Module: PUB6001-20 Publishing Industry Project

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Jo de Vries

Module Tutor Contact Details: j.devries@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This module curates high-quality industry projects for individuals and small groups to work on. These might include live briefs from major publishers such as Penguin Random House, Book Island Children’s Books and Bloomsbury Academic; cultural organisations such as museums and organisations such as National Trust; charities and social enterprises; science publishing, magazine publishing e.g. Milk magazine; digital marketing for food festivals, fashion brands, environmental campaigns or individual publications. Personal publishing projects can also be negotiated and accommodated.

This module prepares you for life after graduation by giving you an opportunity to gain invaluable, expert Publishing tutor-supported work experience in an area of publishing relevant to your career aspirations. It results in a specialist, professional-quality digital portfolio, which can be used for postgraduate applications or job interviews.

This module is taught through tutor-guided independent work (which in some cases might involve working in a specific role within a small group project).

This module aims to consolidate your knowledge, assess and extend your skills and creative problem-solving abilities, enabling you to apply, extend and showcase these, as well as your collaborative working and project management experience.

Software skills

You will produce a high-quality digital portfolio of your work, making use of industry standard software packages and/ or web-based platforms.

Publishing Career Coach

Students on this module benefit from the unique Publishing graduation workshop (e.g. personalised digital portfolio, CV template, jobs and internship advice, MA course advice, personal branding and elevator pitches, publishing recruitment consultant and alumni talks)

2. Outline syllabus:

• Publishing specialist tutor-guided independent work

• Project planning and scheduling

• Curated live industry projects

• Skills assessment and extension

• Creative production

• Digital portfolio workshops

• Specialist publishing career support

3. Teaching and learning activities:

The module will be taught through tutor-guided independent work. You will be supported in your project work with a choice of a tailored range of demos by specialist Publishing Technical Demonstrators.

There will be opportunities to visit employers and/or attend networking events, e.g. the Immediate Media (publisher of BBC History, Mollie Makes etc.)

Module planning schedule

Pre-module planning:

L5 (end-May): module briefing and completion of SWOT and skills audit

(This will inform the development of the suite of TD workshops for the module.)

Summer vacation: reading and planning/ work experience

Module schedule:

Semester 2: week 1-2 – 1-minute project pitch for peer and tutor feedback + project proposal/schedule form submission and approval; tutorial schedule agreed

Semester 2: individual/group tutorials

Semester 2: digital portfolio workshops (with online materials and support) (and additional Spring Break open sessions)

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Project Portfolio (equivalent to 5,000 words)

• % Weighting: 100