Publishing Operations Intern

Publishing House of the Evangelical Lutheran Churc•Minneapolis, MN

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Augsburg Fortress Publishers (AFP) is seeking an intern to gain experience across its five imprints: Augsburg Fortress, Beaming Books, Broadleaf Books, Fortress Press, and Sparkhouse. This role offers exposure to vital aspects of book publishing, including contracts, rights, copyediting, production, and vendor management. AFP is a multimedia publishing ministry of the ELCA, publishing resources that support Christian worship, faith formation, spiritual growth, and academic study. The company is committed to creating an inclusive, equitable, and respectful environment for all. The intern will work with the production team and the contracts and rights team at the AFP office in Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood. Availability to work 8–12 hours weekly in-person on Tuesdays and Thursdays is required. This is a paid internship at a rate of $20 per hour, beginning immediately and lasting through the fall, with the possibility of renewal.

Requirements

Bachelor of Arts (BA), working toward a BA, or equivalent experience in a related field.
Precision in written and verbal communication along with good attention to detail.
Excellent organizational skills.
Good IT skills, including standard Microsoft Office package, and the ability to learn new technologies and systems.
Ability to empathize, support, and collaborate with others on problem resolution.
Flexibility, creativity, and initiative in problem solving.
Availability to work 8–12 hours weekly in-person at the AFP office on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Responsibilities

Create, review, and process work-for-hire contracts for AFP content.
Create, review, and process royalty contracts for composers of AFP content.
Request permissions and facilitate licensing agreements for use of third-party content in AFP products.
Process royalty payments, calculating and assigning royalties to appropriate parties.
Register AFP products with the Library of Congress copyright office.
Perform quality checks on interior and cover PDF files to ensure AFP standards.
Perform quality checks on final printed books to ensure the book can be released for sale.
Ensure AFP systems are accurate and current according to requirements.
Communicate with internal team members and external vendors/freelancers regarding copyediting, proofreading, typesetting, cover creation, and indexing.
Work to meet project schedules, reducing slippage by anticipating and proactively managing potential delays.
Work to reduce repeated errors in print as well as digital formats through regular escalation to line management when quality issues are found.
Continuously improve processes and documentation by identifying and escalating gaps in process and expectations to line management and engaging critically with documentation to suggest clarifications and additions where appropriate.
Review invoices, understand and enforce standard rates for services on a project-level basis, and escalate to manager any spends that do not align with norms.
Actively uphold the ethical standards and behaviors expected by AFP.