Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Graduate Certificate Program

The realities and commercial exigencies of book publishing in today’s marketplace, along with the intimately connected fields of editing and agenting, are of tantamount importance to writers’ lives, perhaps more than ever before. All writers and aspiring editors who hope to find a large readership for their or their authors’ books must have a comprehensive understanding of the various interconnected sectors of book publishing: agenting, marketing, distribution, social media, bookselling, reviewing. Through the guided study of these different areas, students will find themselves equipped with the skills needed to continue to forge their literary careers in an extremely competitive marketplace.

Curriculum


• Three Publishing and Professional Development courses

May include MCW 575 The Publishing Industry: Literary Presses and Journals; MCW 579 Practicum in Teaching Creative Writing; MCW 580 Practicum in Publishing; or any other related courses identified by the SPS Graduate Office.

• One writing workshop or one graduate-level course elective

May include independent study (not to exceed one), any Publishing and Professional Development course, any graduate literature course, or any MCW 490 elective course.

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Learning Objectives


The Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study has been designed to ensure that certificate holders:

  • Acquire in-depth knowledge of the current corporate and independent publishing landscape
  • Understand how books are acquired, edited, marketed, and distributed
  • Hone their editorial skills in order to apply for full-time editorial positions and/or to work as freelance editors
  • Gain insight into how the writer-agent relationship influences the current publishing climate

More about the Publishing and Professional Development in Writing program

Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Course Schedule

The Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Course Schedule page provides you with detailed information on the program's offerings.

Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Faculty

You can find a full listing of our instructors in this certificate program on the Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Faculty page.

Admission to the Publishing and Professional Development in Writing program

Applicants to this certificate program must hold a graduate degree from an accredited U.S. college, university or its foreign equivalent. A competitive graduate record that indicates strong academic ability is required. Work, internship, or research experience is highly desirable, but not a requirement. A list of admission requirements can be found on the Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Admission page.

Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Tuition

Tuition costs can vary for each of our programs. For the most up-to-date information on financial obligations, please visit our Publishing and Professional Development in Writing page.

Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Registration Information

Our Publishing and Professional Development in Writing Registration Information page outlines important dates and deadlines as well as the process for adding and dropping courses.


Find out more about Northwestern's Publishing and Professional Development in Writing program

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