The Scheme
is for voices we want to hear more of in publishing. Could yours be one of them?
Make your mark by spending six months between January – July 2026 working with the best at the number one publisher in the UK. You’ll immerse yourself within one of our key business areas, learning the ropes, taking ownership of projects and contributing to our mission to make books for everyone.
Whatever team you’re placed with, you’ll gain universally applicable skills that will equip you for wherever you go next. We’ll teach you about all publishing and Penguin, and support you to make the next steps in your career journey.
The Scheme is for people from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. If you meet this eligibility criteria but perhaps you’re changing careers, don’t have a degree, or haven’t often seen yourself reflected in publishing, we’d love you to apply! Whatever your gender, background, or community, we want to hear your story.
All trainees are paid £25,500 per annum (equivalent to £12,750 for the six months of the traineeship). We also offer a travel bursary for those commuting from outside of London.
Cornerstone’s mission
Cornerstone’s mission is simple: publish truly brilliant books that people will love. Powered by a wonderfully relentless team culture, Cornerstone books are enjoyed all over the world, helping people continually rediscover the joy of reading, whether unearthing new perspectives, growing as a person, or even escaping reality altogether. You’ll work across all of Cornerstone’s imprints in this role, encompassing Century, Del Rey, Inklore and evermore, whose lists include science fiction and fantasy, manga and graphic novels and romance titles, and Cornerstone Press, Hutchinson Heinemann and #Merky Books, which publish serious fiction and non‑fiction, from self‑help to science to historical fiction.
Publicity trainee role
As a publicity trainee with Cornerstone, you’ll dive headfirst into the dynamic world of book publicity, with opportunities to attend author events and participate in creative promotion strategies. You’ll support outreach to influencers and develop our events programme across imprints like Del Rey, Inklore and evermore. As well as supporting senior publicists and assisting with everyday admin tasks, you’ll have the opportunity to lead on your own publicity campaign for one of Cornerstone’s titles.
Knowledge and skills you’ll gain
* communication skills and confidence working with internal and external contacts including authors, journalists and booksellers
* project management skills
* insight into the lifecycle of book PR campaigns and what makes a book a success
* IT proficiency across Microsoft Office, Biblio and SAP P2P invoice processing
Eligibility
You’ll need to have a pre‑existing right to work in the UK for the duration of the traineeship as unfortunately we are not able to offer visa sponsorship. You don’t need a degree, you just need to be over 18.
To achieve our mission to make books for everyone because a book can change anyone, we are seeking out new voices. To apply, you’ll need to identify as from a lower socio‑economic background.
The Scheme eligibility categories
* technical and craft occupations such as motor mechanic, plumber, printer, electrician, gardener, train driver
* routine, semi‑routine manual and service occupations such as postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant, HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter or waitress, bar staff
* unemployed (claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year)
We recognise these are broad categories that may not fully reflect the many hundreds of jobs out there, or exactly fit your family situation. Please use your judgement when self‑identifying.
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