Students examine how to find the book projects that are right for specific publishing profiles and how to evaluate them. They study the criteria for acquisitions that range from quality to economics. The course includes working with agents, commissioning book ideas and the pros and cons associated with the consideration of unsolicited manuscripts. Both fiction and non-fiction are reviewed and samples from real manuscripts are discussed. Profit and loss forecasts are studied as students investigate and hone their skills in making acquisition decisions.

Working from a standard publishing contract for books, students become familiar with both the contractual requirements and the legal issues encountered by publishing houses. Clauses examined include advances, subsidiary rights, delivery dates, options etc. Legal issues include copyright and libel. Students compare and contrast the features and characteristics of contracts used by publishing houses of different sizes and the Writer's Union suggested template. Publishing ethics are also examined and discussed.

This course provides a survey of existing sales channels in Canada and an exploration of how these are accessed. Students study what is required to sell into different channels (large and small format chain, independent retail, wholesale, mass merchandise, library and special sales), what these customers’ expectations are, what are realistic expectations of return, as well as methods and tools available to assess those returns. Traditional distribution methods and accessing etailers will also be examined. BookNet Canada’s PubFight program will be incorporated through the course to allow students to follow the publishing sales process.

By enabling thoughts to be externalized onto paper or some other medium, the technology of writing-and-reading brought into being a new phase of human creativity. Students study the history and development of writing, as well as the psychology of creativity in arts, sciences, and applied activities such as publishing. They develop their own expertise in a writing project that goes through several stages to increase creativity. They learn about the concerns and working methods of creative writers of fiction and non-fiction, and about creativity in organizations. At each meeting there is a section of a creativity-training program that will include exercises to increase creativity.

This short overview course focuses on the varied roles and responsibilities of editors, both in-house and freelance. It looks at the ways in which editors work in a variety of publishing houses, from large to small, from trade to educational publishers. The course also explores how editors are involved with other facets of publishing, such as production, sales and marketing. It reviews the basic levels of manuscript editing, including developmental work before manuscript submission, substantive editing, line- and copyediting and proofreading. The unique relationship between author and editor will be discussed. The course also explores the skills and temperament needed for various types of editorial work and potential career development for editors.

This course is an overview of the publishing process from creator to consumer and a comprehensive examination of the business aspects of book publishing including the process of business planning, budgeting and financial management for all divisions and the interrelationship of all departments. It explores the dramatic and on-going changes in the traditional book publishing business model caused by the impact of digital technology.

This course covers the main chronological events associated with book publishing starting with the mid-15th century printing press invented by Johannes Gutenberg. The focus of the course is an examination of the history of publishing in Canada from earliest times to the current publishing scene.

This introduction to book marketing will provide an overview of book marketing and cover key areas of the subject including author publicity, advertising, merchandising and online marketing as well as an analysis of the role of marketing in the publishing company and the intersections between marketing, editorial and sales. It will touch on the various roles in a marketing department at a publishing company.

Canadian publishing has had to reach out to the international market in order to survive and grow. Canada is a small publishing market with long distances so it is natural for the industry to look across borders in order to build a larger market for its work. Fortunately, Canada's international literary reputation has help publishers and authors build arguably one of the most successful Canadian cultural exports. This course examines the whole spectrum of international sales and how a publisher goes about making them. Key areas that will be covered include: an overview of subsidiary rights; the mechanics of selling internationally including creating book proposals, attending book fairs, licensing, agents and sub-agents, co-editions, international distribution and government policies and support. Students will also discuss publishing issues in other countries and territories.

Publishing houses in Canada can be characterized in a number of ways including type of ownership, size, and nature of the publications. In addition some publishing houses are strictly dedicated to specific regions or readerships. In this course, students have the opportunity to compare and contrast the features of Canadian publishing houses and the models, which support these businesses. Their explorations include business plans, ideologies, projected readership, job opportunities, diversity and business organization. Guests from the field lead the examination of educational and academic publishers, micropresses, children's literature, political presses, sales organizations, self-publishing and more.

This module provides the students with the opportunity to learn about the various distribution models used in publishing operations. An overview of the information technology systems relating to purchasing and supply chain management used in publishing will be given. Students will review a variety of practices used for order entry, returns processing and credit management, warehousing and inventory control. Customer service concerns specific to publishing operations will also be addressed. A distribution centre will be a field trip in this course.

Students learn the critical role played by the production department and personnel within the publishing environment. They become familiar with manufacturing processes and specifications for many types of books in this survey course. Every aspect of book production is explored from identification of the many components of a book, to what they cost and how these components are manufactured and assembled in the finished product. Students will gain an understanding of new digital workflows from a scheduling standpoint, design creation, composition, to final preparation for print and digital prepress. Students will also gain an understanding of new book delivery formats.

Students study how journalists and bloggers approach their coverage of books, authors and the publishing world. The course compares print, and broadcast and online models using real examples from newspapers, television, radio, web-based commentaries and social media. and the Internet. Book reviewing is covered in addition to various other forms of reporting related to the books area. Students examine media needs and priorities, through class exercises that place them in the role of the arts journalist or blogger. A review of publishing-related careers in the media informs students of opportunities related to their publishing backgrounds.

This course is a broad overview for the non-designer, covering the history, purpose, method and current technologies involved in putting words (and images) into book form. Students are exposed to the major issues, parameters and processes associated with producing books and their jackets/covers both economically and aesthetically. Students are instructed through both, lecture and workshop sessions, the basics of typography, image research and usage, and current software. Special emphasis is placed on the role of design within the broader publishing process.

An intensive introduction to book marketing covering key areas of the marketing basics, marketing research and developing a marketing plan. Author publicity, publicity materials, advertising, sales materials, merchandising, websites, social media, online marketing and marketing e-books will be discussed. The course examines individual title and series marketing, from acquisition through to publication, in various genres - fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, cooking and others, as well as corporate, brand, category and backlist marketing. New technologies, and current industry trends will also be explored and analyzed.

A comprehensive and critical overview of new technologies in book publishing and related marketing strategies, such as digital printing, blogging, e-books, and podcasting, with a hands-on workshop in basic web page layout. Students are encouraged to consider the use of new and emerging technologies in creative and practical ways, while recognizing the book as one of the most successful and enduring technologies.

The objective of the Enterprise is to simulate, as closely as possible, setting up a publishing enterprise and working within it for a period of almost four weeks. At the end of that time the students present their enterprise orally and deliver written materials. Every aspect of the publishing business is covered: creation of identity, business plan, book list with profit and loss forecasts, design, website creation, marketing plans, sales strategies, budgets, catalogues and more. Publishing consultants (the faculty) create the deadlines, monitor progress, and give advice throughout the process.

This represents the individual contribution of each participant in the enterprise, based on their presentation skills and a mark assigned by their colleagues in the group.