19 Union Square West New York, NY 10003 (212) 741-6900 Contact: Peggy Miller
Internships: The company offers an unpaid internship program of varying duration. The closing date for applications for the sum-mer program is mid-April. Phone for an appointment.
Employment: Send resume when applying for a full-time job. A personal interview is required.
Houghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley Street Boston, MA02116 (617) 351-5000
Internships: The company has an extremely limited number of summer internships available, predominantly for high school seniors or college freshmen referred through the Boston Private Industry Council. The approximate weekly salary is $235 and the duration of the program is six to eight weeks.
Employment: Send a cover letter and resume to the Human Resources Department when applying for a full-time job. Approximately fifty to seventy-five entry-level people are hired each year. Preferably, candidates should apply for specific job assignments. The approximate salary range for entry-level people in editorial jobs is $22,000 to $24,000. A personal interview is required. In addition to job-specific skills, everyone must have outstanding communications skills both written and oral; commitment to excellence; intellectual curiosity; and a strong work ethic. Twenty to 30 percent of new hires are employed in editorial assignments.
Brown and Company
34 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02118 (617) 227-0730 Contact: Steven Lee
Internships: The company offers a summer internship program from June through August at a salary of $250 a week. Closing date for applications is April 1. Send resume and cover letter. Interns are hired between junior and senior college years, and about 10 percent of interns are hired for full-time jobs. Company evaluates performance of interns.
Employment: Send cover letter and resume when applying for a full-time job. Approximately forty entry-level people are hired each year, and candidates should apply for specific job assignments. Starting salary for entry-level people in editorial jobs is $20,000 to $21,000. A personal interview is required and about 20 percent of new hires are employed in editorial assignments.
Training: The company conducts an organized training program for new employees that lasts for three months. There is a formal training program evaluation.
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10110 (212) 354-5500
This company does not offer an internship program.
Employment: Approximately five entry-level people are hired each year. Candidates should apply for specific job assignments. The approximate salary range for entry-level people in editorial jobs is $18,000 to $20,000. A personal interview is required. Prospective employees must possess a good general education and interest in books. Sixty percent of new hires are employed in editorial assignments.
The Reader's Digest Association
261 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 (212) 850-7000 Contact: Human Resources Department
Internships: The company offers a summer internship program for eight to twelve weeks at a salary of $375 a week for undergrads. College major preferences are journalism, English, marketing, finance, and liberal arts. Closing date for applications is March 1. Applicants should send a cover letter with dates of availability and areas of interest, such as ad sales, circulation, promotion, and editorial. Interns are hired between junior and senior college years and about 50 percent are hired for full-time jobs. Interns rotate between departments and their performance is evaluated.
Employment: To apply, send resume and cover letter. About ten entry-level people are hired each year at a salary of $20,000 to $25,000 for editorial jobs. Candidates should apply for specific job assignments and a personal interview is required. Prospective employees must possess such basic skills as excellent oral/written communication skills; organizational skills; PC proficiency with word processing and spreadsheets. About 20 percent of new hires are employed in editorial assignments.
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 (212) 674-5151 Contact: Helaine Ohl, Personnel Manager
Internships: This company does not have a formal internship program. Employees are hired for summer jobs depending on staffing needs at an hourly rate of $7 per hour.
Employment: Applicants should send their resume with cover letter to the Personnel Department. Yearly hiring policy for entry-level people varies. Seventy-five entry-level people were hired in 1993 due to company expansion. Candidates may apply for a specific job, but it is not required. The approximate salary range for entry-level people in editorial jobs is high teens. A personal interview is required. Employees should possess excellent organization, communication, computer, and typing skills.
John Wiley & Sons
605 Third Avenue New York, NY 10158 (212) 850-6000 Contact: Human Resources Department
Internships: The company offers a summer internship program for approximately nine weeks at a salary of $300 a week. Closing date of applications is April 1. Send resume and cover letter specifying areas of interest. A liberal arts major is preferred. Interns are hired between junior and senior college years and about 40 percent are hired for full-time jobs. Interns sometimes rotate between departments and participating managers assess performance by completing questionnaires at the end of the program.
Employment: Send resume and cover letter when applying for a full-time job expressing interest in and benefits to be gained from employment in company. Approximately seventy entry-level people are hired each year. Candidates should apply for specific job assignments and a personal interview is required. Prospective employees should possess basic skills in computers (word processing, spreadsheets), basic office skills, and the ability to prioritize and organize a heavy work load. About 30 to 40 percent of new hires are employed in editorial assignments.
Training: The company has an organized training program for new employees. Duration of the program varies, and there is a for-mal training program evaluation. In addition to a New Employee Orientation Program (one-half day), the company offers training programs (duration varies) in three curriculum areas: self-management skills, leadership/management skills, and business/technical publishing.
Book publishing is a creative profession and you must adapt a creative strategy to break in. In addition to the specific suggestions outlined in this chapter, candidates should gain some experience in standard office skills and in the tools of modern technology such as computers, video terminals, and even desktop publishing. In applying, you should also make preliminary decisions on which area of publishing you would like to enter.
