Dear Geist,

Would you think I'm crazy if I offer to work as an unpaid intern in a publishing company? You're always saying writers should hang out with people in the writing life, but I've already joined three writing groups and they all fell apart after a few months. I could live on my savings for half a year and in a publisher's office I would see the whole thing from start to end. I would meet publishers and editors, also writers. Give me your honest opinion!

—Tiana D., Yarmouth NS

Dear Tiana,

It could be a great educational and professional step forward!

We can't tell from your query whether you are interested in publishing work, as well as eager to meet people who will help you in your writing career. A keen interest in the business is imperative, even for a short-term volunteer. If so, give it a try!

You will want to prepare with care, researching potential companies, checking out legal matters (for example, in some situations it is illegal to hire any unpaid workers, even interns), health and safety coverage, and so on. It's a good idea to have a written agreement to keep everything crystal clear, and to build in periodic check-ins. The notes in this post are suggestions, not legal advice or information. Start by contacting the Labour Standards office in Nova Scotia, or in whatever province you hope to work in, and take notes.

Let us know how it turns out!

—The Editors