Urgent help needed...should I take this internship?

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writingallthetime

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I sent my resume a bunch of places today to try to get an internship. I am an aspiring author, and I have a book I want to get published.
However, my main interest is actually in editing. I want to become a full-time freelance editor. I have very little experience, but I do have two good testimonials.
Do not laugh at me now. I applied somewhere without understanding that they were not a publisher, but a book scout. I wanted to apply anywhere I could get editing experience.
They want me to do mass readings of 3-5 books were week...and do the write-up. You know. At first they said it was not available. Then suddenly wrote back and said I could do it now. I am a bit taken aback!
My question is, should I do this if I want to be an editor?
Why would someone do this sort of internship? Is it just to get the familiarity of what sells?
Please quickly advise!
 

writingallthetime

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I sent my resume a bunch of places today to try to get an internship. I am an aspiring author, and I have a book I do want to get published.
However, my main interest is actually in editing. I want to become a full-time freelance editor. I have very little experience, but I do have two good testimonials.
Do not laugh at me now. I applied somewhere without understanding that they were not a publisher, but a book scout. I wanted to apply anywhere I could get editing experience.
They want me to do mass readings of 3-5 books were week...and do the write-up. You know. At first they said it was not available. Then suddenly wrote back and said I could do it now. I am a bit taken aback!
My question is, should I do this if I want to be an editor?
Why would someone do this sort of internship? Is it just to get the familiarity of what sells?
Please quickly advise!
 

cornflake

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How would this help you learn to edit anything?
 

Brightdreamer

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Seconding the question on how this would help you edit...

That said, does this job offer other benefits for you? Would it give you contacts for future editing opportunities? Is it with an outfit you want to get your foot in the door with? Do you think reading those manuscripts and writing them up would help you with your own writing/editing endeavors?
 

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This isn't editing, it's reading the slush pile. Slush readers write book reports on the books they read. It can be a way into a career in publishing but it's not really a way in to a career as an editor. To learn to do that you'll need to work at a publishing house and be mentored very closely.

Who is the publisher or book scout? Are you sure they're reputable?
 

writingallthetime

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That is what I am trying to figure out. LOL.
I did not know you replied. I did not get a notification. I am really not sure if I will get contacts or not.
If I were to take this kind of internship, would it help me to get in the door other places to edit?
 

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Merging posts from a duplicate thread in FAQs.
 

writingallthetime

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Yes, he is reputable and mentioned on many sites. But if it will not really help to get me into editing, then maybe I should decline.
It sounds like the messy garbage they do not normally want to do.
Should I ask him straight if he will assist me to make connections for editing? I will also mention this a remote position.
 
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AW Admin

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Internships with college credit and professor supervising, or internships at a reputable publisher with books you can find in your local bookstores and libraries, those are worth having.

There are also college programs (Columbia University, NYU, for instance) that offer publishing degrees with placement in internships.

And there are agencies and reputable publishing houses that offer worthwhile internships. I'd be leery of remote ones. Part of the internship should be learning how to deal with people.

Here's a Harper Collins internship. Here's a Penguin Random internship.

I know literary agent Jennifer Laughran has written/spoken about how she started as an intern.
 

writingallthetime

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Thanks for the reply. This is a well known book scout in the industry, and is not short of work. My question is not about whether it is a legit offer.
I am simply not sure how all that slush pile work will help me as an editor.
I want to be a freelance editor...either at a publisher or anywhere. I don't care where. But I need to work remotely to earn money. at some point within the next year. I was willing to do any kind of internship to get there.
I am 41, and I do not live in the USA. I am American, though.
 

Laurasaurus

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Isn't it good to do anything (within reason) to get a foot in the door?

Not that I know nothing 'bout nothing.
 

writingallthetime

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This is what I am trying to figure out. I actually do not have time. It is extremely demanding. I wrote and asked him how it can help me as an editor. Obviously it will let me see what is being sold and what is not.
 

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I want to be a freelance editor...either at a publisher or anywhere. I don't care where. But I need to work remotely to earn money. at some point within the next year. I was willing to do any kind of internship to get there.

It takes years of training to become a good editor. A quick internship isn't going to do the trick I'm afraid. And you're not likely to earn much as an editor working remotely, either. If you need to start earning, I'd consider other ways. Editing is not lucrative, especially in the early years.
 

cornflake

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Thanks for the reply. This is a well known book scout in the industry, and is not short of work. My question is not about whether it is a legit offer.
I am simply not sure how all that slush pile work will help me as an editor.
I want to be a freelance editor...either at a publisher or anywhere. I don't care where. But I need to work remotely to earn money. at some point within the next year. I was willing to do any kind of internship to get there.
I am 41, and I do not live in the USA. I am American, though.

Within the next YEAR? You can't get an internship and then you'll be an editor ready to charge people for your services. That's not how that works -- at all. It takes a lot of time to learn how to edit correctly, to gain knowledge, experience, etc. You're suggesting something on the order of, 'I need to go to Spacecamp so I can apply to NASA to get on the next shuttle mission (if there was to be a next shuttle mission).'

Your timeline and idea of editing s a job is just super skewed, I'm afraid.
 

writingallthetime

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That is your negative opinion. I have been to this board so many times and always people are so negative. Why you assume I have zero experience. You do not know me.
Not sure why people here are always so bent on destroying other people's goals and ideas. I will create my life. And you can make yours. Thanks.
 

writingallthetime

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I am not trying to be a book editor at a publishing house for God's sake.
Seems it is time to go from here!
Bye!
 
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cornflake

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It's not a negative opinion; it's how editing works. As to your goals, I got the idea you might want to be an editor at a publishing house from your post, above, in this thread, in which you said:

I want to be a freelance editor...either at a publisher or anywhere.
 

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That is your negative opinion. I have been to this board so many times and always people are so negative. Why you assume I have zero experience. You do not know me.
Not sure why people here are always so bent on destroying other people's goals and ideas. I will create my life. And you can make yours. Thanks.

I am not trying to be a book editor at a publishing house for God's sake.
Seems it is time to go from here!
Bye!


If you want to be an editor, do it properly. Because if you rush it you'll be ripping off all the authors you edit for, and you'll probably destroy several books before you get to grips with how to edit--and note that most people who try to become editors never achieve a decent level of competence at the job.

If you're happy with rushing just so you can fulfil your self-imposed deadline you are happy to take money for a poor job, or you don't have the first clue about what editing involves, or you don't care that you'll be causing horrible damage to the books you work on. Which ever one it is, it's not unreasonably negative for us to point out to you the problems with your plan.

I wish you well, I really do. But if you want to be able to earn money a year from now and still manage to sleep at night, find some other job.
 
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