Certificate in Publishing

An overview of the publishing industry, this course examines various technological, economic, legal, and cultural pressures acting on the publishing environment today, including the movement from print to electronic publishing and the shift from brick and mortar stores to online shopping carts. Students will explore the evolving roles of writers, agents, editors, and designers and will consider some of the legal and intellectual property matters at play in the contemporary publishing environment. They will also learn about the business side of publishing, including the roles that marketing, advertising, sales, finances, and distribution can play in deciding what will be published. The course ends with a look at the rise of self-publishing, the use of social media in publishing, the preservation of Canadian cultural content in a global age, and some current debates on diversity, economics, and the problems created by an abundance of published content. NOTE: Enrolment limited to 30, with priority given to students admitted to the Certificate in Publishing program.

This two-term internship combines formal education with experiential learning and skills development at organizations with significant publishing activities. It provides unpaid work experience useful for the career and professional profile of individual students, and brings their skills and talents to local organizations involved in the publishing of books, academic journals, cultural magazines, other print materials, or digital/online content. NOTE: Limited enrolment. Open only to students enrolled in the Certificate in Publishing program. Students taking PUB 3000 cannot take PUB 3001 or PUB 3002. 

This one-term internship combines formal education with experiential learning and skills development at organizations with significant publishing activities. It provides unpaid work experience useful for the career and professional profile of individual students, and brings their skills and talents to local organizations involved in the publishing of books, academic journals, cultural magazines, other print materials, or digital/online content. NOTE: Limited enrolment. Open only to students enrolled in the Certificate in Publishing program. Students cannot take both PUB 3001 and PUB 3000.

This one-term internship combines formal education with experiential learning and skills development at organizations with significant publishing activities. It provides unpaid work experience useful for the career and professional profile of individual students, and brings their skills and talents to local organizations involved in the publishing of books, academic journals, cultural magazines, other print materials, or digital/online content. NOTE: Limited enrolment. Open only to students enrolled in the Certificate in Publishing program. Students cannot take both PUB 3002 and PUB 3000. 

This course provides students with knowledge of and hands-on experience with three key processes in publishing: assessing, acquiring, and editing manuscripts. It will begin with an overview of assessment and acquisition models used by various sectors in the industry, the pros and cons of peer review, and the many factors at play in the decision to acquire a manuscript. Students will review how decisions are made at professional journals and then examine such topics as the two major online submission systems in publishing today, how assessors are obtained, and the various editing stages that a manuscript can go through (initial revision, developmental/substantive editing, copyediting, and proofreading), as well as grammatical and other editorial considerations. They will practise working as different kinds of editors, learn how to set up and use needed editorial tools, and develop skills to manage the editorial process. NOTE: Enrolment limited to 20, with priority given to students admitted to the Certificate in Publishing program.

This course will focus on some of the technical and administrative skills needed in publishing. The main focus will be on gaining some basic knowledge of software that can be used in book and magazine production (e.g., InDesign, Photoshop, OJS). But students will also learn about financial management, fulfillment and distribution, working with a printer, and the importance of marketing, promotion, and discoverability. They will look at some of the software programs (e.g., FilemakerPro, Excel) and online platforms (e.g., Instagram, Wordpress) that can be used by publishers. The course also acquaints students with some of the considerations and challenges specific to digital publishing. NOTE: Enrolment limited to 20, with priority given to students admitted to the Certificate in Publishing program.