Run by School of Arts, Culture and Language

60.000 Credits or 30.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 3

Organiser: Dr Eben Muse

In this final module you will put your studies to practical use and establish your own, independent publishing company, You will work either independently or in partnership with a fellow student from the course to establish an indie press and business model, as well as publishing one or more books. During the first weeks of the course you will develop a proposal for the business, including a value proposition and customer segments, revenue estimate, as well as production and marketing strategies. Following on from this, you will spend the rest of the semester working, with support from a supervisor, to develop the business, edit the initial text, and publish the initial product. The publication may be physical or digital but should include a strategy for monetising the text. By the end of the semester you will need to provide a project report and demonstrate the publication. If you choose to work in partnership with another student, you will each need to produce an individual business proposal and project report, as well as publishing at least one text for each partner.

You will apply skills and knowledge developed during the course to propose a business model for an independent publishing company. You will then test the assumptions of that model through the implementation of the business plan. You will acquire and edit a text, design the publication, provide it in a public forum in a way that may regenerate income, and market the product to a defined audience. A the end of the module you will provide a project report and a demonstration of the published text.

threshold

50-59% A Pass (C) candidate’s work will show many of the following qualities: • A satisfactory level of knowledge, analysis and expression. • Some familiarity with, and understanding of, relevant theoretical issues. • Generally sound organisation of argument, with some critical ability. • Accurate expression. • Competent use of quotation and references.

excellent

70% and above Typically, the work of a candidate reaching Distinction will show many of the following qualities: • Thorough knowledge and understanding of relevant theories and types of analysis. • Thorough knowledge of a range of sources and the capacity to engage these critically. • Introduction and discussion of original ideas. • Relevant, well-organised and sophisticated argument. • High ratio of analysis to exposition. • Maturity, clarity and cogency of expression. • Excellent handling of quotation and references.

good

60-69% A candidate’s work reaching Merit will show many of the following qualities: • An advanced level of factual knowledge. • Significant [substantial] knowledge of relevant theories and types of analysis. • Some evidence of original thought. • The ability to organise and argue effectively, make balanced judgements, and demonstrate critical thought. • Fluent and accurate expression. • Competent use of quotation and references.

1. Recognize and apply disciplinary understanding and subject knowledge to business and organisational issues and priorities

2. Follow the process of developing a business plan, including business description and the market, development and production, sales and marketing, management and finance.

3. Explore the design processes associated with publishing, including acquisition and editing, product design and production, distribution and marketing.

4. Apply a range of research skills and methodologies appropriate publishing and related industries.

5. Recognise and monetise the potential value of a textual property, either digital or physical.

Type	Name	Description	Weight
LOGBOOK OR PORTFOLIO	Project log	A project log entry o 250 words will be produced every two weeks to report on progress, revise deadlines and goals, and reflect on the experience.	10.00
REPORT	Project report and publication	A project report and demonstration of the published product	70.00
WRITTEN PLAN	Proposed strategy	A strategic proposal for an independent publishing business that includes a lean business plan, workflow and responsibilities (sources, suppliers, partners), initial text to be published with publication plan, and estimate of revenues.	20.00

		Hours
Tutorial	Weekly tutorials for 12 weeks, one-on-one or in a group, the exact timing to be agreed between tutor and student. Electronic communication may be substituted for meetings, if both parties find this more convenient.	12
Individual Project	Independent research and development of publishing business	588

• Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
• Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
• Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
• Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
• Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
• Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
• Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
• Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
• Safety-Consciousness - Having an awareness of your immediate environment, and confidence in adhering to health and safety regulations
• Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
• Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
• Management - Able to utilise, coordinate and control resources (human, physical and/or financial)
• Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
• Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others
• Leadership - Able to lead and manage, develop action plans and objectives, offer guidance and direction to others, and cope with the related pressures such authority can result in

• Extract and synthesise key information from written and/or spoken sources in English / Welsh and/or the target language. (Benchmark statement 5.14)
• The ability to organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument in written and/or oral assignments and class discussions. (Benchmark statement 5.14)
• Critical skills in the close reading, description, reasoning and analysis of primary and secondary sources in the target language and/or English or Welsh (incl. filmic, literary and other sources). (Benchmark statement 5.13, 5.14, 5.15)
• Competence in the planning and execution of essays, presentations and other written and project work; bibliographic skills, including the accurate citation of sources and consistent use of conventions and appropriate style in the presentation of scholarly work. (Benchmark statement 5.10, 5.14, 5.15)
• The ability to gather information, analyse, interpret and discuss different viewpoints and to place these in a wider socio-cultural and/or geo-historical and political and/or socio-linguistic context and to revise and re-evaluate judgements in light of those of the course leader, certain individuals or groups studied and/or fellow students. (Benchmark statement 5.13, 5.15 and 5.16)
• The ability to write and think under pressure and meet deadlines. (Benchmark statement 5.15)
• The ability to work creatively and flexibly both independently and/or as part of a team. (Benchmark statement 5.15).
• The ability and willingness to engage with and appreciate other cultures and to articulate to others (in written and verbal form) the contribution that the culture has made at a regional and global level. (Benchmark statement 5.7)
• The ability to comprehend, critically engage with and apply relevant theoretical concepts to materials being studied. (Benchmark statement 5.10)
• The ability to engage in analytical, evaluative and original thinking. (Benchmark statement 5.14)
• The ability to develop and manage an independent research project in English/Welsh. (Benchmark statement 5.10, 5.15, 5.16)

Resource implications for students

There are no required additional costs for students, though some students may find they wish to invest in software or services to support their business proposals.

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/qxe-4093.html

Reading list

Kawasaki, G., & Welch, S. (2012). APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur: How to Publish a Book. United States: Nononina Press.

Meese, J. (2018). Authors, Users, and Pirates: Copyright Law and Subjectivity. MIT Press.

Butcher, J., Drake, C., Leach, M. (2006). Butcher’s copy-editing: the Cambridge handbook for editors, copy-editors and proof-readers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ginna, P. (Ed.). (2017). What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Hall, F. (2013). The Business of Digital Publishing: An Introduction to the Digital Book and Journal Industries. London ; New York: Routledge.

Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers (1st ed.). Wiley.

Smith, K., & Bold, M. R. (2018). The Publishing Business: A Guide to Starting Out and Getting On (2nd Revised edition edition). London ; New York: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

Compulsory in courses:

• Q3RS: MA Publishing and Book Culture year 1 (MA/PBC)