Intern at University Press of Mississippi!

We are currently accepting applications for our fall Editorial and McRae Publishing internships. Read below to learn more information about the internships and to hear what current interns have to say about their experience.

Editorial Internship

The editorial internship is open to students who are available to work 8-15 hours per week. This is an unpaid position, though we are happy to work with students so that they can receive college credit. Editorial interns assist the Editorial Department with such tasks as:

·         proofreading book descriptions, captions, and indexes

·         preparing letters, reports, and checklists

·         checking permissions

·         copying, filing, and mailing

McRae Publishing Internship

The McRae Publishing Internship is open to students and recent graduates. Interns should expect to work a minimum of 25 hours per week in exchange for a monthly stipend. The McRae Publishing Intern primarily assists the Editorial Department’s acquisitions team with such tasks as:

·         finding readers for manuscripts

·         creating new records in the Press database

·         preparing presentations for our editorial board

·         sending endorsement requests, fundraising letters, and letters of interest or rejection

·         conference scheduling

·         copying, filing, and mailing

Previous interns have gone on to jobs in publishing or related fields or continued their education by attending university-affiliated publishing programs. Don’t take our word for it! Current Editorial Intern Limbi Banda and McRae Publishing Intern Kate Johnson share about their experiences at the Press:

McRae Publishing Intern Kate Johnson

Why did you want to intern at University Press of Mississippi?

LB: As an English Major, I wanted to gain the experience necessary to pursue my goals after I finish college. I also want to gain insight into the publishing industry and understand the nuts and bolts of how books are written and placed on the shelf.

KJ: I wanted to explore my interest in publishing and editing and find out if it really was something I was interested in for my future.

What’s your favorite thing to work on at the Press?

LB: I love drafting rejection letters. Even though they're fairly easy to do, I feel like I'm part of the process.

KJ: I enjoy writing book descriptions because I have to read about the project in order to put together the description, and many of the topics interest me.

What has surprised you the most about working here?

LB: The most surprising thing has been the pace. It's fairly pedestrian and everyone is willing to help. I expected personalities like J. Jonah Jamison from Spiderman breathing down my throat. My superiors provide work and expect me to finish it.

KJ: I’ve spent a lot of time looking up people’s email addresses online so that we can contact them about submitting something to us. I never dreamed that using the power of Google to stalk academics through their university websites would feature so prominently in my internship.

How do you think this internship will prepare you for your future career goals?

LB: The main thing I've learned is following instructions. Most of the tasks consist of remembering simple but sometimes difficult instructions. Of course, this requires a lot patience and concentration.

KJ: I believe this internship is preparing me for my future career goals by giving me extensive experience in an office setting and providing enough involvement in the publishing industry for me to have an idea of what it’s all about.

All interns are required to work at the Press offices in Jackson, Mississippi. To apply, candidates should send a resume and cover letter to Assistant to the Director Emily Snyder Bandy. The deadline to apply for the fall semester is July 10.

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