Book Acquisition & Editing

Catalog description

The editor acquires and develops the books that are essential to a publishing venture. This course examines the publishing process from the perspective of the acquiring editor. Beginning with the idea and following it through to bound book, this course studies the working dynamics of the publishing environment. Focusing on the trade marketplace, students will learn how editors determine the best sources for the acquisition of both fiction and nonfiction content, how to identify and develop new ideas for books, how to present ideas at an acquisition meeting, the process of editing a manuscript, and the editor’s role in bringing a book to market. Students will examine the agent-editor relationship, as well as the author-editor relationship, with a special emphasis on working with creative personalities in a business environment. Students will hone their critical faculties, develop editing skills, acquire effective communication strategies, learn to write jacket and web copy, and gain an understanding of how an editor participates in major marketing and sales functions for print, ebooks, and audiobooks.