PAGE ONE: an online mentoring scheme
**Applications currently closed for A/W 2023 - please check back in spring 2024 for further updates**
The first step into any industry can be the hardest. When everything is new and unfamiliar, it can feel so daunting.
We all remember the first person who took the time to talk to us.
This is what we, at J&A, would love to offer through this scheme: to help you kick-start your journey in publishing.
Like all the best stories, we start on Page One.
WHAT IS PAGE ONE?
Page One is a flexible short-term mentoring scheme open to all candidates from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in publishing. Tailored to the candidate’s knowledge and availability, our aim is to demystify our industry and motivate a new generation of candidates to want to join the world of publishing.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Our scheme is open to all applicants aged 18 or over from backgrounds that are underrepresented in publishing, including (but not limited to): Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates, those living outside of London and the South East, people with disabilities, and those from low-income families.
We’re looking for applicants who have a love for books, an interest in the publishing industry, and an appetite to learn. Bright, hard-working, friendly candidates are all welcome. You don’t need to have a degree or be attending university.
You can be based anywhere in the UK. All you need to participate is access to Zoom/Skype from a phone, tablet or PC, and be ready to commit to approximately six hours of informal online seminars, as well as some optional days at the agency office.
The Page One scheme has helped participants get started with a career in publishing. To learn more about the benefits of the scheme, read an interview with Hany, our very first Page One mentee.
WHY PAGE ONE?
Publishing is a fascinating and rewarding industry to work in, but it needs to become more diverse, and attract talent from a broader spectrum of backgrounds.
J&A has run an internship scheme in the past, and many of our past interns now work fulltime within the industry. However, we realise that relocating to London or giving up existing work for a short-term internship is not financially or practically viable for some people. We’re pleased to be able to offer an alternative and to bring publishing to the successful candidate, instead of expecting them to come to us.
The scheme is intended to work as a stepping stone for the successful candidate, to give an idea of what it’s like to work in the publishing industry, and advise on the best ways to move forward.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Page One is a flexible mentoring scheme designed to run over two to four weeks, and is tailored to the candidate’s knowledge and availability. It will include informal conversations with all agents at J&A to cover subjects like:
What do primary agents really do?
The publishers’ side of things: different fiction imprints, genres, editors and more.
Non-fiction: from proposals to commissioning, how does it come together?
What exactly are foreign rights?
Beyond the book: film/TV, events, everything else that an agent does
Contracts and reading reports – live practical exercises done together to gain further understanding.
Mentoring will be at the core of our relationship, with an emphasis on developing skills and confidence. At the end of the online phase, we will offer a few days’ work experience in the office, depending on your availability.
HOW TO APPLY?
Please email us a short letter, of no more than one side of A4, including the following:
Tell us a bit about yourself, and any details you feel comfortable sharing that will help us understand how you are suited to a scheme promoting diversity.
Please include a paragraph about any recent book you have read and enjoyed, sharing your thoughts on the style, the story and its key selling points.
We’d also like to hear about your aspirations, and what you hope to gain from the mentorship.
Please indicate the dates you are available, and your preferred start date.
Don’t forget your full name and contact details.
Send your letter to applications@johnsonandalcock.co.uk by Tuesday 31st October 2023.
You may be asked to attend a quick Zoom interview if you are shortlisted. Due to the volume of applications, we apologise in advance if we are unable to come back to you or enter correspondence.