Make Way for Books is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that fosters and supports the success of children in our community through cultivating a love of books and reading. Make Way for Books provides a full continuum of early literacy education, programs, and resources to make sharing books an important and enjoyable part of families’ lives. Our highest priority is to serve families with young children and early childhood professionals in under-served areas of Tucson and southern Arizona
Position Title: Digital Division Book Publishing Intern
Duration: 11 hours per week from May 16 to August 10, 2022 (Summer Session, 13 weeks)
Stipend: Needs-based stipend available
Position Summary
As the Digital Division Book Publishing Intern, you will support the Make Way for Books App team in developing relationships with authors, illustrators, and local partner organizations in order to build our collection of electronic books to be made available via the Make Way for Books App.
Your duties will focus heavily on communications with authors and illustrators, reviewing submitted manuscripts for quality and developmental appropriateness, and helping the Make Way for Books Digital Division team manage relevant metrics and data. You will conduct research of current children’s literature and attend certain Make Way for Books family programs to become familiar with the target audience for the books that we make available via the Make Way for Books App.
You will work directly with the Digital Director and Book Acquisitions Specialist in continuing to develop and improve a sustainable, low-cost model for making electronic books available on the app.
At Make Way for Books, we employ a hybrid remote and in-person working model. Remote and in-person work will take into consideration your class schedule in order to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Essential Duties:
- You will participate in our process of open submissions, and you will contribute your ideas as we review manuscript submissions from local, national, and even international authors
- You will research and learn more about what makes children’s books developmentally- and culturally-appropriate
- You will help us keep our author and illustrator communications and accounts organized
- You will work with the team to record and analyze relevant metrics and data around book usage and content creation
- You will bring fresh ideas and work with the Digital Director and Book Acquisitions Specialist to continue developing a sustainable model for building book collection on app
- You may be asked to develop and implement special projects related to book acquisitions for the app
- We also need to ensure families are using the app, so you will assist with publicity of the app, both online and in-person
Position Requirements:
- We expect you to have a love of books and a growing knowledge of children’s literature and books appropriate for ages three through five years
- Positive relationships are crucial to the work we do, so we will expect you to have excellent, professional written and verbal communication skills
- Our work focuses on leveraging technology to empower children and families! As such, we expect you to be comfortable with Microsoft Office and/or Google Productivity software and most importantly, to be open to learning how to use new software and platforms
- Collaboration is another key to our work, so we will expect you to be an excellent teammate that shares ideas and listens to team members
- Remote work also requires us to be independent workers, so we will expect you to show initiative and be self-motivated with your work assignments when necessary
Preferred Experience:
- We are committed to making all of our resources accessible to families that speak English and Spanish, and are open to growing the languages in which our books and app are available. Bilingual or multilingual skills (in any language) are celebrated and preferred, but not required
- Some experience in project management, writing/editing, or communications is celebrated and preferred, but not required.
To apply:
Please send resume, cover letter, and short writing sample to Stephanie Pearmain at pearmain@email.arizona.edu and Fernando González at fernando@makewayforbooks.org.