internships at alice james books
Beginning and advanced internships are available to students at the University of Maine at Farmington during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Internships, worth four college credits, require that a student work at Alice James Books at least nine hours a week. The Creative Writing major requires an internship; many of these are completed through AJB. To qualify for internships, students must complete an application which is reviewed by the director of AJB. Internships are competitive—students should apply during registration week for the following semester. While all students are welcome to apply, preference is usually given to juniors and seniors with successful completion of a composition class or its equivalent. No prior experience in the publishing field is required; however, a background in writing, computers, or communications is an asset. For more information, call Alice James Books at 207.778.7071.

the experience
The overall responsibilities of every intern include answering the telephone and correspondence; taking book orders; communicating with poets, vendors, and other publishing professionals and the general public; and providing a first impression of the press to callers. Additional intern projects include:

• Editing the AJB newsletter
• Designing advertisements
• Designing book catalogs
• Writing press releases
• Coordinating manuscript submissions
• Writing advertising copy
• Interviewing poets
• Processing book orders
• Learning Adobe InDesign and Photoshop
• Creating press kits

SRR at AJB
Alice James Books and the Humanities Department co-sponsor two Sandy River Review (the campus literary journal) internships per semester, for course credit. Each semester a new editor and assistant editor are chosen jointly by AJB and the Humanities Department. The Department supervises the editorial aspects of journal publication and AJB, the design and production. Each new Assistant Editor commits to two consecutive internships, one as Assistant, and one as Editor. The Assistant completes a standard AJB internship, learning about design and production and assisting with press operations, but with an additional focus on assisting the Editor with the publication of the Sandy. The Editor, having received relevant training as an Assistant, spends the semester focusing on the publication of the current issue, as well as continuing to assist with press operations.

why alice james books?
In the field of small press publishing, Alice James Books is widely recognized for excellence in poetry publishing. Your training at AJB will not only enrich your college education but improve your future employment opportunities. An internship at AJB will set you apart as a distinguished individual to both graduate schools and employers. AJB internships have helped UMF graduates to find jobs in publishing, advertising, graphic arts, the nonprofit sector, and other fields. Experience gained here can benefit you for years to come.

The intern plays an important role in the continued success of Alice James Books. The combined effort of interns, staff, volunteers, and cooperative members provides the press with the flexibility to adapt to administrative and economic hardships that have doomed so many other small press publishers of poetry. Interns gain valuable experience in many aspects of publishing through understanding of day-to-day operations and business practices, from knowledge of computer programs such as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and internet applications, to knowledge of editorial, marketing, sales, publicity, design, production, and fund-raising practices. Staff provide a level of one-on-one guidance and support very rare in publishing internships.

who we are
Alice James Books is a nationally acclaimed non-profit cooperative poetry press. It was named for Alice James, sister of William and Henry James, whose fine journal and gift for writing went unrecognized within her lifetime. Founded in 1973 by five women and two men, the objective of the press was to give women’s literature better representation and involve authors within the publishing process. While Alice James Books has a strong history of publishing women’s poetry, it encourages submissions from all interested poets.

the small press
The cooperative, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2003, has grown into a national community of poets who have participated as past collective members, as well as those who are actively engaged in the publication of books and operations of the press. Members have been recipients of the American Book Award, The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, The Kate Tufts Poetry Award, The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, The Nation/ Discovery Prize, The Rona Jaffe Foundation Award, and Guggenheim and national Endowment for the Arts Fellowships. Many Alice James Books authors have acheived national prominence, including Jane Kenyon, Jean Valentine, Fanny Howe, and B.H. Fairchild, who was a National Book Award finalist and was awarded the Arthur Rense Poetry Prize for consistent excellence over a long career. Recent Alice James Books titles have been reviewed in The New Yorker, ALA Booklist, Ms, Harvard Review, Calyx, Ploughshares, Boston Globe, L.A. Times, Library Journal, Poetry, Publishers Weekly, and other publications. Alice James Books itself has been featured in such magazines as Ms, Poets & Writers, Slate, and Poetry Daily.