Course description

You’ll develop key skills, knowledge and experience to give you the edge in a range of rewarding careers

• Learn from inspiring and experienced lecturers who have worked in publishing at companies including Bloomsbury and Penguin Random House
• Cover every stage of publishing including editorial, production, sales and marketing – from initial ideas to cover design, and from book launches to sales data analysis
• Our students have gone on to work for companies including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Pan Macmillan, Hachette, Bloomsbury, CPG and Taylor & Francis, while others have set up their own publishing companies and freelance services
• Be inspired by a huge range of industry professionals. In the 2022/23 academic year over 30 speakers gave talks for our students, from publishing companies including Hachette, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Bonnier, Penguin Random House, Galley Beggar Press, And Other Stories, Oxford University Press, Pan Macmillan, Knights Of, and Routledge - and we also heard talks from published and self-published authors
• Engage in research-based scholarship to focus on themes that particularly interest you
• Benefit from a challenging cross-disciplinary learning experience

This course explores all aspects of the publishing industry, including editorial and content development, design and production, sales and marketing, and business success and entrepreneurship. Throughout, you will learn how to respond to the exciting new opportunities facing the industry today and in the future.

An industry full of opportunity

The total value of the British book publishing industry has been estimated at around £6 billion, the largest in the world in terms of its output per head of population. Some 240,000 new book titles were published in the UK in 2018.

The expansion of digital publishing, the growing sophistication of interactive ebooks and the popularity of ereaders and tablets have brought new dimensions to the industry.

Meanwhile, traditional boundaries between book publishing and periodical publishing are breaking down, with professionals moving much more freely between the sectors. The industry is also becoming more global in outlook and reach, opening up even more opportunities for ambitious graduates.

The Derby MA Publishing is a newly designed programme that is up-to-date, well balanced, thought-provoking and exciting. It covers all industry sectors, from fiction to scholarly; and all job roles from editorial to author rights. It is perhaps the most tightly focused and complete Publishing MA available in the UK today.

Combining print and digital know-how

The MA Publishing has been designed to meet the needs of an industry undergoing dramatic technological and commercial changes.

With print, electronic and audio editions of books all now proving highly popular with different consumer demographics, we will ensure you are fully conversant with both traditional publishing techniques and the latest digital developments and self-publishing trends. By the end of the course, you will be equipped to move seamlessly between print and digital formats whenever required.

New skills for a new era

Publishing companies are keen to dispel the myth that all you need for success in the industry is a love of literature and reading. New entrants are now expected to bring industry-specific professional skills along with qualities such as innovation, versatility, enterprise and problem-solving.

Our MA therefore covers vital insights not just into editorial functions but also into aspects of the business such as leadership and management, project management, marketing, intellectual property law, and finance. This programme provides a comprehensive and well-balanced training to enter a wide variety of careers in publishing and beyond.

Expertise to inspire you

Our teaching team comprises enthusiastic, dedicated academics and practitioners with extensive experience in the UK, US and Australian publishing industries, encompassing editorial, marketing, publicity and freelance work.

International Students

The British publishing industry is one of the largest and most important in the world, exporting more books than any other country, and at the forefront of many developments such as digital business models, English language publishing, niche products and globalised business. By coming from overseas to study Publishing at MA level International students will receive unparalleled insights, knowledge base and training in every aspect of this dynamic, global industry.

How you will learn

You will learn through a mixture of seminars, lectures, workshops and applied study, with a focus on real world learning. You will have exciting opportunities to gain experience with publishers, booksellers and events organisers and to gain insights into the freelance world of indexing, proofreading and design.

You could attend book fairs and festivals, volunteer at author events and book launches or take part in live projects working on the in-house publications produced by the University.

Students will be encouraged and supported to undertake various forms of work-related learning and experience, including internships at major publishers.

Thanks to our networks across the creative, media and cultural sectors, you will have the chance to make valuable contacts. We offer a vibrant programme of guest lectures and we host events where authors, editors and publishers speak about the realities of making a living in the field.

Programme leader Dr David Baker worked in publishing for over 20 years, split equally between London and New York. During his career, he worked at Cassell, Continuum, and Bloomsbury and commissioned non-fiction books about all aspects of pop culture. His research interests focus on the editorial process in publishing and how this needs to become more diverse.

How you'll be assessed

You will learn through a mixture of seminars, lectures, workshops and applied study.

Your work will be assessed using a wide range of methods, including oral and written presentations, reports, essays and portfolios of practical work in areas such as editing, production, marketing, design and digital publishing.