Applications for Spring 2023
The application window for Spring 2023 internships is now closed. We aren’t able to respond individually to all applicants, but you will be notified if you were selected for an interview or if any further information is needed regarding your application.
General Internship Program Info
The MIT Press hires interns in various departments. These paid internships are a chance for people who love books and journals to learn about publishing and see how a busy university press functions. Successful interns will make valuable contacts and gain experience at one of the nation’s largest university presses.
Hours will be negotiated, but candidates should be able to commit a minimum of 10 hours per week (see individual departmental openings for more details on hours). Internships typically last about four months; exact start and end dates can be negotiated depending on each intern’s schedule.
MIT Press internships may be remote; candidates must have U.S. work authorization but may be located anywhere in the U.S. The MIT Press will ship you a laptop with the software you’ll need for the internship, for you to use for duration of the internship. You’ll ship it back to us at the end of your internship. Let us know if you’ll need help with WiFi access.
If you have any questions, please email mitp-internships@mit.edu and include ‘MITP Internship’ in the subject. Please do not submit applications via email.
General Requirements: The ideal intern candidates will have a strong desire to learn about publishing, basic computer skills, excellent communication and organizational skills, the ability to work well on one’s own and as a member of a group, an eye for detail, good judgment, a positive attitude, and a willingness to take initiative. In the past, internships have been available in many of the departments listed below; please note that available internships are still to be determined and vary with each semester.
Books Acquisitions: The Books Acquisitions intern will work in the department responsible for contracting, receiving, and assessing both book proposals and manuscripts for potential publication. This intern will be responsible for tasks such as general manuscript preparation, general data entry into our database, research on competing titles and potential reviewers, possible long-term projects which might include researching permissions or looking into grant funding opportunities, and a variety of other tasks. Regular check-ins and guidance will be provided by two department internship supervisors. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about scholarly publishing in a collaborative environment. This internship will be 10 hours per week.
Books Editorial: The Books Editorial internship will provide experience with a variety of editorial tasks, including checking page proofs, editing indexes, proofreading jacket copy, reviewing prepress proofs, and handling corrections for reprints. The intern will also learn about the editorial technology that we use at the MIT Press. This is an opportunity for college graduates or graduate students who know the basics of copyediting and proofreading to get practical experience in the field, so applicants who have copyediting experience (e.g., school newspaper, literary journal, tutoring at a writing center) and familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style are strongly preferred. The internship is up to 12 hours per week.
Books Publicity: Books publicity interns will learn about promoting books to the media. Their primary responsibilities include scanning and distributing book reviews, maintaining and updating the Press’s review log, assisting with galley and finished book mailings, researching media for books, helping to create press materials such as pitch emails and press releases, monitoring and responding to emails in the Press’s general publicity inbox, and other general assistance. Office and/or publishing experience, as well as familiarity with FileMaker, Cision, and/or other database software, is a plus but not required. This internship will be 15 hours a week.
Copywriting: The Copywriting intern will work in the marketing and communications department responsible for creating all the descriptive copy of our trade and professional book titles. This intern will be responsible for tasks such as drafting and proofreading copy, uploading materials to Dropbox for freelancers, updating web copy, general data entry into our database, and a variety of other tasks. The ideal candidate will have strong writing and editing skills and familiarity with academic and scholarly language. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about scholarly publishing in a collaborative environment. This internship will be 20 hours per week.
Design: The Design intern will work on book cover designs, from concept development through print-ready PDF files. Mentoring, guidance, and regular check-ins will be provided by the design department. Graphic design students and recent graduates, with a working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and Adobe Acrobat, are encouraged to apply. Please include samples of your work with your resume. Internship will be 10-20 hours per week.
Journals Production/Digital Products & Software Services: The Journals Production/Digital Products & Software Services intern will split their time between two departments, focusing on the print and electronic processes of academic journal production across a variety of disciplines. The intern will prepare manuscripts for copyediting and composition, work with editors, freelancers, and vendors; review pages; and assemble journal components for printing and online publishing. Digital publishing and Open Access are a particular highlight of the journals program and the intern will have the opportunity to learn all facets of production. The intern will also be involved in a variety of special ongoing projects. This internship will be 10 hours per week.
Marketing and Communications: The Marketing and Communications Intern will be working in multiple capacities throughout our marketing department, learning across areas including author communications, book campaigns, advertising, audience research, and content marketing and communications. The ideal candidate will have one year minimum of work, volunteer, or classroom experience with marketing and communications or a related field. Internship will be up to 20 hours per week.
Sales: The Sales Intern will work in multiple sales capacities throughout our business development department, interfacing with the marketing and acquisitions groups, but primarily focusing on textbook sales. Examples of these efforts include: searching and identifying sales opportunities, providing customer support, and tracking closed business using the Salesforce CRM (customer relationship management software). Responsibilities include: using software to approve requests for digital examination copies, communicating with customers via email, and entering customer data into Salesforce. The MIT Press will be publishing new editions of our top-selling textbooks this spring, which makes this an exciting time for someone to join us and learn about the textbook sales cycle, support instructors’ needs, and help grow our customer base. The ideal candidate will be an efficient multi-tasker with strong oral and written communication skills, and the ability to adapt to new systems quickly. The internship is 20 hours per week with possible room for more hours as needed.
Social Media: The Social Media Intern will learn about how we promote MIT Press books and other products through our social media presence. Responsibilities may include planning and scheduling posts; preparing analytics reports; researching social media platforms, accounts, and trends; and other related duties as assigned. The ideal candidate will have an interest in publishing and an eye for what is fresh and exciting on social media. The internship will be 10 hours per week.
How to apply:
All applications must be submitted through JotForm at the following link: https://form.jotform.com/223245926439159
For more information on other job opportunities at the Press, please see our careers website at: http://mitpress.mit.edu/jobs
MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.