Internship in Publishing: The Missouri Review

English 4950
Section 01
Semester
Spring
Year
2025
Marc McKee
Tuesday
3:00-5:00pm McReynolds 454/456
McReynolds 454/456
Course Description

Instructor consent required.

The Missouri Review is a leader in teaching students about literary publishing through our internship. Our goal is to train young literary editors in an intense, systematic program. The course is offered to undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines, but the core group consists of students majoring in English who want to pursue careers in publishing, as well as aspiring writers who are interested in learning more about what to anticipate in trying to publish their own work.

The editors encourage individual initiative and teamwork, while offering interns the resource of their many years of publishing experience. Students learn practical editing skills and generate publishing credits by conducting author interviews, contributing to web and social media content development. Interested student can also diversify their experience by assisting in producing digital audio versions of the print magazine. Students also learn the basics of manuscript acquisition, magazine distribution and other business practices.

An ongoing challenge in higher education is providing students with real-world experience to complement solid traditional scholarship. Potential employers want to know what students have actually accomplished, as well as what academic courses they have taken. Our interns are able to say that they have contributed to one of the finest literary magazines in the nation, with international reach, and that they played a role in helping shape American literature.