The Editing Workshop and global models of publication. Modern publishing is no longer a print-only adventure, obviously. This bulletin, for example, does not exist in print, nor should it. The ways in which art and information are presented now have as much to do with appropriateness as with economics.
The Brouzils Institute is a leader in independent, non-traditional publishing. The Editing Workshop employs a definition of “publication” that embraces a wide variety of approaches, from traditional platforms to highly innovative methods of presentation and distribution. Our belief is that these all have significant editorial contexts that inform, change, magnify and enrich content and are, therefore, legitimate subjects of inquiry.
Participants in the Workshop contribute to the publication of the Institute’s publications, and to the editing and creation of texts by other publishers. The workshop is a global one: while the Institute does convene workshops in the Vendéen château where writing and creative arts seminars are conducted, it is primarily a program conducted online, where most publishing now occurs.
The Editing Workshop is designed around apprenticeships that contribute to a mastery of editorial skills, including not just redaction and giving content improved form, but also the creation of entirely new editorial components.
Workshop activities include editorial exercises such as these:
Periodical feature assigning and editing for both online and print publications.
Editorial formatting for multiple platforms. This module includes considerations of website organization and architecture, as well as sequencing and other factors that inform all publication platforms – print, online, podcast, ‘net broadcast, video and e-newsletter. This is an introductory module introducing these models as part of the Institute’s publication program.
Departmental organization and the creation of recurring editorial elements. For readership retention and loyalty, these are among the most important tools an editor can use. This module explores ways of finding application for these elements across platforms.
Research and archival adaptation. The discovery of older texts and finding and developing modern contexts in which they find renewed usefulness is the focus of this innovative module. Successful participants will contribute to the sub-editing of The Fortnightly Review and to other publications affiliated with the Institute.
Book and manuscript development. Managing and shaping book-length documents and finding and developing appropriate ancillary platforms is the core of this module. Traditional editing elements – copy and proofing, line-editing, structural considerations, etc. – are covered here.
The Editing Workshop is an ongoing program. Newcomers are welcome, but participants are placed according to experience and merit. Applicants without previous editing experience must supply a statement of goals. Those with experience should supply a relevant portfolio of work. The curriculum is highly individualized and fees are set once participation goals have been established and approved.
The Brouzils faculty is assisted in some of these modules by colleagues with appropriate professional backgrounds.
