Book Publishing Course

Lesson 1 • Roles and Responsibilities in Publishing

Defines every professional role from acquisitions editor to publicist. Clarifies accountability and collaboration across the publishing workflow.

Lesson 2 • Overview of the Publishing Industry

Maps the global publishing ecosystem, from major conglomerates to independent presses. Provides context for every subsequent decision in the publishing process.

Lesson 3 • Book Categories and Market Segments

Distinguishes fiction, nonfiction, trade, academic, and children's markets by audience and commercial logic. Grounds later decisions in market-specific realities.

Lesson 1 • Acquisitions Editorial Process

Covers internal review, profit-and-loss analysis, and editorial board presentations. Prepares students to champion a title through institutional approval.

Lesson 2 • Author-Editor Collaboration

Builds skills for managing creative relationships, delivering difficult feedback, and keeping projects on schedule. Directly supports manuscript delivery milestones.

Lesson 3 • Developmental Editing Fundamentals

Introduces big-picture editing: structure, pacing, argument, and character arc. Equips students to provide actionable feedback that strengthens a manuscript.

Lesson 4 • Identifying Publishable Manuscripts

Teaches criteria for evaluating voice, concept, market fit, and author platform. Builds the editorial judgment needed to spot viable projects.

Lesson 1 • Intellectual Property in Publishing

Explains copyright ownership, moral rights, and public domain as they apply to books. Establishes the legal foundation for all contractual discussions.

Lesson 2 • Rights Categories and Licensing

Covers primary, subsidiary, translation, and digital rights as distinct revenue streams. Prepares students to build and monetize a rights portfolio.

Lesson 3 • Negotiating Publishing Deals

Provides negotiation tactics for advances, royalty rates, and rights scope. Connects contract terms to long-term author and publisher profitability.

Lesson 4 • Rights Management and Tracking

Introduces systems for tracking licensed rights, expiration dates, and royalty reporting. Ensures no revenue opportunity is missed across a title's lifecycle.

Lesson 1 • Permissions and Third-Party Content

Explains how to identify, request, and document permissions for quoted text, images, and data. Protects publishers from infringement liability.

Lesson 2 • Copyediting Principles and Practice

Covers grammar, style consistency, fact-checking, and query writing for authors. Builds the precision skills central to editorial production quality.

Lesson 3 • Proofreading Techniques

Teaches systematic proofreading of typeset pages for errors, widows, and layout issues. Bridges editorial and design stages of production.

Lesson 4 • Managing the Editorial Schedule

Introduces production calendars, milestone tracking, and vendor coordination. Keeps editorial work aligned with design and printing deadlines.

Lesson 1 • Interior Book Design Principles

Covers typography, grid systems, white space, and hierarchy for readable interiors. Gives students the vocabulary to evaluate and direct design work.

Lesson 2 • Ebook Formatting and Standards

Covers EPUB and reflowable formats, metadata embedding, and accessibility compliance. Ensures digital editions meet retailer and reader expectations.

Lesson 3 • Cover Design Strategy

Explains how covers communicate genre, audience, and brand through image and type. Prepares students to brief designers and evaluate cover concepts.

Lesson 4 • Print Production Specifications

Details trim sizes, paper stock, binding types, and colour modes for print books. Enables accurate vendor briefing and cost estimation.

Lesson 1 • Non-Traditional Sales Channels

Explores library, school, corporate, and special sales markets beyond traditional retail. Expands revenue potential for titles with broad audience appeal.

Lesson 2 • Metadata and Discoverability

Covers BISAC codes, ONIX feeds, and keyword optimisation for retail discoverability. Directly impacts a title's visibility across all sales channels.

Lesson 3 • Pricing Strategy for Books

Analyses cost-based, competitive, and value-based pricing for print and digital formats. Connects pricing decisions to margin, positioning, and sales volume.

Lesson 4 • Book Distribution Models

Compares exclusive distributors, wholesalers, and direct-to-consumer channels by cost and reach. Grounds distribution decisions in commercial trade-offs.

Lesson 1 • Backlist Marketing and Catalog Sales

Develops strategies to sustain sales of older titles through repricing, repackaging, and promotion. Maximises long-term revenue from the full catalogue.

Lesson 2 • Developing a Title Marketing Plan

Teaches how to define target audience, set objectives, and allocate budget across channels. Provides the strategic framework for all campaign execution.

Lesson 3 • Publicity and Media Outreach

Covers press release writing, media list building, and pitch strategy for book coverage. Connects earned media to awareness and credibility goals.

Lesson 4 • Book Launch Strategy

Plans pre-launch, launch week, and post-launch activities to maximise sales velocity. Integrates all marketing channels into a coordinated launch sequence.

Lesson 1 • Industry Trends and Future Publishing

Analyses consolidation, AI tools, subscription models, and direct-to-reader trends reshaping publishing. Prepares students to lead through ongoing industry disruption.

Lesson 2 • Financial Management for Publishers

Covers budgeting, cash flow, royalty accounting, and profitability analysis for publishing operations. Equips students to make financially sound publishing decisions.

Lesson 3 • Publishing Technology and Workflows

Surveys editorial, production, and rights management software used in modern publishing. Enables informed technology selection and workflow optimisation.

Lesson 4 • Strategic Partnerships and Acquisitions

Explores co-publishing, licensing partnerships, and imprint acquisitions as growth strategies. Prepares students to evaluate and structure strategic deals.