The Radcliffe Publishing Course is the granddaddy of all summer publishing programs, having originated in 1948. It has been referred to by students and lecturers as "the shortest graduate school in the world." The course runs for six weeks each summer and combines a book and magazine program.
Students at the course learn the publishing craft from a faculty of ninety or more professionals who describe the nature of their work, conduct workshops, and answer questions in classroom discussions and informal sessions.
Students form magazine workshop groups for two weeks. The objective here is to develop an original concept for a new magazine. At the conclusion of the workshop, students present their magazine prospectuses and business plans to industry professionals for evaluation.
In small workshops held throughout the course, students learn the fundamentals of copy editing, manuscript evaluation, and magazine editing.
In a week-long book workshop, students from publishing "companies" develop lists for publication. Editing, evaluation, design, promotion, subsidiary rights, and marketing come into play in this process.
Students at the course are required to live on campus, which enables them to meet with speakers informally at dinner, and work on assignments after class hours. A week after the course ends, two career fairs are held, one in Boston and one in New York. The course is expensive and limited to college graduates. For information, write to Radcliffe Publishing Course, 77 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, (617) 495-8678.
Stanford Professional Publishing Course
The Stanford Professional Publishing Course is limited to 165 publishing professionals, with a minimum of three years' experience. Those fortunate to qualify are rewarded with an exceptional program. It runs for thirteen days each July and covers both book and magazine publishing.
Course participants indicate their interest in either discipline- book or magazine-and attend workshops in general sessions, as well as the track they have preselected. About sixty publishing professionals, including many heads of companies, make up the faculty for the course. Outstanding faculty members from Stanford's graduate schools appear as guest lecturers.
An integral part of the course is a case project developed by the students and presented to the faculty on the final day.
Many companies from both the United States and abroad have sponsored employees to attend the course. Low-cost, on-campus accommodations are available. For information, write to Stanford Professional Publishing Course, Bowman Alumni House, Stanford, CA 94305, (415) 723-0544
University of Denver Publishing Institute
Publishing veteran Esther Margolis says of the Denver Institute, "Four weeks at Denver equals a half a year entry level at a publishing house."
The University of Denver Publishing Institute is a concentrated four-week, full-time course devoted exclusively to book publishing. Elizabeth Geiser, co-director of Denver's Publishing Institute since it began in 1976, comments on her program.
Interview
What do students want?
To bring great literature to the masses.. .fine, but you've got to run a profitable business.
What do you want?
To be sure the three major functions of publishing are represented: editing, marketing, and production. I also want to be sure that all phases of publishing (such as) scholarly, textbook, trade, paperback, and children's are represented.
What do you try to teach?
A balance between self-confidence and an openness to learn. I tell them the most important factor in a first job is not (the size of) the company, but the person you work for. Look for a mentor.
For information on the University of Denver Publishing Institute, call (303) 871-2570 or write to Publishing Institute, 2075 S. University Boulevard, #D-114, Denver, Colorado, 80210.
