The course objective is for each student to fully understand the process of publishing and shepherding a book from manuscript to finished work (the editor’s role in this process as it goes through each step) —that is, not only the process of book editing per se, but also the psychology of the editor-author relationship. Students will also be taught in the ways of diplomacy and the ethics of book publishing as it applies to book editing.
More, students will learn how to make sound editorial decisions based on instinct, taste, sales potential, and understanding of publishing as a business environment. Emphasis will be placed on the promotion and “packaging” of book projects, and how to describe a book concisely and convincingly, as well as on ways of weighing market considerations and the “bottom line.”
Through practical assignments, students will also learn how to evaluate various types of manuscripts; how to write analyses, rejection, acceptance letters, and catalogue copy, and how to line edit manuscripts. In-class activities will examine the many types of books published, including mainstream and “upscale” fiction and nonfiction, works in translation, scholarly and art books, and mass-market publications. Other in-class activities will include reading and judging manuscripts, including some that have been published, others - rejected, or put under consideration, and as well as examining the reasons for each.
