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Visit to Booksource 2015

October 7th, 2015 by Marian Robb | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Visit to Booksource 2015
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On Thursday 1 October the publishing students of Stirling University visited Booksource: a distribution company based in Glasgow. We were welcomed by Louise Morris, the Customer Service Director and Jim O’Donnell, Operations Director and were then separated into two groups. (The MLitt cohort is quite large this year!) One group was taken on a fascinating tour of the warehouse by Jim and the other was given an informative presentation about the company by Louise.

While touring the impressive 44,000 square feet warehouse, Jim told us how Booksource was founded by Publishing Scotland and is still 90% owned by them. The company has approximately eighty client publishers, most of whom are small to medium sized and information about them and what they publish can be found on the Booksource website (http://www.booksource.net/our-clients ). The company provides storage and distribution for their clients and client-customer transactions are processed through their information management system.

As Jim took us down the aisles, with books stacked from floor to ceiling he explained how books are re-stocked early each morning and how a team then picks the books around 9am for the orders that are to be fulfilled that day. He also explained how they choose the most cost effective packaging for the publisher, with smaller orders packed in boxes or larger ones in pallets. The books are kept in the correct environmental conditions which means no heating in the warehouse. Perfect for the books but sometimes very cold for the Booksource team during the Scottish winters!

Jim then showed us the returns sections of the Booksource warehouse and we publishing students were faced with the reality of misjudging the print run or of typo errors missed during the proofreading stage. I think quite a few of us would have liked to save the books from becoming pulped fiction!

Louise gave us some more background to the company during the presentation and explained how important their service is to both publishers and their customers. Most small publishers do not have the resources to be dealing with their own distribution and equally, booksellers would have to order from lots of different publishers which wouldn’t be cost effective for anyone. Booksource means that the publisher-customer transactions can be controlled in one place, allowing publishers to concentrate fully on the publishing process.

She told us about the range of publications they deal with: fiction, outdoor, Scottish themed, children’s books and cookery to name just a few. Booksource also stores and distributes CDs and DVDs for independent music companies and provides an eBook service to publishers. So not just print publications!

Louise also explained how Booksource is continually adapting to the changes in the publishing industry and giving publishers the services they require. They will soon be launching a new online shop (www.mybooksource.com ) where each publisher will have their own dedicated page. It will be a great asset to small publishers who perhaps don’t have the time or resources to maintain their own online shop.

It was a really interesting and enjoyable afternoon seeing this aspect of the book publishing world, and Louise and Jim’s time spent with us was much appreciated, especially as they had to do the tour and presentation twice! We learned a lot and can really see how the services that Booksource provides play a pivotal role in the publishing process. Many thanks to the Booksource team for inviting us all to visit.

Visiting Speaker programme for Semester 1, 2015-16

October 6th, 2015 by Frances_Sessford | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Visiting Speaker programme for Semester 1, 2015-16

The visiting speaker sessions for Semester 1 are as follows:

  • October 8: Stevie Marsden (PhD researcher, University of Stirling/the Saltire Society): ‘‘fit tay be in schools, huvn no bad language, sex subversion or antireligion’: The Saltire Society’s Book Awards, Judgment Culture and the Scottish Literary Canon’ & Sarah Mygind, (PhD researcher, Aarhus University, Denmark): ‘How you and them work for you – when readers become co-promoters’
  • October 15: Peter Dennis, Publishing Manager, Leckie & Leckie
  • October 22: Mairi Kidd, Publisher, Barrington Stoke
  • November 5: Gillian Macrossan, Publishing Manager, & Jo Marjoribanks, Publishing Quality Controller, Witherby Publishing
  • November 12: John Watson, Commissioning Editor, Edinburgh University Press (as part of Academic Book Week) *PLEASE NOTE THIS SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE IN COTTRELL 2B84*
  • November 19: Lindsey Fraser, Literary Agent, Fraser Ross Associates
  • November 26: Cherise Saywell, Author & Royal Literary Fund Fellow
  • December 3: Lucy Feather and Eleanor Logan, Publishing Scotland

Please note a change of venue from previous years. All sessions will now be held in Cottrell 2B86 on Thursdays, beginning at 2pm. Places are free but limited. If you wish to attend but are not a Publishing student, please email frances.sessford@stir.ac.uk to register.

