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The Business of Publishing for Editors

By

13 – 14 May 2009 (Wed – Thu)
9.00am - 5.00pm

Imagination Room, Level 5
National Library Building
100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064
MAP | WEBSITE

Course Fee: $380.00

This is a past course. View upcoming courses.

WHAT YOU'LL GET

This two-day workshop is primarily for experienced editors looking to develop their skills for managerial roles in the publishing industry. The objective is advancement from the process of publishing to the business of publishing and coverage includes roles in publishing services management; acquisitions and list management; publishing programme development; and, general management.

While case studies will be taken from the educational and academic publishing sector, the skills and concepts are applicable across the full spectrum of publishing sectors and aim to equip participants with firm foundations in the principles of management so that they can hit the ground running when taking on more responsibility.

COURSE OUTLINE

Day 1

Organisational management

Company models and their organisation charts with reflection on how these can bear on a company’s efficiency and sustainability.

Publishing finance

An overview of the basic financial instruments, budgets and forecasts that form the backbone of the business of publishing, and how to analyse financial data to identify strengths and weaknesses in a company’s publishing portfolio.

Publishing services management

An overview of the main cost centre in the publishing industry and the mechanisms to streamline workflow to maximise organisational efficiency

Market awareness

An examination of the need for interaction between the publisher and the market and the publishing and marketing departments in the process of list development

Strategic planning

Risk assessment tools and how to apply them to the building of a forward publishing plan

Day 2

The Acquisitions Editor

The function and skill set of this role and how it fits into the organisation.

The Publishing Manager

The function and skill set of this role, its interface with editorial, production, sales and marketing departments, and how it fits into the organisation.

The Publisher / General Manager

The function and skill set of a general manager with bottom-line accountability; reporting lines and effective management of resources; and, the qualities of leadership in the publishing industry.

Group work Case Study

Participants will work with market data for a foreign country to construct a proposal for a successful start-up publishing company.

About the Trainer: Simon Sharp

Simon Sharp

Simon Sharp’s first introduction to the publishing industry came while he was a teacher and was invited to write a series of textbooks for Hong Kong secondary schools. His input on the strategic placement of the titles and marketing issues made a success of the series, which also led to him joining the management team of his publisher, Macmillan. As the publishing director, he managed a multi-million dollar list and steered the company through major restructuring culminating in a successful acquisition. Later, Simon joined the Pearson group to head-up the pioneering Educational Services department to support the English Language Teaching list, resulting in a colossal 80 percent market share for the company’s primary English courses.

Today, in addition to serving on the board of directors of the iLearners group of companies, Simon is also an independent consultant for education ministries and publishing houses across the Asia Pacific region; offering insight into curriculum development, publishing programme management, and organisational development.

Registration Details

Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis and workshop fees must be paid before the workshop. If the minimum number of participants is not met for the class, the organisers will inform all participants about possible postponement and cancellation, two weeks before the workshop date.

Cancellation & Substitution

The workshop can be cancelled or postponed two weeks before the workshop date if the minimum number of participants is not met. Participants will be fully refunded for workshops cancelled by us.

Participants who are unable to attend a workshop they have registered for are to inform us of the reason two weeks before the workshop date. They will be fully refunded in the event of extenuating and mitigating circumstances (E.g. illness, bereavement, accidents) . Those who inform us up to five (5) working days before the workshop date will receive a 50% refund. Participants can also attend another course at the same value within the same year.

Upon registration, you are deemed to have read and understood the cancellation, withdrawal and substitution policy and accept the terms contained therein.