Publishing MA

The course is made up of three stages - Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Masters.

You will study modules such as:

What does it mean to be a publisher today? you'll analyse new issues and big trends facing the world of books, literature and the wider publishing profession. Guest speakers and round-table seminars will contribute to a lively, stimulating and highly supportive learning environment.

Here you will examine the ethical and practical issues of being a senior editor. Which books deserve to be published, and why? How do commissioning editors build a successful list of titles? When is it acceptable to change or ‘correct’ an author’s writing? Explore issues of bias, taste, morality – and profit – in publishers’ everyday decisions about what gets published and how.

There are many stimulating and creative job roles in publishing, none more so than in design and production. In this module you will examine design theory and practice as well as project and systems management. You will explore how new projects are conceived, designed and brought to market in both print and in digital formats, on time and on budget.

Publishing is a highly competitive business where success depends upon innovative marketing and sales operations. In this crucial module you will explore social media marketing, big data, market analysis, sales reporting and marketing theory. Learn the theory and practice of how marketing professionals deal with authors, signings and events, book promotion, and negotiating with booksellers.

Publishing relies on a complex web of legal and business frameworks and conventions. Contracts and ‘rights’ have to be negotiated with authors and literary agents, while publishers have to understand the many implications of an evolving and globally diverse legal landscape. Examining theory and practice will prepare you for a stimulating career in rights, copyright or contracts.

The module will provide a description and critical historical evaluation of the various trends that have contributed to literary and publication history and culture since the fifteenth century. You'll learn the fundamentals of financial and business arrangements around literary outputs, both in the past and in today’s increasingly globalised industry.

This module covers broad themes including teamwork, quantitative research and analysis, technical know-how, sophisticated understanding of modern digital tools and software, and social media management, and you will develop a proficiency in a variety of areas that will prepare you for real-world tasks in the national and global industry.

This module focuses on the publication processes, the business practices and the design of trade magazines and non-academic periodicals. From a managerial and commercial standpoint, students develop skills, knowledge and understanding related to this important and fast-changing sector.

For businesses to maintain a competitive advantage in the market, business leaders and managers have to manage contemporary challenges such as globalisation, innovation, technology and sustainability. Therefore, this module provides a broad representation of the diverse concepts and theories that reflect current debate among academics and practitioners alike. It explores how today’s leaders and managers utilise and manage competitive intelligence and knowledge in diverse cultural, industrial and organisational contexts in order to develop innovative strategies for sustainable competitive advantage.