ThunderStone Books Internship

October 6th, 2015 by Hannah Elizabeth Roberts | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on ThunderStone Books Internship
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Thunderstone Books LogoIn the early summer of this year I was offered a three month marketing internship with independent publisher ThunderStone Books.

Robert and Rachel Noorda began Thunderstone Books in 2013 to help meet the need for cultural and language education in an increasingly global and interconnected world. They now publish educational children’s books in areas such as language learning and science.

As ThunderStone Books are a relatively small publisher, Rob and Rachel do the majority of their daily tasks themselves. From proofing manuscripts to organising visits to schools and book launches. For me, this was great opportunity to see how the world of small, independent publishing worked and Rob and Rachel were very hands-on with me from the beginning.

One of my main duties was to increase their social media interactions and out put by essentially, taking over their Facebook and Twitter pages and posting about various publishing related events and important dates such as the pre-order dates for their new title Meh. This was an essential task and one that Rob and Rachel didn’t always have the time to dedicate their energy towards. Therefore, social media quickly became the focus of my internship with ThunderStone Books.

I created a social media schedule from the list of key dates that Rob and Rachel provided me with and got to work, making sure I never missed a notification or opportunity to tweet. Which, as a 22-year old, was relatively easy as my smart phone is very rarely out of my sight!

I enjoyed this part of my internship as not only was I helping to get ThunderStone Books more likes, followers and re-tweets, I was also part of a stimulating and educational publishing network. Being in charge of their social media for three months also gave me great confidence in my ability to utilize social media in a professional context.

Unfortunately, I was unable to fulfill the task of arranging press coverage for the launch of the publisher’s new title Meh due to ill health in late July. I deeply regret this and wish I could have had the experience under my belt. However, Rob and Rachel were very understanding and did a great job in organising media for the launch of Meh.

Picture of 'Meh' by Deborah Malcolm. Credit: Hannah Roberts

Picture of ‘Meh’ by Deborah Malcolm. Credit: Hannah Roberts

When it came to the launch of Meh in August, I spent the day live-tweeting and posting pictures of the event in the Livingstone branch of  Waterstones. This was a fantastic event with a great turn out and impressive media coverage via STV and other organisations. The copies of Meh sold impressively quickly. So much so, that Rob had to go and pick up more to sell!

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being at the launch of Meh. It was a brilliant opportunity to gain insight in to the organisation of book launches and how they are perceived by the author and readers alike. I even got my copy of Meh signed by the author Deborah Malcolm. (Buy Meh here).

To summarise, my internship with Rob and Rachel at ThunderStone Books was an incredibly insightful and rewarding experience both personally and professionally. I have gained valuable experiences from their decision to take me on as an intern and have also built a like-minded professional relationship and friendship with them which I hope will last for many years to come!

 

 

 

Bell & Bain: A Firsthand Look Inside Printing

October 5th, 2015 by Hannah Fields | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Bell & Bain: A Firsthand Look Inside Printing
Processed with VSCOcam with b5 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with b5 preset

Bell & Bain, one of Scotland’s oldest established printing companies, welcomed my fellow University of Stirling Publishing Studies classmates and myself into their offices on Thursday, Oct. 1.

Our outing to Glasgow’s prized printers began with a brief, yet enlightening, presentation detailing both the history and inner workings of the company, with all information being delivered by Bell & Bain Sales Director Designate Derek Kenny and Business Services Coordinator Kenneth Shepherdson.

Bell & Bain, founded in 1831 by James Bell and Andrew Bain, specializes in the printing and binding of business, educational, financial, religious, medical, and scientific books and journals. The company services around 600 clients, with 95 percent of them being publishing companies. Not only does Bell & Bain pride itself on being both environmentally and socially aware, it also aims to be “the printer of choice” for customers by providing quality products and services.

Following the presentation we were split into two groups and given a tour of where the magic happens—the Bell & Bain printing factory. For me, this was the most interesting part of the visit. When one picks up a book at a local retailer, it’s easy not to give a second thought to how it was produced. Having the firsthand experience of watching the book printing process, from aluminum plates to paper to binding, gave me a new appreciation for the publications that I too often pass idly by.

