About this book

About this book: A letter to the learner

Dear Learner

Being a commissioning editor or publisher is an exhilarating career.

It’s a role that puts you right at the centre of a process of making something tangible from something intangible, the intellectual property of an author. You make something you can touch, see or experience (a book, an e-book), using the creative output of another person or group of people.

In effect, a commissioning editor curates (organises or administers) the content which belongs to others for the benefit of readers (and the people who invest in the publishing project).

And that makes what you do, an incredible achievement, because it is neither simple nor an easy result to achieve.

A commissioning editor translates a need in the market into the end-product or service. You are the person at the centre of a “manufacturing process”, directing and guiding many people to achieve this.

A commissioning editor has business sense. You have to understand the legal (copyright) framework. You persuade the company where you work (the investors) of the merits of the book you propose to publish, and that it fits the company’s strategy. When the book is being written and “manufactured”, you continually to keep the company informed on how this process is going, and whether the book will merit the decision to invest. You will need to guide the company on the most suitable number of copies to be printed, the price, and the marketing of the book.

The South African publishing context is complex and difficult, but also wonderfully creative and diverse. Many people seem to think that publishing is a glamorous job and involves parties with famous authors. Or they think that the role of a commissioning editor is to correct others’ spelling and grammar!

Mainly, publishing is hard work and not glamorous. In SA, the industry is small and you have to be hungry to take your place in it and make your mark.

The job of commissioning editor can be very creative and rewarding, and give you a sense of contribution. You may contribute to advancing literacy, disseminating knowledge, promoting education, or providing general readers with hours of entertainment. A commissioning editor needs to have many skills and characteristics. You need to be curious about the world and the way things work. You need to ask questions. You need to be organised, and not scared of hard work. You need to be able to manage people and bring the best out of them.

This Learner Book contains learning material that will help you to understand all aspects of being a commissioning editor. The author team comprises 10 experienced people from the SA publishing industry. We want to help you put layer upon layer of understanding about the publishing industry and being a publisher, so that you are equipped to do this exciting job, and be an effective publisher.

Depending on where you end up employed by a large company, or a small one, or even self-employed. You may do all or few of the things spoken about in this book. But we hope that it will help you develop and practice the appropriate skills, and form an overall picture of the industry and your place in it.

How to use the Learner Book

At the beginning of the book, you will find a Glossary of terms. This contains definitions of many of the terms used in the book, which are specific to the publishing industry. Keep referring to the Glossary as you work your way through the book.

In each Chapter, you will read the aim of chapter at the top of the page. The Assessment Criteria for each sub-module are listed under the sub-module headings like this:

After studying this section, you must be able to:

• Discuss the history of publishing, from print to digital, with reference to significant milestones.

Use these “be able to” statements to help you focus on what it is you are expected to know.

At the end of the book, grouped by the chapter in which you will read about them, you will find a very useful Templates section. We included Microsoft Word ® and Excel ® templates related to the knowledge in the Chapter, for you to apply in your workplace. In many instances, we provided instructions in the templates that show you how to use them.

At the end of each Chapter, you will find an Activities section, which will help you with knowledge recall, analysis, and application. The fill-in-the-missing word questions, and the analysis and discussion questions, are taken directly out of the chapters. The application questions will set you tasks you can do with the help of others in your organisation. They often require you to go and investigate something in your organisation. 

The answers to the Activities have been provided to the facilitator of your course in a Facilitator Guide. When you have worked through the Activities, ask the Facilitator if you can check your answers against those provided.

Accompanying the Learner Book is a separate Learner Workbook. This contains many more questions which are linked to the knowledge provided here, and allow you to practice the skills you need in the publishing world. The questions in the Learner Workbook are directly linked to the Practical Skills part of your qualification.

The Authors