fulfillment of assigned tasks. Supervisors will maintain a task sheet outlining the intern’s assigned responsibilities and will provide quantitative as well as critical feedback halfway through the term and after the end of the internship.
Qualifications
Interns must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the University of Arkansas. They will have strong computer and Internet skills, a command of Microsoft Word, a good typing speed, a history of punctuality and reliability, professional and academic references, and the ability to engage positively with their coworkers.
Application
Openings will be posted at the University of Arkansas Careers website, where one can find more details and application instructions.
Design Internship
The University of Arkansas Press’s design internship gives students the opportunity to experience the professional life of a marketing designer at a book publisher. Interns will learn how publishers collaborate with editors and designers to interpret content, publicize titles, and help make the work of authors visible in various spheres of interest.
Overview
The program is designed to last one semester, during which the intern will work 10–15 hours every week while classes are in session. Upon complete of the internship participants will be well equipped for an entry-level position in a variety of publishing environments and will have developed a working knowledge of the many elements of production and marketing design.
- Conventions of university press book design
- Collaborative use of shared design assets
- Publicity channels in scholarly publishing
- Font and image management
- Adhering to job specifications and file-preparation guidelines
- Use of web-, cloud-, and desktop-based pro tools for manipulating images and production files
- Website module design and configuration
- Team-based design review
Responsibilities
Interns will maintain a reliable and consistent schedule of fifteen hours per week for twelve weeks. They will report to the press internship coordinator from whom they will receive assignments. Responsibilities will include collecting design files from press archives, interpreting existing print cover designs for digital usage, extracting and repurposing images and typography from mechanical spreads, preparing assets for deployment as web graphics, optimizing designs for various social media feeds, and building custom website modules.
Compensation
Interns are paid $11/hr., and the press will provide the support necessary to receive departmental credit or other academic recognition. Interns who perform their duties satisfactorily will receive professional recommendation from the press.
Evaluation
Interns will be evaluated based on their fulfillment of assigned tasks. Supervisors will maintain a task sheet outlining the intern’s assigned responsibilities and will provide critical feedback halfway through the term and after the end of the internship.
Qualifications
Interns must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the University of Arkansas. They will have strong computer and Internet skills, a command of Adobe Creative Cloud, a history of punctuality and reliability, professional and academic references, and the ability to engage positively with their coworkers.
Application
Openings will be posted at the University of Arkansas Careers website, where one can find more details and application instructions.