by Lisa Hiton
The world of literature contains more than just a writer at a desk, cracking away at the next great novel. From publishing, to literary magazines, to journalism, and beyond, there are all kinds of jobs and internships you can seek out.
And you don’t have to wait until you finish high school to get started! These are positions that are perfect for part-time, intern, or extracurricular time commitments. With a bit of passion and ambition, you can get started in the world of literature now!
Jobs and Internships for Bookworms
One passion all writers must cultivate is a love of reading. If we don’t consider ourselves great readers, how will we ever expect a stranger to dive into our own works?! And as we say over at Reading Like a Writer, what better study of writing is there than in the books we most love? So for those of you writers who are avid readers, there are plenty of jobs and internships that you can take on to keep that reading muscle flexing!
Bookstores
Bookstores are the dream environment for those of us who love to read. When things are going slow at the store, you can be browsing through the pages of new books. When the store is busy, you can chat about books with patrons who need advice or who are purchasing books you love. These encounters with patrons and new books keep writers reading the latest and greatest in all genres!
If you’re lucky enough to live near an independent bookstore, your opportunities may be even broader than simple sales transactions. Independent bookstores tend to host readings with local writers or writers with new books coming out. You could work or intern with the events coordinator and learn what it takes to reach out to writers, set up a reading, get patrons to attend, and to sell those books. So be it a Barnes & Noble or a Literati, either way, the discount on books for your work will be well worth it!
Libraries
Libraries are some of the most important spaces in societies. They hold the words of all time, of all of human existence. And most importantly, they give the public access to such knowledge. Libraries are magical. The smell of the aged pages brings us all a nostalgia for books we have read and will read. They also serve as community meeting spaces. With books and space that are free for all, libraries are democratic in nature. Working or interning at a library can get us back to our early roots of reading and writing.
Approaching your local town, city, or school library can be intimidating. Libraries don’t always post internships or job openings. But especially if you are a regular at your favorite library, talking to a librarian can lead to a great part time opportunity. Maybe you can even pitch an internship?
You can spend time shadowing a librarian and learning about archives and the Dewey Decimal system. Perhaps your library isn’t very tech savvy; perhaps you can suggest a social media internship or an events internship. You can help the library choose books for all ages each month and promote them on their twitter or Instagram accounts. You can help plan book clubs or reading events with local teachers and writers. The ideas are endless. And so are the aisles and aisles of books!
Jobs and Internships in the Field
Okay, so maybe sitting indoors reading all day is not your idea of a dream job. Perhaps you’re someone who likes to go out and observe, meet people, and conduct interviews.
Jobs and internships in reporting or journalism may better suit your personality. Reading people and reading situations is a similar muscle to reading books. So if you prefer to be in more thrilling real-life situations, then these jobs might be for you!
Reporting
If the urgency of deadlines, conducting interviews, research, and gathering information together sounds thrilling to you, looking for a part-time reporting job may be just your ticket into the world of journalism. Whether there’s a school event, a big game, or a person in your town worth profiling, taking on the role of a reporter can help you think about a career in writing!
Approaching your local newspaper or school paper is a great place to start. Even if they don’t think they need an intern or a part-time writer, most editors can be convinced with a great pitch! Find an event or a lead that only you know about and bring it to them. Offer to hang out in their offices and help out with administrative tasks just so you can see what a real newsroom is like.
Editorials
Publications are like theater productions: time-sensitive projects involving many people cast to perform specific tasks. Thus, there are many jobs and internships to be had at publishing and editorial houses. While we may not all live a hop-skip from the likes of Condé Naste and the world of The Devil Wears Prada, we can reach out to our local institutions to get a taste of editorial life!
Yearbooks
Many middle schools and high schools still print yearbooks. A yearbook requires a huge team of people to bring the pages of a year in your school’s life into one book. From photography, to writing, to layout, to coordinating photos of events and different school groups, a whole lot goes into yearbook production.
Literary Magazines
Whether you start your own or your school already has a literary magazine, there are all kinds of editorial positions available to help you learn what it takes to help writers get published. From working with writers to make their pieces sharper, to proofreading, to layout, to printing, there are many tasks that can teach you what goes into editing and publishing great works, let alone working on a magazine! Full of deadlines, fast-paced decisions, and hard work, interning part-time at your school’s literary magazine is a great foray into the world of magazines.
News/Newspaper
From broadcast to print, many schools have student-run news organizations. Just getting your foot in the door can lead you to all kinds of jobs in writing and editing. Maybe you’re just learning the basics of reporting, but after a few years on the job, you can be editor-in-chief, plugging away at your letter from the editor just before deadline. Vetting writers, doling out assignments, editing articles, and bringing the news to your school community requires a lot of writing and editing!
Arts Administration
Your school may have a theater department, choir, or other performing arts group. When they put on a show, even for parents, they may want to have a playbill—a small token of the students and faculty involved in the production. Reaching out to teachers in charge of arts planning can lead to a great internship within your own school or larger community! You can learn the skills of layout, font, cover art, graphic design, print, and distribution, just from helping make one playbill.
So, dear writers, think about what internships and part-time jobs may help you keep your reading and writing practices up to pace. It’s hard to balance things with homework, school activities, and family obligations. But the extra effort to keep that part of you that’s a writer writing can help all of your other responsibilities fall into place!
About Lisa
Lisa Hiton is an editorial associate at Write the World. She writes two series on our blog: The Write Place where she comments on life as a writer, and Reading like a Writer where she recommends books about writing in different genres. She’s also the interviews editor of Cosmonauts Avenue and the poetry editor of the Adroit Journal.