Editing, Layout and Publishing – ENGL 600

Course Description

Provides students with a practical working knowledge of the fundamentals of editing, layout, and publishing for multiple contexts, modalities, and audiences.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Professional writers and editors are versatile communicators who must possess an array of skill sets that support writing from concept stage to publication. Each role along a publishing continuum is no longer performed by different individuals. Contemporary practitioners of print, e-texts, and multi-media assume increasingly broad roles, from copywriter to editor, layout artist to producer, and publisher to web manager. In this hands-on study, the student will develop a greater understanding of these interrelationships and the importance of team collaboration in the industry toward the publication of an original project.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings, lecture presentations, and online e-text and multi-media resources

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion assignment. Thread length will vary across assigned discussions. Reply instructions will also vary based on prompt. 

Group Discussions (3)

For this collaborative discussion area, the instructor will place the student into a workshop group at the beginning of the course. Groups will work together on editing and critiquing each others work. Each group discussion thread will vary in length and reply requirements. 

Faith Journey Assignment

The student will write an autobiographical essay of a minimum 4,000 words that focuses on the student’s faith journey. The paper does not require any sources outside of the student’s range of experience; however, the student may reference short passages from inspired readings. The narrative in this assignment will be used in subsequent assignments and integrated with images, graphics, and multi-media where appropriate.

Workshop Editing Assignment

Using Google Docs and Google Drive, the student will work in an assigned group to make editing and revision suggestions to the Faith Journey Assignment of the other group members.

Group eBook Manuscript Assignment

Using Google Docs and Google Drive, the student will collaborate with peers to merge individual Faith Journey Assignments into a working master file that will serve as the Group eBook Manuscript.

Group eBook Publication Assignment

Using Google Docs and Google Drive, the student will work with his/her group to revise the Group eBook Publication assignment. 

Peer Evaluations (2)

The student will complete two peer evaluations, the First Peer Evaluation and the Second Peer Evaluation. Each peer evaluation will be completed in two parts: a self-critique of his/her contributions to the Group eBook project, and critiques of each group member’s contributions to the Group eBook project.

Reflection Quiz

This two question quiz will ask students to reflect on the effectiveness of the course's approach to teaching publishing and layout. Studying is not necessary for this quiz. 

Class eBook Assignment

Working in his/her assigned group, the student will once again use Goggle Docs and Google Drive to edit, share, and compile the Group eBooks from the entire class into a single publication. Each group will have a different organizational method/title for the final Class eBook which reflects their interpretation of the editorial process. Each student will need to submit a PDF file of their own groups' eBook to Canvas for an individual grade. In addition to this, one student from each group will submit a copy of the group's eBook for class discussion.