Columbia Columbia Publishing Course Publishing formerly the Radcliffe Publishing Course Course For Information Shaye Areheart, Director A Professional Columbia Publishing Course Experience in The Graduate School of Journalism the Business Columbia University 2950 Broadway, MC 3801 of Publishing New York, NY 10027 Tel. 212-854-1898 E-mail: [email protected] @columbiapubcrse June 11 – July 21, 2017 https://journalism.columbia.edu/publishing The Columbia Publishing Course does not discriminate Columbia University among applicants or students on the basis of race, Graduate School of Journalism religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, color, or handicap. New York City Columbia Publishing Course areers in publishing have always attracted people with talent and energy and a love of reading. Those Cwith a love of literature and language, a respect for the written word, an inquiring mind, and a healthy imagination are naturally drawn to an industry that creates, informs, and entertains. For many, publishing is more than y The class of 2016 a business; it is a vocation that constantly challenges and continuously educates. Choosing a career in publishing is a logical means to combine personal and professional book, magazine, and digital publishing which helps interests for people who have always worked on school students determine their career preferences. During the publications, spent hours browsing in bookstores and first weeks, the course concentrates on book publishing, libraries, or subscribed to too many magazines. from manuscript to bound book, from bookstore sale to The Publishing Course was originally founded in 1947 movie deal. Students study every element of the process: at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts where manuscript evaluation, agenting, editing, design, it thrived as the Radcliffe Publishing Course. In 2001, the production, publicity, sales, e-books, and marketing. course moved to Columbia University’s Graduate School Students also learn about different types of publishing of Journalism. New York City is the heart of American houses, publishing strategies, and career paths. The class publishing and the Publishing Course has taken every then divides into smaller groups for a seven-day book advantage of its new location while building on its workshop. Each workshop group simulates the operation strong legacy. of a publishing house, giving students a chance to apply For sixty-nine years, the Publishing Course has what they’ve learned and to gain hands-on experience in provided an intensive introduction to all aspects of a particular area of book publishing. book and magazine publishing, as well as digital media, The second section of the course is devoted to from evaluations of original manuscripts to the sales magazines and digital media. Magazine and web and marketing of finished products. Students learn professionals lecture on every facet of print and from writers, editors, publishers, design directors and digital publication, from planning, writing, and design illustrators, advertising experts, and publicists—all are to marketing, promotion, and distribution. Through leaders in the industry and many are course graduates. lectures and regular assignments, students learn More than 100 publishing professionals come to the what it takes to publish a successful magazine and Publishing Course each summer to describe the nature of launch a profitable website. During the magazine and their work, conduct workshops and seminars, and answer digital workshop, student groups develop proposals questions in classroom discussions and informal sessions. for new print and online publications, researching The curriculum is very intensive. Students learn possible audiences, establishing editorial mission about publishing through a rigorous schedule of statements, designing layouts and wireframes, assessing lectures, seminars, and workshops, and by completing competitors, determining potential advertisers, and professionally evaluated assignments. By spending developing a branding strategy. By the end of the six time with speakers and instructors at meals and in late- weeks, course graduates have a greater understanding night discussions, working on assignments after class, of book, magazine, and digital publishing than many and living with like-minded colleagues for six weeks, people now working in the field. students take part in a total-immersion program that The final week of the Publishing Course continues to cannot be duplicated by a series of part-time courses. In focus on digital media as well as career planning. Lectures the process, students discover a capacity to assimilate by digital publishing professionals give a broad exposure and produce more than they ever imagined possible. to writing and editing for the Internet. Individual and group The Publishing Course provides a comparison of career guidance sessions are offered throughout the course. The Columbia Publishing Course provides an Workshops unparalleled overview of the entire publishing process, Students apply what they’ve learned in lectures teaches basic publishing skills, and offers students the during two hands-on workshops. These week-long opportunity to meet and learn from top publishing workshops are intensive, collaborative simulations professionals. that require interaction with writers, agents, illustrators, and advertisers. Based on their particular areas of interest, students are assigned to a workshop New York City group and have specific job responsibilities. Teams The New York City publishing community continues of carefully selected mentors work with each group, to welcome students of the course to various special facilitating discussion and providing guidance and events. This year students had a choice between professional advice. visiting Time Inc., where the media company’s human Students have access to a computer lab equipped resources team organized a cocktail event at their with custom models for financial projections, industry beautiful new downtown headquarters; independent databases, and sophisticated design software. At the bookseller Book Culture, to learn the inner workings of end of each workshop, top publishing leaders carefully bookstores; and children’s book publisher Scholastic evaluate every group’s proposal, giving constructive Inc., for an intimate lunch with Arthur Levine. In past criticism and real world feedback. These workshops years HarperCollins, Random House, Macmillan, equip students with the practical knowledge, Hearst, Condé Nast, and Rolling Stone have also experience, and confidence needed to succeed in welcomed our students. The week following the course their careers. there is a job fair and an annual reception for recent graduates and alumni at the home of the legendary Book Workshop Christopher Cerf and his wife, author Katharine Vaz. During the book workshop each student group forms a publishing company that develops six potential titles for Course Faculty publication. Students are responsible for determining The instructors and lecturers, drawn from all areas of the company’s editorial mission, evaluating book ideas the publishing industry, are recognized as experts in and manuscripts, and contacting authors and agents. their fields. Many speakers are course regulars; others Students create marketing, publicity, and subsidiary are invited to speak because they are setting trends rights plans for each book and present their titles to the or challenging traditional methods. Faculty members class at a simulated rights auction. They design book represent publishing’s diversity; some are executives jackets, set production specs, and use computer models in multinational conglomerates, others are successful to create financial projections for each title and for the entrepreneurs, some work with blockbuster franchises, publishing house as a whole. others strive to reach specialized markets. The detailed list of the 2016 faculty is representative of the high Magazine & Digital Workshop caliber of instructors who visit the course each year. For the magazine and digital workshop, student groups develop original concepts for new publications. Editing Seminars Each team finds underserved audiences, evaluates Short seminars are held during the course to teach the competitive titles and sites, and shapes the content and fundamentals of manuscript evaluation and magazine editorial voice of their magazine and its website. editing. For the manuscript evaluation seminar, each They research story ideas and writers and student reads an unpublished manuscript and writes determine regular features and departments. Students a reader’s report recommending whether or not to target advertisers, propose strategies for promotion, publish. Students meet in small groups with editors to circulation, and digital audience development, and set discuss the editing process and methods of manuscript budgets. Designers create layouts that complement evaluation. In the magazine/website editing seminar, editorial content. The final results capture the look, feel, students edit an article that is about to be published in and tone of each magazine and website and include a national magazine or on a website. Seminar sessions detailed long-term business plans. focus on developing effective leads, as well as editing for length and clarity. Wendy Lamb Chris Jackson PJ Mark Bob Miller Brendan Cahill Mary Cummings Chip Kidd Mary Ann Naples Bruce Tracy Rachel Rokicki 2016 Book Program Innovation and the Future of