However, this process of print and digital publishing isn’t done in one place. Bell & Bain owns an additional warehouse where its paperbacks, hardbacks, and journals are printed. It would be almost naïve to expect anything less of a company that has been serving the masses for generations. Our tour of the second location wasn’t as lengthy, as the company is in the process of renovation and transfer of office space. Despite all of this, I admire the Bell & Bain staff’s ability to effectively produce products alongside what many would deem bothersome conditions.

All in all, I’d say our trip to Bell & Bain was well worth the time. I’d also like to give a very special thanks to Derek Kenny and Kenneth Shepherdson for setting aside time in their busy schedules to give us a tour, answer our questions, and provide lunch for our group. Bell & Bain is inarguably a class act in the publishing industry.

 

SYP Scotland Networking Event at the Mad Hatter, Edinburgh: “With a Foil Finish”

September 28th, 2015 by Patrizia Striowsky | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on SYP Scotland Networking Event at the Mad Hatter, Edinburgh: “With a Foil Finish”

For many of us new Publishing students here at Stirling, the networking event of SYP Scotland at the Mad Hatter was our first chance to meet people from or interested in the industry outside of university – and we were eager to use this opportunity! A warm welcome by the members of the SYP awaited us, accompanied by a friendly atmosphere, tea and lovely little cakes.

I had the chance to speak to several members of the committee, as well as fellow students from Edinburgh Napier. I can‘t go into detail about all the discussions we held yesterday, but I would like to give those of you who couldn’t make it a small example selection at least! A particularly interesting topic for me was comparing the designs of German bookcovers to the designs of UK bookcovers: I always found most book designs of my home country to be dull and uncreative, and was surprised to hear that several German publishers have voiced the same concern on occasion… but why not change something about it when you are in charge of design? This is a question I will certainly have to investigate further in the course of my studies! 

We also discussed the shrinking number of editorial departments of publishing houses. As more literary agencies now offer substantial editing work before sending a manuscript to a publisher, some publishers open their own literary agencies (including not only book, but film and other media agents as well). An internship at a literary agency could therefore be another valuable experience.

 I would also like to point out a great opportunity that was announced yesterday, and is now online on the SYP Scotland Twitter as well: “The Society of Young Publishers Scotland are thrilled to be partnering with the Saltire Society to give you the chance to be on a shadow judging panel for four of their Award categories this year!” To apply, just follow the link and submit your application. Try to do this as soon as possible, as the deadline is Sunday, the 4th of October.

Another announcement that is interesting for Publishing students is the SYP’s mentoring scheme (this year’s MLitt students might remember Heather McDaid telling us about it during our induction session). Applications should include a CV and information on your field of interest in the publishing industry and will be open sometime in November, so keep an eye on the SYP Scotland homepage and Twitter for more information!

 

 

Marketing and Publicity and PaperLove

June 24th, 2015 by Courtney Murphy | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Marketing and Publicity and PaperLove
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Rachel Hazell, a.k.a. the Traveling Bookbinder

Rachel Hazell, a.k.a. the Traveling Bookbinder

I interned for Rachel Hazell, a bookbinder and paper artist based in Edinburgh. Rachel has been a self-employed book artist since 1998 when she founded her first company, Hazell Designs Books. She is passionate about books but more than anything else she’s passionate about paper itself. Her strong drive to share her passion for paper with others has taken her around the world: she has taught bookbinding and book art workshops in Scotland, Paris, Venice, California, and as far afield as Antarctica.

My work as an intern primarily involved marketing and publicity for PaperLove, Rachel’s online paper art course. The PaperLove e-course is five-week class that explores a range of paper art and paper craft. It is advertised as a course “Developed to enable everyone, no matter where they live, to work with Rachel to develop their creativity through the medium of paper”. Each week of the course is devoted to a specific theme or craft. The themes for each of the five weeks are: paper, collage, word, book, and mail. You can learn more about the course here.

The PaperLove e-course runs two times each year. As soon as my internship began in January I started

Countdown to PaperLove

Countdown to PaperLove

working to promote the March run of the course. Working with a limited marketing budget Rachel and I focused on using social media and electronic word-of-mouth marketing as a way of reaching potential “PaperLovers”. We used Instagram to host giveaways and to advertise the course. (The Society of Young Publishers recently did a feature on Rachel’s delightful Instagram account here.) On Facebook we used the Paperphilia page to share free DIY tutorials as a way of giving potential students the chance to try out paper crafts and get a sense of Rachel’s teaching style.

