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Making a Career in Publishing

Module description

The module will examine careers in the three main areas of publishing expertise: commissioning, marketing and production. The different sectors of the publishing industry will be examined in detail as will the different publishing roles that need to be filled in the modern publishing industry. Key editorial skills will be learnt, developing the expertise and knowledge typically required in a graduate level publishing role. Publishing careers are open to graduates of all disciplines and no prior knowledge of the industry is required for this module, just an enthusiasm and interest in publishing as a career.

Alongside sector specific skills, the module will allow you to develop an understanding of how the skills and knowledge acquired as part of a Humanities degree are applicable to the workplace and to extend your work-related learning and knowledge in a reflective way.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to give you a thorough grounding in the modern publishing industry and enough knowledge and key skills to decide on the publishing career you want to follow and to gain your first publishing job. The publishing sessions (11 x 2 hour sessions) will be taught by an industry professional with experience in publishing, and will have a practical emphasis on careers in publishing and how to achieve the first step in a publishing career.

Seminars: you will also participate in a series of 11 x 1 hour seminars led by a module tutor. These sessions will enable you to understand employment-related issues from a range of theoretical and disciplinary perspectives.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the modern publishing industry and the various careers available within it
• 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the key editorial, marketing and production skills needed to pursue a career in the modern publishing industry
• 3. Demonstrate knowledge and application of the attitudes and qualities that are required to function well in a professional working environment
• 4. Establish connections between the skills acquired as part of a degree in the Humanities and the skills required in the workplace
• 5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the social, cultural and political considerations which influence employment settings, using appropriate discipline-specific theoretical perspectives to analyse those settings

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Understand the processes involved in how to commission, produce and market both print and digital products
• 7. Gain a holistic understanding of and be able to describe the publishing process and the role of individual specialists within it

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Gain the ability to discuss the key publishing processes with confidence
• 9. Gain the ability to make an informed career choice based on knowledge of the publishing industry and how the individual student might fit within it
• 10. Gain the skills necessary to perform in a professional business environment
• 11. Develop/enhance work-related skills and experience

Syllabus plan

Term 1 of Year 2

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, topics are likely to include: 

• Roles and careers in publishing
• Commissioning and list building
• Book production
• Copy-editing
• Proofreading and indexing
• Design, illustrations and printing
• Marketing and bookselling
• Digital publishing
• Authors, agents, foreign, and subsidiary rights
• Publishing career choices and making successful job applications
• Presentation planning

Alongside the Publishing sessions you will study 11 x 1 hour interdisciplinary seminars led by the module tutor to enable you to understand employment-related issues from a range of theoretical and disciplinary perspectives.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

To be provided in consultation with the Module Leader.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11079 

Key words search

Work, humanities, publishing, journalism, reflective learning