Master's in Publishing

Master's in Publishing

Introduction

• Introduction to the publishing sector: books in business and culture.
• Breakdown of a publishing company.
• The path of manuscript or commissioned book and the overall publishing process: from author to reader.

Copyright, negotiating and contracting

1. Contracting and purchasing rights.
   • Legal framework and copyright.
   • Intellectual property law.
   • Negotiating royalties.
   • Purchasing rights: criteria and strategies.
   • Publishing contracts: wording and function.
   • Subsidiary rights (paperbacks, translations, clubs, e-books, online, cinema adaptations, etcetera) and range of copyright operations.
2. Agents and the sale of rights.
   • Literary agencies: mere intermediaries or full promoters?
   • The agency as a company: business operation and policies.
   • The agent: advisor, manager, salesperson.
   • Agency agreements.
   • Publishing contracts and copyright.
   • Selling rights: negotiation and strategies.
   • Cultural differences in negotiation.
   • Contracting rights and the market.

Editorial lines, selection and programming criteria

1. Criteria for the creation of an editorial line.
   • Projects and collections.
   • The concept of niche.
2. Information sources for books on sale.
   • Publishers' newsletters, book fairs, catalogues, professional magazines.
   • Scouts.
   • Selecting titles.
   • Publishing business and profitability: book commissioning, the best-seller.
3. What and how does a publisher read, and how?
   • Criteria and practices for the pre-selection and reading of original texts, reading scout reports, management unrequested originals.
   • The professional reader and reading reports: from literary to commercial evaluation.
   • Professional reading applied to the parameters of a text.
4. Publishing lines:
   • Literary publishing, children's books, essay, scientific and technical.
   • Facsimiles and collector's editions.
   • Encyclopaedias.
   • Newsstand publishing: collectables.
   • Instant books.
5. Formats.
   • Hard back.
   • Soft back.
   • Paper back.
   • Large format.
6. Translations.
   • The translator as author: relations with the publishing house.
7. Programming titles for the season.
   • Setting the publishing time-table: criteria and contingencies.

Information management

• Computer management systems in publishing information.
• Information flow to customers.
• Internal flow of information.
• Uses of the internet (B2B, B2C).

The market

• The importance of Spanish as a market: Spain, South Cone, Mexico, Andean Pact, USA. Brazil?
• Cultural differences.
• Prospects and scenarios for the future.
• Who is offering what and from where?
• Main economic flow (from who to whom).
• Global publishing market in Spanish.
• The three large publishing areas: trade, academic and reference.
• International presence of independent publishing houses.
• International presence of media groups and leading publishing houses in Latin America.
• Structure of Latin American market.
• Are Spanish books sold in Latin America expensive? Cost analysis of a book.
• Exchange rate.
• Currency Market.
• Methods of payment.

Production

1. Publishing manuscripts: from the author's manuscript on paper or digital format to the printed book.
   • Editing criteria.
   • Editing: definition and techniques.
   • Orthotypography.
   • Composition of text.
   • Printers' proofs. First and second proofs, galley proofs, page proofs.
   • Proofreading techniques.
   • Writing back covers and flaps: selling the text.
2. Typography.
   • Bibliological and typographical terminology.
   • Typographical design.
   • Fonts: typefaces and sizes.
   • Measuring sizes. Typometry.
   • Layout. Proportions. Pagination.
3. Graphic design.
   • Books as aesthetic objects.
   • Collection design and brand image.
   • The cover.
   • Layout.
   • Computer-assisted graphic design. QuarkXPress or In-Design programs.
   • Outsourcing the editorial process: external trades (reading, proofreading, production, layout and other free-lance tasks).
   • Desktop publishing.
4. Production.
   • The production process.
   • Book structure and material. 'Anatomy of the book': paper, colour chart, signatures, leaves, cover.
   • Production costs calculation.
   • Pricing. Invoicing.
   • The post of production manager.
5. Printing, binding and handling techniques.
   • Traditional printing (plates and films).
   • Digital printing.
   • Calculating paper. Print runs, wasted and flawed.
   • Binding and finishing.
6. New publishing technologies.
   • Multimedia publishing.
   • E-publishing. Books and digital technology: PDF files, scripting languages (SGML, DTD, HTML, XML), print on demand, computer to plate, digital rights management. Google and publishing.
   • New platforms: audiobooks (CD, MP3/iPod), CDROM, Rocket eBook, PDA,Microsoft Reader, iLiad by iRex, Sony Reader and Amazon kindle.
   • Internet and publishing. Digital format, different devices: mobile phones, virtual projection, e-ink books.
   • Audiovisual technology for publishing communication and information.