A large part of my internship consisted of liaising with artists and bloggers who helped to promote PaperLove. I contacted paper artists, collage artists, bookbinders, and bloggers all over the world and worked with them to get publicity for PaperLove. We offered interested artists a five-day PaperLove sampler course and requested that in exchange for the sampler they write a feature about PaperLove on their blog. Artists all over the world took part, including a visual artist based in London, U.K.; a paper artist and author in Delaware, U.S.A.; and a jeweler and crafter in Bucharest, Romania. It was interesting to see what each artist did with the sampler class projects, and the features these artists wrote really helped to extend Rachel’s reach and to spread the word about PaperLove. I also worked to get PaperLove onto craft websites and community sites. It was exciting to see PaperLove featured on CraftGossip.com. CraftGossip did two features on Rachel’s paper art: one feature on PaperLove and a second feature on Rachel’s DIY tutorial on how to make Mini Post Books.

Lemongrass soap lovingly wrapped in book text

Lemongrass soap lovingly wrapped in book text

Interning for a book and paper artist was never ever boring. While much of my work was done from home on my laptop, whenever I went into Edinburgh to meet with Rachel at her studio I got to take a break from my laptop and busy myself with whatever crafty tasks needed doing. One day I used pages cut from old second hand books to wrap up bars of soap for Bed with a View, Rachel’s literary-themed studio apartment retreat in Edinburgh’s Old Town. The next day upon my arrival at the studio I was presented with one of Rachel’s literary sculptures and asked to count the number of blossoms in a paper “bookquet”—a bouquet of flowers custom made from the pages of a book.

It was such a privilege to work with Rachel on promoting the PaperLove course. I learnt so much about marketing and publicity while working alongside Rachel and her PR, branding, and long-term strategy person. I also learnt a lot about paper: I now know all about European paper making methods, the history of writing implements, and I’ve mastered some basic paper folding and bookbinding techniques. My internship with Rachel Hazell has truly been a highlight of my year on the M.Litt. course.

Gaelic Books Council Scholarship 2015-16

June 9th, 2015 by cs48@stir.ac.uk | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Gaelic Books Council Scholarship 2015-16
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Screen Shot 2015-06-08 at 22.14.00The Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication is delighted to announce that the Gaelic Books Council will be offering a scholarship for a place on our MLitt in Publishing Studies programme for the academic year 2015-16.

The scholarship will cover fees (at Home/EU level) and offers up to £2000 in reasonable travel and subsistence relating to the work placement aspects of the module.

Full details of the scholarship are available here: GaelicBooksCouncil_Scholarship1516_fps (pdf). The deadline for submissions is 12pm on Friday 3 July 2015.

Enquiries should be directed to Professor Claire Squires, the Programme Director of the MLitt in Publishing Studies.

A previous recipient of the Gaelic Books Council scholarship, Liam Crouse, writes about his experience of the scholarship here.

My Experience of the Publishing Project

May 11th, 2015 by Sarah Elizabeth Webster | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on My Experience of the Publishing Project
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Pic for BlogSarah Webster reports on the creation of her Publishing Project:

For the Publishing Project module I produced a complete and finished Children’s Fiction title, aimed at 7-9 year olds, called Samson The Super Dog. To give a brief synopsis of my book, it is about an Italian Newfoundland lifeguard dog called Samson who works on the Cornish beaches, rescues a casualty and is awarded a medal for bravery by the Queen. It’s designed to educate children about open water safety, especially about the different beach flags and the risks of currents and tides all of which is something really close to my heart as an ex pool-lifeguard and TA in lifesaving. It is also a tribute to the real dogs who do this job year in year out in Italy and Spain, and is a particular tribute to Bilbo, the Cornish lifeguard dog, who is my personal hero and pin-up Newfie. In fact, Bilbo is so famous with his own website, social media, news and press coverage, and BBC footage, he even has his own published biography, and I was therefore obliged to seek copyright permissions from the author and his wonderful owner, Mr Jamieson. My dialogue with him not only fuelled my enthusiasm for this project but was also another invaluable opportunity of understanding and practically going about seeking rights and permissions, one of many real-world tasks involved in producing a new title for publication, and one of many new things I can now say I have accomplished because of the publishing project.

