The State University of New York Press provides an excellent learning and training environment for students interested in one or more of the major facets of the publishing industry—acquisitions editorial, production and design, marketing and publicity, sales, rights and permissions, and development and fundraising. As one of the largest university presses in the country and a major academic publisher in the upstate New York region for over four decades, SUNY Press offers an energetic, engaged publishing experience set distinctively within the academic setting of the prestigious SUNY system.

SUNY Press interns are assigned a range of entry-level responsibilities that familiarize them with the key procedures, policies, and operational systems associated with a select aspect of the publishing process. The internships described below are usually available each academic semester and during the summer.

Finding the Right Book to Publish
Acquisitions Internship
Interns for the acquisitions department are responsible for a variety of tasks related to the initial consideration and acceptance of book manuscripts. Typical duties include entering data about potential authors and manuscripts into the database, photocopying manuscripts, preparing correspondence, processing book orders, doing market research, compiling sales data on published books, and checking manuscripts, disks, image quality, and forms for book projects ready for transmittal to the production department. Interns for the acquisitions department should be organized, detail oriented, and eager to take initiative in learning about the publishing process.

Excelsior Editions Internship
Typical duties include assisting with publicity and marketing efforts (particularly electronic marketing) for trade frontlist books, researching out-of-print titles and authors’ biographical information on the internet and in the library, photocopying manuscripts, researching cover art, checking and proofreading introductions and other additional material for reprint editions, and other routine office tasks. Candidates should have strong time management and organizational skills and be eager to learn about all aspects of the publishing process; familiarity with interactive multimedia and social networking platforms (blogs, wikis, Facebook, etc.) is a plus.

Making the Book
Production Internship
Interns for the production department will work under the supervision of production editors on assigned projects in the production stage of the publishing process, which is where we turn manuscripts into bound books. Potential tasks include proofreading, checking art, photocopying galleys, entering data into the database, scanning images, and working with electronic publishing programs. Prospective production interns should be attentive to detail and have good organizational skills and the ability to work independently.

Reaching the Right Audience for the Book
Marketing and Publicity Internship
Marketing and publicity interns will assist the department in creating promotional materials by writing press releases, pitch letters, and web news item postings. Other tasks include helping prepare mailings of review copies of books to journals, supporting the exhibits program by creating order forms and posters and shipping out exhibit materials, disseminating published book reviews to authors and staff, and other duties as assigned.

Selling the Book
Sales Internship
Sales interns will work closely with the Administrator of Electronic Marketing and Publishing Services. Tasks include administering the SUNY Press website by posting content routinely, supplying metadata and other information to our on-line website retailers using FTP software, administering the email marketing program, and converting original PDF files into e-book format for on-line library and retail sales. Sales interns must be attentive to detail and familiar with MS Office 2003, Word, Excel, Access Database, and HTML code. Additionally, experience with Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat software is preferable.

The Business of the Book
Rights and Permissions Internship
Rights and permissions interns should have a desire to learn about the life of a book beyond its printing and sales. Tasks will include assisting the Rights and Permissions Manager with all aspects of data management of rights and permissions matters and of book rights sales. Interns will also process permission grants for the use of SUNY Press material. Rights and permissions interns should have strong organizational skills, the ability to work independently and multi-task, and experience (or aptitude) for database management and web navigation.

Development Internship
Development interns will work closely with the development staff and will assist with researching funding opportunities for SUNY Press books and series, drafting fundraising materials, maintaining the fundraising database, and coordinating logistics for special events.