Know how the industry works, the creative and artistic skills of the trade,  how to market your work and develop an understanding of the ethical issues and laws relating to the field.  You will also come up with an opportunity to undertake a stimulating publishing project and implement the skills you have learned. This course offers an excellent start for anyone considering self publishing or looking a job in publishing.

It is equally relevant to electronic or print publishing.

Course Aims: 

• Develop a better understanding of the nature and scope of processes in a variety of different types of publishing workplaces.
• Discuss the law in relation to the media, whether as a journalist, editor or publisher.
• Discuss the basics of Ethics and Morality in relation to Publishing.
• Explain the Production Systems of publishing from writing to printing.
• Describe the scope of work involved in layout and design requirements for the Print Media.
• Explain what Media Advertising is and understand the processes for publishing advertising content.
• Describe the marketing and Distribution of published items as well as those through Electronic Media.

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. The Publishing Process

• • The launch meeting
  • Copyediting
  • Co-authored volumes
  • Edited volumes
  • Design and cover
  • Proof review
  • Special for edited volumes
  • Front matter
  • Index
  • Printing and binding
  • Printing process

2. Law and the Media

• • Copyright
  • Defamation
  • Blasphemy
  • Seditious libel
  • Criminal libel
  • Contract law
  • Right to privacy
  • Reporting restrictions
  • Law and the internet
  • Publishing on the web
  • How material is published online

3. Ethics and Morality

• • Code of conduct
  • Maintaining impartiality and accuracy
  • International federation of journalists
  • Interpreting a code of conduct
  • Censorship in wartime
  • Manipulation of digital images

4. Production Systems I – from Writing to Printing

• • Production processes in publishing
  • Terminology
  • Types of editing: baseline editing, medium copy editing, heavy copy editing
  • Developmental editing
  • Production editing
  • Information Design architecture

5. Production Systems II

• • Producing a newsletter
  • Mapping the process (step by step)
  • Printing -digital printers, offset printers, photocopying, etc
  • Binding
  • Publishing an ezine
  • Web site optimisation
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
  • Web analytics
  • Publishing a novel
  • Management structures in the publishing industry
  • Production meetings
  • Work roles in the Publishing industry
  • What does an editor do

6. Layout for Print Media

• • The graphic designer
  • Layout and design
  • Page layout
  • Desk top publishing
  • Software options (eg. QuarkXpress, Adobe in design, Adobe page maker)
  • Image drawing or Illustration
  • Image manipulation

7. Media Advertising

• • Advertising in the media
  • Positioning, size and colour of advertising
  • Copywriting for advertisements
  • The purpose of advertising
  • Analysis of advertising copy
  • Summary skills

8. Marketing and Distribution Systems – Print and Electronic Media

• • Magazine articles
  • Marketing a publication
  • Promotion and the launch
  • Distribution
  • The physical distribution
  • Distributing free free publications
  • Subscription selling