Dzanc Books is an independent nonprofit press dedicated to publishing innovative and award-winning literary fiction, advancing great writing, and expanding our literary community by offering low-cost mentorships for as aspiring writers and supporting writers-in-the-schools initiatives. Founded in 2006, Dzanc's authors have been recognized by the Chautauqua Prize, the Shirley Jackson Awards, National Book Critics Circle Award, Lambda Literary Awards, the Man Booker Prize, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among many others.
The Dzanc Books editorial internship is a twelve-week program designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of publishing. Over the course of the cycle, interns participate in evaluating submissions, take part in conference calls with the Dzanc editor-in-chief, who provides information about the publishing process and industry, and optionally take on additional special projects, including e-book proofreading, copy editing for upcoming titles, and online research.Ìý The internship will occasionally include guest lectures by current and former authors working with the press, or by prospective authors on the topic of submitting work to a publisher or literary agent.Ìý The group meets once weekly over Skype to discuss the lecture material, check in on projects, and receive new assignments.Ìý Interns are expected to commit between 10-15 hours of work per week to completing their assignments, which is done on their own time.ÌýÌý
Tasks are assigned based on individual interest, but can include:
- Reading and evaluating submissions for the house
- Proofreading ebooks
- Copy editing and proofreading for forthcoming books
- Online research related to publicity and marketing leads
- Publicity outreach, such as interviewing independent bookstores
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Prospective interns should be great readers, preferably with experience and interest in reading literary (as opposed to commercial) fiction, and should be comfortable with in-depth analysis of written works. All internships are conducted remotely and are unpaid.