Human Resources Summer Internship - Naperville, IL.
Ready to launch your career in book publishing? Join Sourcebooks, the fastest growing publisher in the U.S., and the home of an unparalleled number of bestselling books where creativity, innovation, and storytelling collide. We’re a team of passionate book lovers who bring extraordinary authors to readers in bold, data-driven, and entrepreneurial ways.
👉 This isn’t a coffee-run internship. You’ll contribute meaningfully to projects, collaborate with publishing professionals, and discover how your ideas can impact readers everywhere.
This internship is ideal for a current college student or recent graduate eager to dive into the world of book publishing — especially the side that connects books with media, events, and promotion with the readers. You’ll get hands-on experience working on real publicity campaigns, collaborating with passionate team members, and you’ll learn how publicity helps stories reach new audiences.
About the Program
- When: June 9 – August 13, 2026
- Where: Naperville, IL ($17.00/hourly)
- Schedule: 24 hours/week (2 days in-person, 1 day remote)
- Who: Current college sophomores, juniors, seniors, or recent grads
The Summer Human Resources Intern will collaborate with Human Resources Team to learn the full lifecycle of HR support at a dynamic publishing company. This role is perfect for someone eager to learn how HR shapes employee experience, supports organizational goals, and builds a strong workplace culture. You’ll become a valuable part of a small but mighty team dedicated to supporting our employees — from recruitment to engagement to compliance — and you’ll get exposure to the HR function from multiple angles. What You’ll Do
- Assist with recruitment tasks including interview scheduling and candidate communication
- Support employee onboarding and training initiatives
- Scan, organize, and maintain confidential HR files and documents
- Help ensure compliance with internal processes and regulatory requirements
- Participate in employee engagement activities and culture-building initiatives
- Assist the Talent Acquisition, HR Generalist, and Sr. HR Director with ongoing projects
- Provide general administrative support across the HR function
- Excellent organizational and time-management skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- High attention to detail and ability to handle confidential information responsibly
- A proactive, collaborative, and people-first mindset
- Interest in Human Resources, talent development, or organizational culture
- Ability to multi-task and thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
We want to know why you want to intern at Sourcebooks. Your cover letter is your chance to tell us:
- Why publishing — and why Sourcebooks — excites you
- What you hope to learn and contribute
- How your creativity, curiosity, or love of books shines through
Why Sourcebooks?
- Named #2 Most Loved Workplace by Newsweek (2024)
- Recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies (2024)
- Over 300 million lives changed through books — and counting
- A culture built on creativity, innovation, and impact
Application Deadline: January 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT - Applications will be reviewed after the deadline.
Sourcebooks values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.
What We Do
“Sourcebooks, a legitimate contender for the title of ‘most innovative company in book publishing.’”—Mike Shatzkin, Idealog
Innovators. Always looking for ways to bring new experiences to our readers, data is the backbone that gives direction to our creativity and informs our innovative spirit.
Put Me In The Story, now the #1 personalized book platform in the U.S., is one of three e-commerce businesses we operate. We are committed to innovative publishing and to exploring new publishing platforms and models.
Owners and Entrepreneurs. We take pride in being pioneers. Each of us is a leader invested in creating breakthrough for ourselves, our company, and readers everywhere.
Starting with just one book in 1987, we now publish more than 300 new titles each year. With millions of books sold and more than 80 New York Times and USA Today bestsellers—and more—Sourcebooks publishes authors, not books.
Constantly Learning. Not content to rely on yesterday’s knowledge, we know tomorrow’s opportunities can be discovered only with a passionate desire to explore new ideas.
We Create Amazing. Every book and product we create and every life we touch is an opportunity to deliver the unexpected and the extraordinary.
Our award-winning books earn accolades from Parenting Media Awards, YALSA Lists, Texas Bluebonnet, state awards, the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal Award, and more. Book Business Magazine named Sourcebooks 2013 Publishing Innovator of the Year.
From children’s, young adult, fiction, and memoir to personalized books, inspirational gifts, reference, poetry, and beyond, we believe books change lives. It is the heart of all that we do. We are excited to work with passionate authors, booksellers, librarians, designers, media, brand partners, and others to create a vibrant future for books.
FIND US ONLINE
www.sourcebooks.com
www.putmeinthestory.com
www.simpletruths.com
www.123magic.com
