Introduction to Publishing

If you are new to publishing, this course will get your career off to a great start. In just two days you will discover:

  • what every department in a book publishing company does
  • what is involved at every stage of the publishing process
  • how the stages fit together
  • how the departments work together to create a successful business.

The course will give you the best possible introduction to what publishing is all about. You will receive a wider perspective of the industry presented by a variety of experts from different publishing backgrounds. And you will see exactly what all of these people do:

  • authors
  • commissioning editors
  • copy-editors and proofreaders
  • production staff
  • members of the sales, export and rights departments
  • promotion and publicity personnel
  • booksellers.

In the final session you will consolidate your learning through a practical group exercise, where you will 'publish' a title, making all the publishing decisions, from setting the price and print run, through to putting together a marketing campaign.

Programme

Day One

  • Industry overview
  • Project development
    • Developing new ideas into workable projects
    • Researching and costing new projects
    • The decision to publish
    • Managing authors
    • Editing (substantive and copy) and proofreading
  • Design
    • Book design overview
    • Text design
    • Illustration
    • Design planning
    • Cover design
    • Digital books
  • Production
    • Outline of the book production processes
    • Managing and controlling the cost, time and quality
    • Interface with other departments
    • Quality control

Day Two

  • Rights
    • Copyright
    • What rights can you sell?
    • Major book fairs
    • Contracts
  • Sales and marketing
    • The market place
    • The supply chain – routes to market
    • Sales and marketing’s role in the decision to publish
    • Selling the publication
    • Publicity and promotion
    • Margins
  • Finance
    • Cost breakdown
    • Annual company budget
    • P&L
    • Practical exercise.

Who will benefit from this course?

Anyone new to the publishing industry, or anyone considering a career change or move into book publishing.

Your Tutors

The course is led by Tom Hardy and Peter Oates, who are joined by a range of experienced publishers, each offering insights into their own specialist area.

Other tutors on this course include:

  • Ben Cracknell is an experienced designer and owner of Ben Cracknell Studios
  • Mirjana Misina  is a specialist in pre-press and production and owner of PT33 Publishing Consultancy
  • Rebecca Winfield is a literary agent at Luxton Harris Ltd
  • Stephen Mesquita is a marketing consultant and the publisher of the annual Nielsen BookScan Travel Publishing Year Book
Read more

Note that most of our short courses can also be run as in-company events.

  • Dates: 21 May 2012, 28 November 2012
  • Duration: A two-day course
  • Price: £685+VAT
  • A number of discounts are available

Provisional Booking Form

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If you are entitled to one of our range of discounts, please select one of the following. To check your eligibility, visit our Discounts and Funding page.




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