How do you get a job w/ out the fancy internship?

Hello, friends!

Here’s my big dilemma— I recently graduated with an M.A. in English Lit and am currently struggling through the ever-humbling, discouraging, and depressing first job search. It seems like the more blogs, columns, and testimonials I read, the more humbled, discouraged, and depressed I get. The source of all these insecurities seems to lie in my lack of a) viable work experience (I worked at a bookstore throughout college…primarily for the 40% discount on books) b) lack of a “fancy” NYC internship at a big-name mag. I did one internship two years ago at a PR firm in Hamburg, Germany. Of course, as they say, hindsight is 20-20, and I probably should have spent my summers making copies for editors on Avenue of the Americas. Instead, I spent my precious summer vacations traveling through Europe, driving half-way across the country, and visiting friends who had decided to move away from the City of Angels.

So my question to you (I was bound to get to it eventually), dear Ed 2010-ers, is this: How can I land an entry-level Editorial Assistant position without all those fancy internships to glitterize my resume? Does an advanced degree and an extreme willingness to learn everything there is to know about the editing world count for anything anymore? I know I’m guilty of a few editorial faux pas like comma splices and the occasional awkward syntax, but I’m willing to start at the bottom and learn the ropes.

Any suggestions?