As an intern working with Parthian over the last month (October), I’ve had the chance to witness the behind-the-scenes work of the publishing industry. However, since the internship was only a month long, we had to cram in many different elements of the publishing process in a very short time. As someone who aims to work in this trade, it was a dream come true, and I was very excited to start.
As I have a love of editorial, it was decided I’d be eased in as an acquisitions assistant, reviewing manuscripts, and writing reports for the various pieces that had been submitted. This gave me a valuable insight into the literature written around the world, with some submissions being sent from other countries and continents. Consisting of a range of genres, it was so interesting to see each author's interests and where their imagination took them.
I was also given the opportunity to participate in the cover design process for one of Parthian’s future titles. This involved reading the manuscript and highlighting themes that the novella really focused on and then deciding on a couple of stylistic directions that the cover designer could use to bring the story to life. This was such a collaborative project as once the basic cover ideas had been created, I witnessed the whole team suggest ideas of how to improve the visual appeal and give their opinions on which colours, fonts and designs worked best. I later managed to take part in the blurb-writing for this title too.
This level of collaboration was also used through their marketing. As I oversaw and contributed to the social media updates, I witnessed the team help each other supply and create digital graphics and help me by pointing me in the direction of content that needed posting. This included book launches, author panels and interviews, and reviews that referenced the books Parthian have published or events they support. I even got to write a few blogs and an author Q and A.
Towards the end of the internship, my focus was on proofreading one of Parthian’s upcoming 2022 titles, searching for any small mistakes or inconsistencies that may have occurred through the formatting of the manuscript. I’m so glad they allowed me to participate in this, partly because I was thoroughly engrossed in the story and can’t wait for its release, but also because I gained essential editorial skills.
These are only a few projects that Parthian allowed me to take part in throughout my internship. Despite the difficulty of working remotely, they were such a lovely team to be working with, offering me publishing skills and career advice as well as helping guide me with the projects I had undertaken. This experience has given me beneficial physical experience and I can’t thank the Parthian team enough for having me on board!
Megan Davies
