Not Your Average Internship
Last fall, I decided that it was time. I had been in college
for a semester, and I lived near one of the largest urban centers in the
nation. Why couldn’t I get a publishing internship? Why couldn’t I work at a
publishing house? True, it wasn’t New York City – and I was only a “freshman in
disguise” – but I was determined. I wanted it. My mind was made up.
I scoured the internet for publishing houses in Houston.
There were a few (though I had never heard of them) and I sent query letters,
cover letters, and resumes to all of them. Honestly, I didn’t think that
anything would come of it, as I had been told by an editor at a large
publishing house in New York that I wouldn’t be seriously considered for a
position until I was at least a junior.
A few weeks later, however, I received a response from one of
them: Vidahlia Press & Publishing House, Inc. A phone call, a weekend
drive, and an interview later I had a position with them: Book Production
Manager.
Vidahlia is a start-up publishing house that is “committed to
giving a voice to artists from all walks of life.” When I joined, they were in
the middle of their nationwide prison writing contest, INK. Eventually, they
will publish the winning submissions in an anthology entitled From These
Many Rooms.
I don’t doubt that my experience is somewhat abnormal when
compared to the rest of the publishing industry. As Vidahlia is a small
company, there’s plenty of overlap. My internship hasn’t been confined to any
specific area (despite the fact that my title suggests I should be focusing on
book production). I’ve done everything. I’ve screened fiction submissions,
written letters, drafted budgets, done research, and made presentations. I
participated in the weekly meetings and brainstorming sessions. I even helped
design and manage their summer internship program.
Studying English has been of critical importance as it has
honed my abilities to analyze writing, think critically, and articulate my
views in a persuasive fashion. This has been essential for evaluating fiction
submissions, doing research, and making presentations.
It’s been hectic, to be sure. There were times where I thought
I’d go insane. There are still times where I think I’ll go insane.
But I’ve loved it.
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