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The publication of new guidelines on internships has been hailed as a “very positive” step in improving accessibility and diversity in the industry, as figures in the trade slam unpaid work as "morally wrong" and of earning the industry a "poor reputation".
The guidelines, developed by The Bookseller in conjunction with The Publishers Association, offer advice and guidance on the subject of pay, duties, and the difference between work experience and internships. The guidelines intend to assist trade figures who are "serious about improving diversity, making the industry more accessible and hiring talent in a professional and transparent manner".
The guidance contains a checklist for employers which includes advice ranging from recruitment to preperation and communication to giving helpful feedback to interns.
Stephen Lotinga, chief executive of the Publishers Association, said that a key aim of the guidelines was to help publishers ensure people from a diverse range of backgrounds can enter the industry. While many houses had made steps to end unpaid work, this is still a "work in progress", he admitted.
“Internships are a great way for those looking to get into publishing to get a first step on the career ladder", Lotinga said. "However, unpaid internships can prevent those from less well-off backgrounds from gaining invaluable experience and become a barrier to a fair recruitment processes. That’s why we worked with The Bookseller to create guidelines for publishers to ensure that it is easier for people from a diverse range of backgrounds to break into publishing."
He added: “There is an increasing commitment from publishers to move away from the practice of unpaid internships and to pay their interns at least the minimum wage. In some cases this is a work in progress and one which we will continue to provide support and guidance on.”
The publication of the guidelines has been welcomed by figures in the trade who argue that adequate remuneration for interns is "essential" and that expecting people to work for free gives the industry a “poor reputation”.
Bridget Shine, chief executive of the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG), said: “The IPG has long had a policy of not promoting unpaid internships through our jobs board and other channels. While we appreciate that publishers’ resources are often stretched, expecting people to work for free gives the industry a poor reputation. Publishing needs to attract the very best talent from the most diverse pool possible, and paying interns is essential if we are to do that, now and in the future."
Andrew Franklin, m.d. of Profile, told The Bookseller that the industry is “very slowly inching in the right direction” on the matter and added that tangible guidelines “really help” to bring about change.
“We publish a book called The Checklist Manifesto which is about the importance and power of checklists, so I think this is really good idea. The industry is very slowly inching in the right direction, but is still plagued by some really crap behaviour. Guidelines are very important, as they’re clear between the difference between work experience and internships. Things are slowly getting better and things like this really help.”
Shaikyla White, an intern at Profile Books, said she “absolutely disagrees” with unpaid internships and would only take one on “out of desperation”. She added that she would not be able to support herself on her current internship without pay.
“I turned down a potential job opportunity [for this internship] because I felt like I could learn more with this internship”, White said. “I would have never felt brave or secure enough to do that if this internship wasn’t paid.”
Hazel Cushion, m.d. of Accent Press, added that the industry had relied on cheap or unpaid interships "for too long" which she said was "morally wrong".
“I’m delighted to see these guidelines because well-structured, paid internships are a valuable way for employers to find talent and for young people to gain a realistic insight into the publishing world”, she said.
Larger companies in the industry have recently made steps to address the issue of unpaid work, alongside efforts to combat a lack of diversity. Penguin Random House recently pledged to pay work experience participants, saying it was the first UK publishing house to do so. In another initiative, the Publishers Association is attempting to tackle regional diversity in the industry with the Spare Room Project, which gives interns coming from outside London access to free accommodation.
Emma Lowe, director of publisher relations at The Bookseller, added: "The Bookseller is proud to be supporting this initiative and to celebrate its launch, we will advertise all internships that follow the guidelines online for free for the month of August. Please contact Lara.pace@thebookseller.com."
The guidelines are available to view here or from the Jobs in Books website.