The Internship Grant Program's purpose is to award supplemental grants to applicants from diverse backgrounds to help further their goals of pursuing a career in children’s and adult publishing.
About the Application
In 2023 we will award a minimum of 24 grants of $3,000, expanding WNDB's efforts to diversify the publishing industry—12 grants for a children's publishing focus and 12 grants for an adult publishing focus.
Internship positions must take place between June 1st and August 31st. In addition to the grant award, grantees are expected to attend various events throughout the summer including an introductory Internship Grant Bootcamp, as well as additional professional development and networking events, publishing panels, organized partner mentor/mentee meetings, and an exit interview/testimonial of the program.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the publishing industry, WNDB adapted the Internship Grant program to better serve applicants and our publishing partners. For Summer 2023, remote positions are permitted.
Apply for the Grant
Applications for the 2023 Internship Grant Season are NOW CLOSED — grant awards will be announced the first week of June.
The application window is from Wednesday, March 1st to Sunday, May 7th.
Please note the below:
- You can find a walkthrough of the application process below.
- Applicants will be notified of their grant award confirmation within 30 days after the application window closes.
- Applications closed on Sunday, May 7th at 12am PST/ 3am EST.
- Any questions? Reach out to internships@diversebooks.org
Application Process Walkthrough
You're probably here because you love books. We do, too!
The WNDB Internship Grant Program provides supplemental grants to applicants from diverse backgrounds who wish to pursue a career in children’s and adult publishing. The high cost of living in New York City and other major publishing hubs bars many marginalized students from accepting the opportunity to intern in publishing—a vital entry point to the industry.
In 2023, we will have 24 grants (minimum) to award for our Children’s Internship Grant Program and Adult Internship Grant Program. In addition to financial support, our grantees also benefit from the camaraderie of their fellow grantees, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and make crucial networking connections through various summer programming events.
Here's how the WNDB Internship Grant Application process works.
Before you go any further, please take a moment to make sure you’re eligible for our programs. You can find the program eligibility requirements on the main program page under Program Guidelines.
Good so far? Great!
Begin by seeking a summer internship with one of our industry partners listed on the main program page. When you click on the publisher or agency name, it'll take you to their main site. From there, you can follow their application requirements and process.
Please Note: WNDB is not involved in the WNDB partner placement, hiring process or payment negotiations. Each publisher or agency makes its own decisions about who to hire based on its unique requirements.
Please note for the essay portion of the application:
Candidates should address the essay questions thoroughly and thoughtfully, in a way that showcases their personality, systems thinking, passion for diversifying children’s and adult literature, and commitment to learning about the publishing industry. Both children's and adult committees are looking for essay responses that are roughly 500 words in length each. These responses carry considerable weight in the application review process.
Applications for the 2023 Internship Grant Season are NOW OPEN.
For your convenience, you may fill out the grant application at any time during your internship-seeking process. However, your application will not be considered until you upload an official offer of employment from one of our partner publishers or agencies. Your offer letter must include the time period of your internship and payment confirmation.
We wish you the best of luck in your internship search!
For any questions about your application, or issues with the form itself, please email internships@diversebooks.org