Indeed, prior to this course I had never used InDesign or Photoshop or had to engage with professional printers or devise a marketing plan. And although I have illustrated my project from cover to cover, I have no official art qualifications. But this short book in my hand has involved all of these different skills and tasks, of which I felt previously deficient, but now feel I’m equipped with to pursue my career in the industry.

One of the things that most attracted me to this particular University programme was the combination of practical and academic application, teaching and assessment that was on offer. The idea of producing a physical publishing product that I could literally hold in my hands and show to future employers as a demonstration of my practical skill set across a wide range of areas really appealed to me. I think it’s fair to say that the publishing project process has satisfied the desires and expectations I had and has been hugely rewarding.

I feel really satisfied that I’ve been able to carry out every stage of the process myself from concept to creation. It is something that prior to this course I couldn’t have done on my own, but thanks to the teaching and support provided here at Stirling, I have accomplished.

I think each and everyone of us on the course at Stirling are proud of our projects and what we have achieved. Thus, it leaves me to simply reiterate how much I, personally, have enjoyed creating this little book.

 

 

My Internship with Eland Publishing

May 5th, 2015 by Helen Griffin | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on My Internship with Eland Publishing
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Eland BadgeIn February of this year I had the opportunity to work for Eland Publishing, one of the foremost publishers of classic travel writing in the world. Eland is a very small and determinedly independent publisher located in Exmouth Market in London. The publishing house is owned by travel writers Rose Baring, John Hatt and Barnaby Rogerson, run with the assistance of a team of self-motivated freelancers: Jennie Paterson [website creation] Antony Gray [typesetting and page design] and Stephanie Allen [Publicity Director]. Eland’s mission statement is to keep the great works of travel literature in print.

Eland Picture 1I thoroughly enjoyed my opportunity to work for Eland because everything was run from one small attic room that had a bohemian, dusty sort of air to it, spread around large piles of books. The office was everything you imagine a publishing house should look like. All meetings and every aspect of book production was covered in this tiny little space and so I was able to see and hear all the work and planning that goes in to every stage of the book making process. I was also able to meet and have conversations with some incredibly interesting travel writers, who in a larger publishing house would have most likely been tucked away in private offices to have their meetings.

 

GoddessThroughout my internship I was able to sink my teeth into some real publishing activities such as organising and attending a book launch for their newest release: The Living Goddess by Isabella Tree. I also had the exciting job of cataloguing all of the entries for the Stanford-Dolman Best Travel Book of the Year Award, which meant that I was the first person to see all the potential candidates for the award.

 

Eland Picture 2Barnaby and Rose were both excellent people to work with. I was the first intern they had ever taken on and so I was very appreciative of how welcoming and enthusiastic they were to ensure that I would gain as much experience as possible from this work experience. They would explain the reasoning and importance behind every task I was completing and how each contributed to the overall running of their business. They would also involve me in all of their meetings and engage me in the conversation so that I was not just a mere spectator to the activity.

Eland Picture 7My time at Eland allowed me to develop a fine eye for detail and gave me the confidence to voice my own ideas when I felt I could contribute. I am very grateful to Barnaby and Rose for the support I was given throughout my time at Eland. This experience gave me a broad understanding of the work that goes into book production and showed me the pride they felt for the content they were producing. It was a privilege to work for a company who strive to keep classic travel literature in print and to be able to say, that for a while, I was a part of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Publishing Showcase 2015

April 29th, 2015 by cs48@stir.ac.uk | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Publishing Showcase 2015
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Publishing Studies Students 2014-15It’s that time of year already! The Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication invite you to our annual Publishing Showcase on Wednesday 6 May 2015, where we will be joined by our Industry Advisory Board to celebrate this year’s publishing students’ achievements. The schedule for the day is:

2.30-3.45pm Publishing Round Table, featuring members of the Industry Advisory Board (Marion Sinclair of Publishing Scotland; Katy Lockwood-Holmes of Floris Books; Adrian Searle of Freight Books; Vivian Marr of Oxford University Press; Simon Blacklock of Faber Factory; Martin Redfern, independent publishing consultant) (Pathfoot B2)

4pm-6pm Publishing Showcase, featuring work from our MLitt & MRes in Publishing Studies students, and some short speeches (Pathfoot B2)

Whether you’re a graduate of the programme, a possible future student, or part of our publishing network, please do join us. Please do drop us a line so we have a sense of numbers via our Contact page.

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