Structure and content
The course content includes:
- Publishing in Theory and Practice
- Commissioning and Content Creation
- Effective Writing and Editorial Skills
- Marketing, Sales and Distribution
- Publishing Business, Finance and Intellectual Property
- Production, Design and Typography
- Digital and Online Publishing
- Publishing and Society
These topics are delivered via the following compulsory and optional modules:
- Publishing Dynamics: Investigates different market sectors, introduces concepts of publishing business, finance and intellectual property, and analyses current publishing trends and issues. It also explores job roles and publishing processes, equipping students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a publishing career
- Editorial Practice and Content Creation: Examines the processes by which publishing projects (including books, magazines, journals, and digital products) are conceptualised and created, including via market research and literary agents. It explores the management of authors and intellectual property resources, and editorial workflow, including practical skills of project management and text preparation (copyediting and proofreading)
- Marketing Management and Communications: Introduces marketing theory and practical publishing examples in order to develop a range of strategies for effective promotion of publishing products, through traditional and digital media, including social networking. The module also explores the publishing supply chain and effective sales
- Publishing Project: Each student conceptualises a publishing project (a sample of a book, magazine, or digital publication), sources text and images, devises a marketing plan and materials, designs and produces it. The project is accompanied by an analysis of the issues that emerge in its creation. Work is supported with IT workshops on publishing and design software (including InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat and Dreamweaver)
- Digital: Process and Product: This optional module develops skills, understanding and aptitudes for publishing’s digital present and future. Students will become confident with embedding digital content creation in editorial thinking; briefing for digital products; reviewing and evaluation of products; effective usage of social media and management of digital rights; understanding of e-business models and the digital economy; deployment of analytics and metadata.
- Skills for Publishing Management: This optional module enables students to develop management skills crucial to publishing. Areas covered include strategic, operational, risk, financial and HR management
- Publishing, Literature and Society: This optional module explores the interactions between contemporary and historical publishing and society, approaching topics including authorship, readership and the literary marketplace, censorship, wartime publishing, and publishing and diversity
- Publishing in the Workplace: This optional module enables students undertaking work placements or internships to incorporate their workplace learning through critical reflection on their placement company’s activities and processes
- Arts Research Training: Our innovative training for graduates enables students to build up a portfolio of skills that prepare them for academic and professional life. All graduate students will work with their supervisors to select what’s right for them from a menu of activities. Each student will build up a portfolio of skills every year. On a taught postgraduate degree, you may be given specific guidance on what activities you need to undertake for those qualifications
- Publishing Dissertation: This is an intensive piece of research on a topic of your choice relevant to publishing and approved by the Course Director. Work extends over both semesters and into the summer
Delivery and assessment
The programme is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, small groups, IT workshops and one-on-one supervision. Varied assignments encourage practical and analytical skills, project and time management, group work and effective presentation skills in a variety of media.
Preparation
Contact the School for information on your timetable and reading lists.