Thornwillow Press in the Hudson Valley of NY is expanding rapidly and is listing a number of new positions in all departments, with full-time and part-time posts as well as spots in their Training Program. We share their call for applications with hopes that it will come to the notice of anyone interested in living their best life in the book arts. Feel free to pass it along! For more information, email opportunities@thornwillow.com.
Thornwillow is a printer and publisher of handmade limited edition books. We do all of the editorial, design, printing and binding at the press in Newburgh, New York. We’ve been at it for more than 35 years and are one of the leading fine press publishers in the world. Over the years, Thornwillow has published the work of John Updike, Toni Morrison, Louise Glück, and President Obama among many others. Thornwillow’s books are in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum, The Smithsonian Institution, the Vatican, and the White House. We are committed to teaching and perpetuating the related arts and crafts of the written word. We are looking to hire full time people to join our team at the press. Both experienced and enthusiastic entry level applicants are welcome to apply.
The Bindery. We are looking for full time people to join our bindery. In the bindery we do every aspect of fine bookbinding in house from folding and sewing to making paper, cloth, and gold tooled leather bindings. We also make the clamshell boxes, marble and decorative paste paper in house. Experience is not necessary, as we are committed to training interested people and passing on the craft. We are looking for people with enthusiasm, the ability to work with their hands, patience and determination, and a love of books. In the bindery we are also able to entertain applicants for part time positions.
The Press Room. We are looking to hire full time people to join our press room team. Most of our books are printed on a Heidelberg flatbed cylinder press, but we also have Vandercooks, C+Ps and engraving presses that we run every day. Experience would be nice, but is not necessary. We are prepared and happy to train. First and foremost we are looking for enthusiasm and commitment to learning a craft we love. Being mechanically minded and enjoying working with machines is important.
Graphic Design, Fulfillment, Data Management, Book Keeping, Marketing, & Website Maintenance. We have full and part time positions available in these areas. For all that we are dedicated to the perpetuation of traditional crafts, we are an ecommerce company. Through the internet, we unite a local and global community of book makers and book readers who together celebrate the written word. With this in mind, we are looking for people who have a love of handmade things and at the same time are excited by technology. We have books to design, a website to keep updated, audio and video to edit, photographs to be taken, spreadsheets to update, inventories to control, orders to process, customers to talk to, shipments to get out the door, invoices to send out, and bills to pay. Like any business, we have a significant flow of work that needs to be done. Having experience in any of these areas is a plus, but we are also willing to train.
Should I apply for the training program, or for a job? Applying for a job requires a degree of experience. "Experience" usually, but not always, entails actual work in the field, not just educational or student work. Full time positions are salaried and commensurate with skill (usually starting around $35,000 for a candidate with a base level of proficiency). If the applicant does not have experience, candidates should apply for positions through our intern or training program.
About the Training Program. For candidates with moderate or limited experience, but great enthusiasm and eagerness to learn, we have a training program that typically follows this course: The program usually starts with a three-month trial period during which everyone gets to know each other and the work. This trial period is paid a stipend of $500 per week. After the trial period is over and everyone mutually agrees to move forward, the starting salary is $32,500. As skill and proficiency grows, the salary increases. The expectation is that anyone going down this path is at least interested in staying with it for a minimum of two years and ideally more. To learn properly to become a good bookbinder or printer (or baker or taxi driver for that matter) takes many years and at Thornwillow with each step forward there are always new and exciting ways to continue to grow. That said, it is a lot of time and effort that is only appropriately invested in someone interested in sticking with it.
Work Study Fellowships and Internships. For applicants interested in learning, but not able to commit to an extended period of time, we offer a limited number of Fellowships and Internships. These run for a minimum of 3 months and are tailored on a case-by-case basis. Fellows and Interns are expected to perform real, useful work on a steady and consistent basis for the duration of their time at the press.
Affordable Housing. We also have a few options for affordable housing near the press. Either a room ($750 per month) in a shared apartment with others involved at the press or an entirely separate apartment. Please inquire if you are interested.
