WSU Press Job Postings
WSU Press staff positions are listed on Wayne State University’s online hiring page-search by Department H5201 University Press. Internships are regularly available for those interested in the world of publishing.
Current Openings
Internship Opportunities
Book Acquisitions Internship - currently closed to applications.
Wayne State University Press is seeking a paid graduate student intern for the Winter 2023 semester, and invites students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the publishing industry to apply.
According to a survey by Lee & Low, diversity in publishing matters because "The book industry has the power to shape culture in big and small ways." Yet, "79 percent of respondents identified as White. 78 percent were women. 88 percent were straight. 92 percent were non-disabled. At a time when readers of all backgrounds were demanding to see themselves in books, the publishing industry came nowhere near to reflecting the rich diversity of the United States." Wayne State University Press particularly invites people of color; queer and trans people; and disabled people to apply for this internship.
This student job offers a $3000 stipend, and the graduate student is expected to work 15 hours/week for 12 weeks between January and May, with flexible dates. Students from any university are welcome to apply, but we would prefer the intern to be available to come into our Detroit-based office for events and in-person meetings when relevant. This opportunity may be available again in the summer and fall semesters.
Internship duties may include:
Acknowledging, logging, and reviewing new book proposals for discussion with the acquisitions editors; sending decline emails as appropriate
Creating new projects and updating entries in a book projects database
Researching and assisting with peer review
Preparing materials for the Editorial Board
Preparing materials for production, including images, permissions, and final manuscript files
Attending Press meetings and events as timing allows
Wayne State University Press publishes 30-40 books per year in African American studies; fairy-tale studies; film, television, and media studies; health humanities; Jewish studies; labor studies; and regional studies: books about the state of Michigan, the city of Detroit, and the Great Lakes region. We also publish books of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry written by Michigan authors in our Made in Michigan Writers Series. We expect that over the course of the semester, the student intern will become familiar with the process of book publishing at a university press. The internship will be housed in the Books Acquisitions department, with opportunities for meeting and engaging with Editorial, Design, and Production; Marketing; Operations; and Journals.
Application materials should be sent by email to Senior Editor Marie Sweetman at marie.sweetman [at] wayne.edu. Please include a current resume and a cover letter discussing your interest in an internship with Wayne State University Press.