Here at And Other Stories, we don’t believe in getting work for free, but as a small publisher we don’t have the resources to pay as many interns as we would love to have work and learn with us. Instead, we provide placements for those who can gain funding specifically for the work they will be doing with us. Most universities have appropriate schemes in place so please check out what is available for you. If you study in Sheffield (local to us), you might be able to apply for Sheffield Hallam’s Graduate Internship Scheme.
Every year we will also recruit one person from a background less represented in publishing to their first publishing job. Keep an eye on our monthly newsletter, where we also advertise other people’s Northern publishing jobs each month.
Here’s what previous interns say of their experience:
‘My time at And Other Stories gave me a chance to experience first-hand the processes and decisions which go into publishing, from editorial decisions to marketing, right up to sending out the finished piece. The internship allowed me to put some of my knowledge into practical use and get a better feel of the professional environment in which I would be working in the world of publishing, as well as learning new vital skills and knowledge which will help me to succeed. On a personal level it was great to be involved with and around the books and gave me the opportunity to discover brilliant literature which I might otherwise not have come across, as well as having the privilege of contributing to sharing these great works with others.’ Jack
‘My time at And Other Stories began in July 2018. What followed is hard to sum up into one tidy description. Some days I was packaging books for subscribers, other times I was reading manuscripts, or counting just how many books we had in the office (spoiler: a lot) or even trawling databases and old newspaper archives for potential sponsors. I was fresh from my BA degree, about to start my MA. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, I felt naive and absolutely NOT ready for the big wide world. By the time my internship was up, all that had changed. I knew that working in publishing was for me, I’d made wonderful, and I’m sure life-long, friends with the team, even my own reading taste had expanded. My internship also coincided with And Other Stories’ Year of Publishing Women, and as a writer myself I was inspired each time I saw a stack of those stripy catalogues. And because And Other Stories works so closely with its subscribers, I was constantly reminded why working in publishing is so rewarding. The trust that subscribers put into the team is incredible, and I worked harder than ever so that even my own small part was focused on getting the best books into their hands.’ Megan
‘I’m almost at the end of my work experience with And Other Stories and I don’t want to leave! This has been a fantastic opportunity where I’ve learned so much about the industry and had a wonderful time doing it. The best part is that interning at a small, independent publisher like And Other Stories has the advantage of exposing you to the entirety of the publishing process. If I was on work experience at a larger press I would have been inside one department, gaining a narrower pool of knowledge. Here at And Other Stories, it’s as if I’ve been sent from publicity to the mailroom to the submissions office to editorial, all without leaving my chair. It’s been the best of both worlds as I’ve had this breadth while also being shown, told, and set to work on things that are particularly relevant to the editorial work I hope to go into. I’ve always felt that the staff here really want to help me learn and develop and they make the office a great place to be. Even if it weren’t going to help me in my future career, which it most definitely will, I would still have enjoyed this placement for the experience itself because of the people and the fun, rewarding work.’ Poppy
If you would like to take on a work experience placement with us and can find the funding we’d love to hear from you! Send an email to info@andotherstories.org