◦ INTERNSHIP ◦
Taryn Fagerness Agency offers two unpaid internships a year: one from June to December and another from January to June. Lengths and exact dates of internships sometimes vary depending on intern and Agency schedules. The internship requires 8 hours of in-office time a week and one book a week as reading homework.
The internship offers an exciting, hands-on opportunity to learn about the world of foreign book publishing and life at a small, but busy literary agency.
Qualifications
-- Some college education
-- Avid book reader with some experience reading YA, middle grade and children's books
-- Excellent writing skills
-- Excellent critical thinking skills
-- Insanely amazing attention to detail and a commitment to consistency
-- A professional, outgoing, intelligent, opinionated personality
-- A self-starter who gets things done and doesn’t require constant supervision
-- A willingness to work in a somewhat unusual workspace (ie my home office)
-- A computer with wireless capabilities that you are willing to bring to work
If you are interested in applying for this San Diego publishing internship, please contact Taryn Fagerness taryn.fagerness@gmail.com
"An absolutely exceptional internship! I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to intern at TFA, and to have worked with Taryn. When it comes to foreign rights, to knowing what will sell in any given region throughout the world, she’s the best! Just listening to her insights will teach you a great deal about foreign rights and the publishing world!" – former intern Stephanie Padilla
"Working at TFA was a positively fabulous experience. Taryn's high level of organization and professionalism guided each and every project, and, as a result, I learned an incredible amount while under her wing. The work was challenging, interesting, and allowed me to be creative...and it yielded my first international book sale! Taryn encouraged me to ask questions, and was thoughtful in her answers, and the work environment was one of mutual respect, communicative collaboration, and plenty of humor. I'm certainly going to miss working with her!" – former intern Elena Spagnolie
"While working as an intern at the Taryn Fagerness Agency I was fortunate enough to learn the basics of subsidiary rights, a complicated yet essential part of publishing that a limited number of professionals are familiar with. I had hands on experience with foreign rights and film rights materials and contact with agents, scouts, foreign co-agents, and foreign publishers (something which few other internships offer.) Not only did I receive a crash course in subsidiary rights, I also learned a great deal about agenting and the publishing industry as a whole. One of the greatest benefits of an internship with the Taryn Fagerness Agency is that you get to read remarkable manuscripts in nearly every genre. Not only did I develop better marketing, writing, and business skills with Taryn’s aid, I also gained a well-rounded education in publishing that will benefit me long into the future." – former intern Taryn McCallan
“My internship with Taryn Fagerness Agency was a fantastic learning experience. As a Foreign Rights Intern I had a great window into various aspects of the publishing industry, as at any given moment you may be dealing with domestic agents (e.g. assessing the foreign potential of a project), foreign co-agents (e.g. pitching a title), or reviewing a contract from a publisher. Also, thanks to TFA’s terrific clients I had the opportunity to read many exciting projects that enriched my idea of what makes a great story. Most importantly, Taryn’s shared insights allowed me to come away with a strong sense of what makes a story sell and what makes a story sell in the foreign market (and the knowledge that these can be two very different things!). An invaluable experience!”
– former intern Sara Sciuto
Meet intern Clare Hutchinson: Clare Hutchinson grew up in the small town of Julian, California. From an early age, she loved nothing more than reading, writing stories, and making art. Eventually she went on to UC Berkeley where she pursued her passion for art in the form of a B.A. degree in fine art with a focus in sculpture. Upon graduation, Clare worked primarily as a children’s art teacher and in retail art supply stores. After a few years, however, she decided to revisit her love for books and pursue a career in publishing. As a current intern for Taryn Fagerness Agency she’s happily learning about the book business and, of course, enjoying all the reading that comes with that endeavor. Clare lives in San Diego with her fiancé and her two rambunctious kitties. In her free time she hikes, blogs, drinks copious amounts of tea, and works on an ever-expanding list of creative projects.
