Online Publishing III Course

This course will help you understand business requirements and practices in the publishing industry. 

AIMS

• Understand the important considerations that affect the decision of what to publish.
• Prepare a plan for developing and producing a new publication.
• Manage financial requirements for the production of a new publication.
• Develop procedures for management of staff and other resources in a publishing business, small or large.
• Demonstrate insight into the different types of potential risks in a publishing business, including legal, financial and health risks.
• Develop an improved capacity to work effectively with authors
• Develop procedures for the management of production, and distribution of a publication.

WHAT YOU MAY DO IN THIS COURSE

Some of the activities you will be required to do in this course are:

• Research the kinds and styles of works produced by three different book publishers;
• List market research strategies that a publisher might use to decide which proposal to develop;
• Research the percentage of publication given to advertising and graphics in three e-zines or books;
• List the information that a publisher might want to research before either (i) commissioning a new children’s book (choose the topic), or (ii) starting up a new magazine aimed at 8-12 year old children
• Investigate the costs involved in cash and/or in resources in producing a particular publication
• Write up a budget for the publishing of one issue of a local newsletter in two colours
• Identify factors that contribute the very different retail prices of books and magazines
• Prepare a draft business plan for a publishing business of your choice.
• Investigate insurance policies that would be relevant to the publishing industry
• Define publishers’ responsibility in regards to copyright
• Explain how a publisher would find a freelance writer and the process for contracting them
• Briefly explain the importance of a photo library.
• Track the process of a best seller and collect information on the marketing/advertising/selling process
• Write different procedures which would be relevant to management of the production and distribution of a new e-zine, new magazine or new industry newsletter.

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. What to publish?
   • Nature of publishing enterprises
   • Deciding what to publish
   • Commissioned work
   • Uncommissioned manuscipts and proposals
   • Factors influencing the decision of what to publish: Genre or type of writing, News value,
   • Storyline, Cost and profit potential, perceived need
   • Guidelines for writers
2. Planning a New Publication
   • The publication plan
   • Publication process
   • Editing and proofreading
   • Designing the document and preparing the art work
   • Typesetting, printing, desktop publishing
3. Costing a New Publication
   • Cost components: Staff, Production resources, printing, quantity, distribution, etc
   • Why some publications fail
   • Sponsorship
   • Creatation costs
   • Production costs
   • Marketing costs
   • Distribution costs
   • How royalties work
   • Income sources
   • How to prepare a budget
   • Collecting from debtors
   • Cash budgets and decision making
4. Resource Management
   • Managing publishing
   • Nature of management
   • Different resources for different publishers
   • Printing: print run, binding, cover, paper, etc
   • Analyzing the market
   • Developing procedures
   • Developing a business plan
5. Risk Management
   • Legal risks
   • Financial risks
   • Sources of finance
   • Health issues and risks
   • Duty of care
   • Safety audits
   • Managing risks
6. Managing Writers
   • Scope and nature: publishers, writers and illustrators
   • Support role of literary agents
   • Support role of publishing staff
   • Photo libraries
   • Copyright free material
   • Benefits an author gets from a book
   • Style: variations, page set up, formatting etc
   • Guide to good writing
7. Managing Production and Distribution
   • Timing production and distributionQuality control during production
   • Quality control during distribution
   • Marketing and distributing a publication
   • Sales procedure
   • Managing the marketing process: step by step
   • Merchandising
   • Publicity and public relations
   • Managing distribution
   • Distribution channels: retail sales, direct sales
   • Physical transportation and stock control
   • Remaindering stock

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

For more information on this course, please request your free course information pack.