Qualification - Advanced Certificate In Applied Management (Publishing And Journalism)

Study publishing and journalism - move forward in your career or business

The Advanced Certificate In Applied Management (Publishing And Journalism) is a 900 hour course requiring completion of a total of seven Modules plus a 200 hour Workplace (Industry) Project.  The Modules comprise:

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL

" Thanks for the tips you gave me on the journalist job... I was given the job of writing an article... the experience was great and at least I will be published for the first time"
- Gavin, studying journalism

Modules

Note that each module in the Qualification - Advanced Certificate In Applied Management (Publishing And Journalism) is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.

What You Will Do

• Plan and write at least 3 major articles and one short story manuscript.
• Analyse at least 15 articles.
• Survey the scope and current status of the publishing industry and interpret a range of indicators to the viability of different existing or proposed publications.
• Explain the publishing industry, the procedures (stages) in bringing a publication to print and the different people (& jobs) involved.
• Explain how to present a manuscript to a publisher.
• List the differences between audiences for different types of publications.
• Explain the differences between types of writing required for newspaper publishing compared with magazine or book.
• Prepare or select appropriate illustrations (graphic or photographic) for publishing.
• Explain the processes involved in the production and use of these illustrations.
• Conduct and report on several interviews.
• Take a number of photographs with the intention to use them to illustrate a publication.
• Plan the contents and publishing procedure for ten (10) different types of articles.
• Plan the contents and publication of a small book, booklet or magazine.
• List the scope of statistical information available through government agencies and report on the relevance of such information to the publishing industry.
• Write copy for ten (10) different advertisements and five (5) different promotional leaflets or brochures.
• Design the layout for two promotional brochures, and determine the cost of typesetting, paste up and printing each.
• Compare the scope and nature of business conducted by four (4) different publishers.
• Plan and determine costs for the publication of a new newspaper, newsletter or magazine.
• Use prescribed reference books and other resources to gain relevant information.

Scope and Nature of Publishing

Some publishing businesses are small with multi-skilled staff. Most medium to large publishing businesses, however, employ a team of people, each with a well-defined role. Following are some of the people that typically work in a publishing business:

The publisher is concerned with planning and management of the publishing business. The publisher is often, but not always, the boss or CEO. The publisher’s particular concerns are to commission new work, negotiate the acquisition of existing work (eg. out-of-print titles that have been released from another publisher), assess and decide on the future of existing titles, and develop new areas of work. The publisher also needs to deal with unsolicited submissions, and with agents of authors. The publisher should maintain contact with authors (though the extent of such contact varies between publishers). The publisher needs to liaise with other sections of a publishing business in order to do their job properly: the editor, the marketing department, etc.

Note: The term ‘publisher’ is used for both the company which publishes the book or magazine, and for the person responsible for selecting material for publication.

The business manager may be responsible for the day-to-day management of either part or all of a publishing business. Some large publishers employ a team of business managers, putting each one in charge of a different group of publications (eg. a business manager for non-fiction and another for fiction, one for women’s magazines and another for business magazines).

The production manager or production assistant is responsible for coordinating and overseeing each of the physical stages in the production of a publication. A small publishing business may assign this task to an editor, or the publisher. A large business may employ several production managers.

The editor is responsible for overseeing the creation of the publication, from inception to the finished product. Different editors have different roles; for example an acquisitions editor seeks work from writers and reviews manuscript submissions, while a copy editor subedits a manuscript, ensuring it is logical, lucid and meets the needs of the target audience. The editor checks the text for language and grammar to ensure consistency and readability. The editor also liaises with writers, production staff and printers so that the publication stays within budget and meets projected deadlines.

The designer has the task of taking instructions from the editor and producing the final layout.

Marketing staff have the task of selling a publication. The editor should explain to these people the concept of the publication. The editor and author will have developed the book with a particular market in mind, and those thoughts must be conveyed to the marketing staff.

THE PUBLISHER

The Publisher’s role is to decide what will be published, where it will be published and the quantity that will be published. A publisher is a visionary risk-taker who finds new books and commissions them.

Publishers aim to develop a stable of publications which suit the company image and strengthen its identity. Being recognised in the marketplace is important to profits, and maintaining a recognisable style and identity assists in achieving this. This is why publishers usually have clear set categories of books that they will take on for publication.

Here is a brief overview of what the publisher actually does:

•  Create and maintain policies on what can be accepted for publication
•  Review potential manuscripts for publication
•  Select suitable titles
•  Create new titles/products required by commissioning writers
•  Develop publishing schedules and timelines including organization of distribution
•  Work with the marketing department to create a publicity program
•  Negotiate contracts which take account of libel and copyright laws.
•  Find and develop opportunities in the marketplace both nationally and globally
•  Consider financial projections and reports in making decisions
•  Manage the editorial and production processes