Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are integral to UDP’s history, mission, and continued existence. Our open-house volunteer days (a long-standing tradition we call “Presse Day”) most often occur on weekdays. On these days volunteers help us with a variety of tasks, from binding chapbooks, assembling editions, packaging subscriptions, printing posters and tote bags, organizing our small press library, sorting metal type in the print shop, and so on. There is never any prior experience or knowledge necessary.

You can sign up to receive notice of Presse Days and other opportunities by emailing office@uglyducklingpresse.org. You will be sent notification of such opportunities about once a month. Volunteers occasionally help out at events and book fairs as well, or get involved in more long-term projects when such arise and the time is right.

Before contacting us, we recommend that anyone wishing to volunteer with UDP join the volunteer mailing list and come out for a day to get a sense of our working environment.

Internship Opportunities

Internships at UDP are designed to introduce interns to all administrative and production aspects of small press publishing. We are not accepting applications for our paid internship program at this time. If you are a university student who is receiving funding/college credit to complete an internship, please reach out to office@uglyducklingpresse.org.

Apprenticeship Opportunities

UDP’s Apprenticeship Program provides a part-time, fair-pay, work-learning opportunity to aspiring artists and literary professionals interested in hands-on training in all aspects of running a small press. During their nine months in our Brooklyn-based studio, apprentices play an essential role in the day-to-day operations of the Presse while working closely with the UDP Collective to shepherd titles through the publication processes. If you can, we recommend signing up for the volunteer list (see above) and attending at least one volunteer Presse Day to get a feeling for the collective working environment of the studio.

We are not accepting apprenticeship applications at this time.