ENGL 304 - Literary Book Publishing

FDR: HL Literature Distribution
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: ENGL 201, ENGL 202, ENGL 203, ENGL 204, ENGL 206, ENGL 210, ENGL 215, ENGL 306, ENGL 308, ENGL 309, or ENGL 391. This course is an introduction to the publishing industry, its culture and commerce. We examine the history of the industry and how it operates today, with an emphasis on active learning and practice. This class consists, in part, of active discussions with industry professionals, studying the life of a single book: its author, its agent, its editor, its book designer, its publisher. It gives you an overview of how the publishing industry works through the eyes of the people who work in it. It also gives you a chance to put what you learn into practice. Using a book you’re working on (or a theoretical book you may someday write), you compose a query letter, design a book jacket, and create marketing material in support of your project. The term culminates with a book auction where students form publishing teams and bid on the books they would most like to publish.