Publishing Poetry in the Twin CIties: My Internship with Button Poetry
by Charley Eatchel ‘23
As a suburban Minnesota kid who was on the competitive speech team, I’ve known about Button Poetry for a while. Their spoken word performance videos were something like gospel for English nerds and dramatic performers. I became a fan of theirs in early high school—going so far as to even have quite a few of their spoken word pieces memorized. So, when I was offered the opportunity to apply for their publishing internship, I couldn’t pass it up! While not initially planning to do an internship this fall, Button Poetry’s intern coordinator messaged me on Handshake, asking if I’d be interested in filling out an application for Button’s internship. Apparently, Handshake had recommended me as a compatible candidate for their publishing house, so I went for it!
In the past few months, I’ve explored the ins and outs of all aspects of publishing. Button Poetry is a small, independent publisher, so I’ve seen almost every step of the process! I’ve helped process and intake book shipments and poetry slam footage, I’ve shipped books and merchandise domestically and internationally, and I’ve contributed to contest review as well as the preparation and copy-editing of manuscripts. As someone interested in the publishing industry, Button’s internship has been a very thorough way to track the publishing process from start to finish. Working with an independent publisher has also helped foster a community as our small but mighty team puts out so much great work!
Button Poetry is truly a fantastic organization with lovely people and a welcoming environment. Its focus on diverse and poignant poets has made for an astounding catalog. I truly recommend checking out their website and the works they’ve published, as there are so many astounding poets working with them (including Mac alum Ollie Schminkey!). If you’re interested in publishing—and especially if you’re into poetry—definitely keep an eye on Button Poetry’s publishing internship. They tend to offer the experience semesterly, and you can get academic credit for the work! It offers so much insight into the publishing world while also connecting with the talent here in the Twin Cities. So when opportunity comes knocking, take the chance and go for it! And I guess never underestimate the power of Handshake 😉