Art and Practice of Literary Publishing
WRCT 208Z
Summer 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ENGL 215Z |
Exciting new course about the publishing world, taught by Wesleyan University Press Editor in Chief, Suzanna Tamminen.
The Art and Practice of Literary Publishing is an introduction to the editorial and acquisitions process in academic and literary publishing. Students will gain hands-on experience with the life cycle of a book -- from submission and review to production, marketing, and distribution -- while learning how publishers shape literary and scholarly cultures. The course combines practical exercises with discussions of publishing theory and contemporary industry challenges. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA WRCT |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Credit/Unsatisfactory |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 - Summer Session II |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
:
Giles Clark & Angus Phillips INSIDE BOOK PUBLISHING, John B. Thompson BOOK WARS, CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE
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Examinations and Assignments:
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Assessment (Pass/Fail)
- Participation & preparation: 40%
- Assignments: 40%
- Final (editorial memo or publicity plan): 20%
Pass requires consistent attendance, timely completion of all assignments, and active engagement in course discussions.
Week 1 - Orientation to the Press
Introduction to publishing workflows: submissions, databases, forms, correspondence, and in-house processes.
- Exercises: Draft professional correspondence and acknowledgments; compile comp-copy lists; format a rejection template.
- Readings: Inside Book Publishing (Clark & Phillips), ch. 1-2.
Week 2 - Discovering Authors & Building a List
History of publishing; types of presses; how editors acquire books; list development and press identity.
- Assignment: Write a 2-3 page overview of Wesleyan University Press and analyze recent sales trends using Allbooks data.
- Readings: Oxford Handbook of Publishing (Phillips & Bhaskar), chapters on publishing organization and acquisitions; Merchants of Culture (Thompson), chapters on acquisitions and competition.
Week 3 - Editorial Evaluation & the Author-Editor Relationship
Editorial assessment, peer review, and decision-making processes; ethics and risk in acquisitions; building professional author relationships.
- Assignments:
- Read and evaluate a manuscript; write a 2-3 page reader's report.
- Draft an Initial Assessment memo and propose three potential reviewers with outreach copy.
- Analyze sample reader reports; draft an editor's cover memo to author and board.
- Readings: Oxford Handbook of Publishing, sections on editorial ethics and peer review.
Week 4 - From Design to Dissemination
Principles of typography, design, and cost estimation; production scheduling; marketing and publicity in a competitive environment; the future of the book.
- Assignments:
- Design a mock book jacket and prepare a transmittal form and cover memo.
- Draft 120-150 words of catalog or jacket copy or write a one-page press release or advertisement.
- Final deliverable: editorial memo or mini publicity plan (3-4 pages).
- Readings:
- Inside Book Publishing, design/production and marketing/sales chapters.
- Book Wars (Thompson), conclusion. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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Class meetings will be held in person at the Wesleyan University Press building, 215 Long Lane. For more information about Wesleyan University Press, please visit http://www.weslpress.org. |
| Instructor(s): Tamminen,Suzanna Times: .MTWRF. 01:30PM-03:10PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 12 | | SR major: 3 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 9 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 2 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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