Shape Canada’s Literary Landscape with Book and Magazine Publishing

Have you ever thought about how much you enjoy the look and feel of your favourite magazine,
book or piece of literature? Do you appreciate a writer’s structure or enjoy proof reading and
editing your friends’ essays? Well, you may just be well suited for the field of book and
magazine publishing. The publishing industry deals with everything from book acquisition,
design, production and editing to sales, marketing, and advertising. It also incorporates financial
and legal areas. Therefore, there are plenty of jobs available in the field.

There are several steps that are taken before and after a publication hits stores. The process is
pretty much the same for both; we’ll focus on book publishing here. In this field, you may be
involved as a commissioning editor, who negotiates the purchase of intellectual property rights
and agrees on royalty rates. For this job, you must have a knack for numbers, as you will be
estimating the potential sales in each market and having to balance the projected revenue against
production costs. If words are more your thing, you could work in a publishing house as a copy
editor. These professionals may help the author with small rewrites, edit to ensure that a house
style is maintained and copy edit for grammar and style. Editors also have the important job of
choosing or refining titles and headlines (in both book and magazine publishing). If words and
math aren’t for you, design may very well be. This job includes commissioning artists for cover
work and selecting photographs, as well as typesetting, dust jacket composition, specification of
paper quality as well as binding method and casing. Another creative area of Book and Magazine
Publishing is sales and marketing.

Publishing companies often release advanced information about the piece of work to gauge
possible sales and measure early interest. It is the job of marketers to see where the most interest
lies (overseas, locally, or not at all). From there, they discuss co-publishing deals, reduce or
increase printing number (if necessary) or cut the budget. After the publication is printed there is
one more stage: distribution. Books are most commonly sold through booksellers and other
retailers, while magazines are sold directly through publishers to subscribers and then distributed
through other outlets. It is up to the distribution professionals to arrange the details.

To get your foot in the door, the right education is needed. Centennial College’s one-year, post-
graduate Book and Magazine Publishing program is an accelerated undertaking that covers all
facets of the process. It is one of the most prestigious programs in Canada and focuses on
preparing you for employment upon graduation. One of the most hands-on features of the Book
and Magazine Publishing Program is an industry field placement at a book or magazine
publisher in Toronto, where you’ll acquire work experience, industry knowledge and
professional relationships. As well, you will take part in publishing On the Danforth magazine
twice a year. To supplement the practical experiences, you will participate in course such as
Elements of Publishing Design, Book Production, Magazine Marketing, Online Magazines,
Writing for Publication and more.

To apply for the Book and Magazine Publishing program, you must submit an official transcript
demonstrating proof of successful completion of a post-secondary diploma or degree program.
Centennial College will also consider applicants presenting a combination of partial post-
secondary education and relevant work experience. Also, you must attend a program admission
session that includes editing exercises, presentation of a portfolio of writing and a resume.

- Author By: Klaudia

View Source: Centennial College – Book and Magazine Publishing