Distribution and marketing

1. Distribution.
   • Publishers and distributors.
   • Logistical questions and procedures.
2. Distribution channels: bookstores, newsstands, supermarkets and hypermarkets, post, credit, book clubs, door-to-door sales, special editions (special offers for media and institutions).
3. Replacements and returns.
   • Reprints: distributors and booksellers.
   • Book rotation.
4. Costs.
   • Sales settlements.
   • Invoicing.
5. Stocks and storage.
   • Remaindered books.
   • Logistics.
6. Editorial Marketing: operation and strategies.
   • Choosing an entry strategy and marketing plan: the relationship between publisher, marketing team and commercial department when launching new publications.
   • Operating account.
   • Controlled flow versus worldwide launches.
   • The danger of the dumping effect.
   • Pricing policies.
   • Means of accessing international markets.
   • Advertising.

The economic function of the publishing company. Basic finance

• Financial situations. Balance and income statement.
• Viability plans and budgets.
• Statement analysis. Ideal statement structure and asset analysis ratios: solvency, debt and capitalization.
• Income statement analysis: income, regular and variable expenditure, results and effects on book prices. Capacity to generate cash-flow.
• Analysis of profitability, self-finance or profitability growth.

Promotion

• The figure of the press officer and communications director.
• Advertising and commercial and communication strategies.
• The concept of synergy and editorial relations with the media.
• Promotion strategies: from jacket band and displays to presentations and press conferences.
• Reviews, the media and the publishing sector.
• Publisher-supplement director-critic relations.
• The treatment of a book in the media: maximum space or better review?
• Pre-publication and the Sunday colour supplement.

Note: Depending on the circumstances, the programme may change due to the agendas of the various professionals delivering sessions.

The programme will include a special session on e-ink technology and eBooks.

The Master's in Publishing has a library specialising in the publishing sector and book industry at the IDEC Documentation Centre.

Upon due identification, participants may have access to IDEC computer rooms in order to complement their work and practice the programs used on the course.

COURSE CONTENT

Workshops

The Master's course includes a workshop on book structure and materials, which is compulsory and held within the normal schedule. It includes practical exercises and analysis of samples.

In addition, the Master's course also offers participants three other workshops outside the regular schedule:

• A practical workshop on orthotypographical correction.
• A practical workshop on QuarkXPress or InDesign.
• A practical workshop on finance for non-financial experts.

Despite forming part of their basic training, participants are not obliged to attend these sessions, and a quorum of 15 participants will be required for them to take place.

Project

During the program participants must produce an individual project which will be a virtual practice of the publishing process. Participants must have this project approved in order to obtain the diploma. In the event of a first time failure, there will be a one off examination re-sit in March 2009 for which participants will be required to pay the corresponding official fee.

Field trips

The Master's program includes three compulsory guided visits to the central offices of Grup 62 and to the Cayfosa printing company.

In all cases, these field trips will take place outside the regular schedule in order to adapt to the timetables of the companies.

Master's in Publishing, awarded by Pompeu Fabra Unversity.

To obtain the corresponding award it is essential to pass the end of course project, attend class regularly (at least 80%) and pass the practical exercises and compulsory assignments. The preparation and delivery conditions of the latter shall be fixed in any event by the professionals setting them.

ACADEMIC CREDITS

60 ECTS*

*European Credit Transfer System. 1 ECT is equivalent to approximately 25 hours' full-time dedication by the participant, including class time and individual work.