Are you looking at a career in publishing? Read on to know about courses in publishing that will help you break into the industry.

Publishing Courses

Did you spend your summers sprawled out on the terrace, inside a makeshift tent with a fat book in your hand, reliving the adventures of ‘Papillion’ or playing the assassin in the ‘Bourne’ series? Do books manage to take your mind off every day’s nitty-gritty and transcend you to a world of make believe? Does starting a new book fills you up with the same excitement as meeting a new person, the mysteries those written words hold entice you and you are hooked on to it like an aphrodisiac? If the answers, to all these questions is a booming yes then you are a confirmed bookworm. You gnaw at its contents like a termite on wood and savor those words with a maddening excitement. If you want to turn this love affair with books to a lifelong ordeal, then a career in publishing is an extremely fulfilling option. Here are some courses in publishing that will help you get started.
 
Career In Publishing 

Eligibility
The courses offered in publishing include a 2-year post graduate diploma program in printing and publishing. A candidate should be a graduate in order to avail for this course. The publishing industry comprises of many departments. If you want to get into the editorial department, a degree in journalism is a necessary pre-requisite. A six-month course in copyediting and proofreading is also available and a candidate interested in getting into the editorial department can avail for it. Graduates of art or design can join the art department. For any of the other technical departments, the candidate can also avail for 3-month certificate programs in print management, binding & finishing or E-publishing. Publishing is a thriving industry and mainly a delight for a book lover, the entire responsibility bringing out a work of art you have loved is a fulfilling and challenging experience. 

Details Of The Course
The postgraduate course in publishing includes the following areas of study:

  • History of publishing
  • Electronic publishing
  • Business and financial aspects of publishing
  • Organization and structure of a publishing house
  • Editorial processes
  • Copyright issues
  • Book production and design
  • Warehousing and inventory
  • Book promotion and publicity
  • Sales and marketing 
Skills Required 
An inherent love for books and voracious reading habits are one of the major pre-requisites as the job profile involves a lot of reading. Couple these interests with business acumen and an interest in marketing and you have a publisher. A good publisher also has a keen eye for detail and must be able to analyze facts critically. A candidate aspiring to be a publisher must also be aware of the latest trends, socio-economic changes and radical changes in thought ,experienced by the common man in retrospect to the events around him. Books represent these changes and a good publisher must cater to them. As a publisher, the salability of the book takes the higher precedence. It is his job to put up only those books in the stalls, which have a greater degree of appeal in the market.
 
 
Specialization 
Publishing is a very broad term and possesses variety of areas over which one can gain mastery. It is the art of introducing a literary or a journalistic piece of writing into the market and making sure that profits are garnered from. It involves a lot of people with different areas of specializations; some of the areas of specializations include the following:
  • Book Publishing
  • Magazine Publishing
  • Journalistic Publishing
  • Educational Publishing/technical writing publishing
  • Web content creation and management
  • Introduction to interactive media
  • Magazine advertising; print and online
  • From idea to empire; new business development
  • Magazine or book financials
  • Web editing and writing
  • Role of video on the web in publishing
  • Do’s and don’ts of publishing books for kids 
Career Prospects 
Reading as a habit is as perennial as the existence of the human race, therefore we can safely say that as long as human beings exist they will find joy in reading and the publishing industry will have takers. There are plenty of job opportunities for virgin publishers, a “Young Turk” in the industry can either get employed in the editorial, production or the marketing division based on his areas of expertise. One can also find employment in the publications division of government departments or in universities and educational / religious / charitable institutions, who publish their own literature. In due course of time, one can put their own publishing houses.
 
Some Of The Institutes Offering Courses In Publishing
 
  • Boston State University, USA
  • Oklahoma State University, USA
  • San Diego State University, USA
  • Rochester Institute Of Technology, USA
  • Annamalai University, Chennai, India
  • National Book Trust Of India, Delhi/Vijayawada, India


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