Art and Practice of Literary Publishing
WRCT 208Z
Summer 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ENGL 215Z |
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: Student Option |
| 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: 11 | 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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