UVA Press: Sales, Marketing, and Publicity Internship

ORGANIZATION

The University of Virginia Press is the scholarly publishing division of the University of Virginia. The Press supports the academic mission of the University by publishing scholarship in a variety of print and digital formats that contributes to the progress of research and learning.

The Marketing and Sales Director and Marketing Associate are responsible for marketing our books via a wide range of channels: our website, our seasonal catalogs, advertising, conferences, awards, and publicity. This department in particular pursues media coverage in traditional print, broadcast, podcast, digital, and social media (see the Press's X and Facebook accounts).

MENTOR

Mary Kate Maco, Publicist

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

This internship will prepare interns for careers in any of the following: 

  • Communication, Outreach, and Publishing

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

This internship will provide experiences to develop and polish the following skills: 

  • Communication (Written and/or verbal)
  • Teamwork and Collaboration
  • Knowledge of Sector and Networking
  • Marketing
  • Thought Leadership and Innovation

MENTORING PLAN

UVAP Press has hosted interns, both in the the IPP and PhD Plus programs, for many years. We take pride in the fact that many of our interns have gone on to pursue careers in academic and trade publishing, as well as in law, journalism, higher education, finance, etc.. A great advantage to working at the Press is its size. We are a very small staff of dedicated professionals who necessarily collaborate on a daily basis on various aspects of our publishing program. We also hold weekly meetings within our department, and bi-weekly or monthly meetings with the editorial and production staff to discuss new projects. An internship in any one of our departments offers the candidate the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience across all aspects of book publishing.

LEARNING OUTCOMES          

We hope that the intern will come away with a general understanding of an academic press's role in fulfilling the University of Virginia's mission: to disseminate knowledge to the world beyond the ivory tower. S/he/they will see how an idea becomes a manuscript, how a manuscript becomes a book, how a book is marketed (from Amazon to the New Dominion; from the New York Times Book Review to the Journal of Modern History) and how it winds up on bookstore shelves. The intern should also come away with a key understanding of the fundamentals of marketing, including creating creative copy; researching any new academic conferences, awards, or scholarly journals that should be made award of our books; investigating new social media and podcast venues; and in general brainstorming with other staff as to how best to get our books out in the world where they can make a difference.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Creating review copy lists; conducting data research to keep our media lists up to date; pitching our authors/their books to book review editors and other journalists in academic and trade media; expanding our podcast contacts lists; pitching our authors/their books as expert lecturers to various cultural, academic, and public policy institutions.

DESIRED QUALITIES

Knowledge of academic institutional culture and an interest in scholarship will be key, along with an understanding of how academics work. An interest in marketing, specifically in how marketing can bridge the gap between the ivory tower and the real world, is also critical.

MODE OF INTERNSHIP

Hybrid

DURATION

Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS.

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