The Taddle Creek Protege Internmentship

Taddle Creek not only ignores the latest trends in magazine publishing—it does everything it can to buck them. And that is why, in this year of recessionary panic, as magazines across North America cut their internship programs, Taddle Creek is pleased to announce the institution of the Taddle Creek Protégé Internmentship.

More than just a literary magazine internship, Taddle Creek’s program offers a well-rounded education in every area of the magazine industry—from writing, editing, and fact-checking, to design, circulation, and publishing, and more. The successful protégé applicant will be given the opportunity to speak to approximately two dozen industry professionals, representing more than twenty magazines (large, medium, and small), publishing houses, educational institutions, and other organizations. There will be talk of literature, but Taddle Creek stresses: this is not a literary magazine internship. (It is also a more instructional learning experience than a hands-on one, though the magazine will do its best to offer whatever trench experience it can.) And just to prove that any magazine can afford to pay an intern something, there will be a small (i.e., token) honorarium and some lovely gifts.

The Taddle Creek Protégé Internmentship is not full time. It will work around the schedules of both intern and instructors, so it is ideal for those either in school or working another job. The program’s length is flexible also—the magazine suggests a six-month commitment at minimum, though the protégé would be welcome to hang around for up to a year and see two issues of the magazine through.

Once again: this is meant to be a learning experience, so a love of magazines and a genuine desire to understand how they work will be weighed higher than previous experience when selecting the successful applicant. If you are dabbling in journalism or the magazine world and trying to figure out if it’s the life for you, do not apply. Taddle Creek is only able to take on one intern at a time and would prefer to see the spot given to someone planning a future in the industry. By all means send a résumé, clippings, and anything else you so desire, but Taddle Creek is more interested in clever cover letters, original reasons for wanting the internship, future hopes and dreams, literary and musical tastes, restraint to not cry under pressure, and ability to drink and bowl (if you can do both at the same time, even better).

The magazine will begin taking applications for the Taddle Creek Protégé Internmentship immediately, with a cut-off deadline of Thursday, April 30th, at which time it will pick a protégé to begin in early May. Please do not wait until the end of April to apply. Send your application, in whatever form it takes, to Taddle Creek, P.O. Box 611, Stn. P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2Y4, or by E-mail, to editor@taddlecreekmag.com. You may also E-mail the editor with questions, but it might look better on you if you don’t need to.

THE FACULTY
Every single person the magazine asked to volunteer as an “instructor” for the Taddle Creek Protégé Internmentship said yes immediately. This makes the magazine happy, and suggests all is not lost in the world of publishing. There will most likely be more instructors added, but to date, Taddle Creek’s protégé will obtain knowledge from the following:

Gavin Babstock (warehouse and distribution co-ordinator, Magazines Canada), Doug Bennet (publisher, Masthead), Jared Bland (managing editor, the Walrus), Joyce Byrne (associate publisher, Alberta Venture), Sattie Cheddie (director of printing services, Rogers Publishing), Kevin Connolly (freelance writer/editor; poet), Andrew Daley (associate editor, Taddle Creek; author), Adrian Doran (freelance graphic designer), Stacey May Fowles (director of circulation and marketing, the Walrus; publisher, Shameless; author), David Hayes (freelance writer), Lisa Whittington-Hill (publisher, This Magazine), John Montgomery (associate art director, Toronto Life), Nathaniel G. Moore (books editor, Broken Pencil; author), Hal Niedzviecki (publisher, Broken Pencil; author), Christina Palassio (managing editor, Coach House Books), Tara Quinn (assistant editor, Brick), Bill Reynolds (instructor, Ryerson University), Graham F. Scott (editor, This Magazine), Kat Tancock (web and communities editor, Best Health; instructor, Ryerson University), Conan Tobias (editor-in-chief/publisher, Taddle Creek; managing editor, Canadian Business), Patricia Treble (reporter-researcher, Maclean’s), Alana Wilcox (editor-in-chief, Coach House Books).

If you are an industry professional and would like to see your name added to the above list, please contact the magazine. Thanks in advance to one and all.