Internship: A History

In the last year, I finally understood a few things.

1) In order to become a writer, you have to actually write. Not research, not outline, not revise, not daydream or brainstorm... but make new sentences and paragraphs, and then re-write them until they are better.

2) In order to become a published writer, you have to do some research. The internet makes this easy.

I maniacally followed (and still follow, actually) about a hundred different websites, all of them created with the sole purpose of providing information to prospective authors, like myself. Some of them are authors' blogs, and they detail their journeys from first draft to first book signing. Some of the websites are about the industry, which I am certain you have to know about in order to be a successful published author.

One of the most helpful websites, however, is a website of a literary agent who works exclusively with children's books. (Hint: industry term: children's books = picture books, like Go, Dog, Go, early chapter books like Junie B. Jones, middle grade fiction, like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, and YA, or young adult, like The Hunger Games.)

Now, to be on the way, way, way safe side, I will not reveal the moniker of said agent. He/she will hereby be  referred to as BOSS.

At the end of May, BOSS put out a plea for a team of interns. Slightly deluged and naively hopeful, I applied... and I was chosen, along with six other brilliant children's book adorers, to be on BOSS's team!


I could do another year of Internet research and not receive the education I have gained in the six weeks, working for BOSS. My jobs are varied, but all so valuable:

-I review potential clients' manuscripts. I send BOSS a reader's report. I put the manuscript down if it isn't good, even if I'm only on page six. I tell BOSS what I thought. I give suggestions for revisions. I find authors to root for and reinforce my opinion that this industry is equal parts hard work and subjectivity.

-I read manuscripts from BOSS's current clients. Again, always insightful, since I can see the work done by someone who "made it" already.

-Reviewing the publishing deals made in the last few years, searching for trends. I have a soft spot for middle grade fiction. It's what I write, and it's what I am usually drawn to for reading material.

-I go through the infamous Slush Pile, and yes, it really is as polarizing as it seems. There are HORRIBLE queries, and decent queries, and some that I can't stop thinking about. Just one dive into the slush pile was enough to send me scurrying to my own two-sentence pitch to edit, edit, edit.

So far, BOSS has advertised this as a six month summer internship, but I am crossing my fingers that BOSS extends the work for me, because it is THAT insightful.

One of the greatest moments was reading through BOSS's initial instructions, kind of an overview of the job... and realizing, yes, absolutely, this is the industry and the focus for me. Books? Yes. Publishing? Yes. Writing? Always. But also, editing? Yes. Agenting? Maybe. Reading for publishers? Sign me up. I love it all. This is so the world for me.