2027 Summer Internship - Children's Design (NYC)

HarperCollins Publishers; New York (NY); On-site; USD 20,000 - 29,000; Part time

Job summary

HarperCollins Publishers in New York, NY invites aspiring designers to join a children’s books design internship, working 28 hours per week in our NYC office from June 7 to August 12, 2027. The role supports development and production from concept to final files, collaborating with Art Directors and Designers.

You will help with design meetings, layout, image prep, and creating covers, while gaining hands-on experience in typography, illustration, and print-ready artwork.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in or recently graduated from an undergraduate or master’s program.
• Portfolio in graphic design/illustration preferred.
• Strong Photoshop and InDesign skills required.
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications.
• Passion for children’s books and graphic novels.

Responsibilities

• Attends weekly imprint and design meetings.
• Assists with design changes and art/layout adjustments.
• Reviews sketches and interiors for various book formats.
• Creates covers and jacket mechanicals.
• Lays out graphic novel pages using scripts and artwork.
• Preps files for press and formats files accordingly.
• Prepares sales materials from existing files.
• Assists in sourcing artists and imagery as needed.
• Logs and returns artwork and manages scanning tasks.

Skills

Graphic design

Illustration

Multitasking

Collaboration

Creativity

Education

Undergraduate or master's program (enrolled/recent graduate)

Tools

Photoshop

InDesign

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the process of designing Children’s Books—from early incarnation through what you see on a bookshelf and all the behind-the-scenes work in between! The intern will participate in various meetings to learn about the publishing business as well as working closely with our Art Directors and Designers to support the development and production of titles across our list—from early concept to final print-ready files.

Responsibilities

• Attends weekly imprint and design meetings.
• Assists with design changes including making text corrections and minor art/design adjustments.
• Reviews sketches + artwork on interiors for picture books, novels, and graphic novels.
• Create covers and jacket mechanicals.
• Assist in laying out graphic novel pages using approved scripts, thumbnails, and artwork
• Help prep files for press, including formatting, resizing, and image cleanup
• Prep sales materials from existing files
• Works with art directors to search for artists, images, and photographs, as needed.
• Assists art director with logging and returning artwork and scanning.

Qualifications

• Candidates must be available to work in our NYC office from Monday – Thursday for a total of 28 hours per week, from June 7 – August 12, 2027. Compensation for this internship is $18 per hour.
• Candidates who are available to work in a full-time capacity in 2027 or 2028 are eligible for this internship; open to rising seniors, recent graduates, master’s students, or entry level candidates with up to 1 year of work experience.
• Applicants mustbe authorized towork in the United States.
• A resume and cover letter arerequired; applicationswithout acover letter will not be considered. Please address your cover letter to “Hiring Team.”
• Ideal candidates are either currently enrolled in or have recently graduated from an undergraduate or master’s program.
• A passion for books is highly valued!
• Graphic Design and/or Illustration experience
• Strong Microsoft Suite, Photoshop skills, and InDesign experience is required.
• Passion for children’s books and graphic novels
• Experience with hand lettering, illustration, or comics a plus
• A collaborative spirit and ability to multitask

HarperCollins Publishers is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities, in our job application and/or interview process. If you need assistance or accommodation in completing your application, due to a disability, email us at [e-mail]. Note: we will only respond to accommodation requests.

The deadline to apply is October 1, 2026 by 11:59 pm ET.

HarperCollins Publishers is an equal opportunity employer.