Publishing Internship

Job description

Restless Books is an independent, nonprofit publisher of international literature, with a storefront located in Amherst, Massachusetts. We publish 10-12 titles a year for both adults and young readers, most of them in translation, from all over the world. Our published translations - from Arabic, Chinese, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Yiddish, and more - are often the author’s English-language debut.

In addition to our mainline titles, our Yonder imprint publishes illustrated books, middle-grade and young adult fiction, also in translation. We also host the yearly Kellman Prize for Immigrant Writing, open to first-generation immigrants. The winning author receives $10,000 and publication by Restless Books.

We are currently seeking Editorial and Marketing Interns (in-person, remote, or hybrid) for the Fall, with a time commitment of 8-10 hours per week (more hours could be added to fulfill university college requirements). The internship program is designed as an extensive introduction to the book publishing world: interns will be involved in all stages of book publishing, including acquisitions, editing, marketing and publicity, grant writing, etc. 

This is an unpaid opportunity, so interns must be able to obtain college credit or funding from their institution to be eligible for the position. 

Duration: 3 - 4 months

Spring: February through May

Summer: June through August

Fall: September through December

Application Deadlines

Spring: October 1 to October 31 of each year

Summer: March 1 to March 31 of each year | Currently not accepting any more applications for the summer session

Fall: July 1 to July 31 of each year

Internship responsibilities include

  • Copy editing and proofreading manuscripts

  • Publicity managing outreach for events, blurb requests, and reviews

  • Conducting research, building and maintaining databases and contact lists

  • Reading manuscripts and writing readers’ reports

  • Drafting copy for the company newsletter, blog, and social media

  • Collecting, logging, and distributing publicity materials

  • Coordinating and assisting with mailings to media, booksellers, librarians, and educators

  • Research grant applications for nonprofit development

  • Participation in weekly marketing and editorial meetings

  • Becoming familiar with titles in the Restless Books catalog

Requirements

  • Interest in and familiarity with contemporary literature, world languages, marketing, and/or the publishing industry

  • Interest in marketing, publicity, sales, nonprofit development, copywriting, line editing, and/or social media

  • Excellent reading and writing skills

  • College degree in progress, relevant experience in literature, a foreign language, business, or a related field

  • Superior attention to detail

  • Ability to meet deadlines and multitask

  • Fluency in another language a plus, but not required

  • Proficiency in cloud software such as Google Drive and Dropbox; design software such as Photoshop or InDesign; and marketing and social media platforms such as Mailchimp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, a plus, but not required

Preferred Skills

  • Fluency in a language other than English

  • Previous experience in publishing or editorial work

  • Ability to work in person at the Amherst office

How to Apply

Fill the application during the open call, and include the following attachments as PDFs:

  • A brief resume detailing relevant experience

  • A 1-page cover letter containing:

    • a statement of interest for Restless Books

    • your qualifications for the editorial or marketing position

    • mention of qualification for college funding and/or credit

Next Application Deadline

For the Fall Internship Session: July 31, 2026

Last updated on April 20, 2026, at 9:30 PM