IGNITE updates
#01
MA Publishing takeover 00: Introduction

MA Publishing are delighted to be running a takeover of the IGNITE News blog as part of the ongoing Festival of Creativity. Throughout this week we’ll be showcasing some of the projects we’ve worked on during 2020-21  and exploring how we liaised with local and national clients to address challenges and deliver on our live briefs.  

When people think about publishing they often imagine an editor, glasses perched on tip of nose, sitting in a dimly-lit office and wading through a pile of manuscripts…or possibly Bridget Jones swigging champagne and stumbling over introductions at various chaotic book launches. The reality only bears some resemblance to these images: while there are still book drafts to plough through, that work is computer-based these days; and marketing and publicity are now specialised professional departments, with the polished events and campaigns to match. 

Throughout the MA Publishing course we aim to expose students to this new world of publishing, with the opportunity to hone existing skills and develop an understanding of the industry more broadly. Through a project-led module which involves engaging directly with clients, to embedded work experience placements, students are able to experience all of the ups and downs of real-life publishing. They build their skills in team work, problem-solving and professional engagement as well as gaining practical knowledge in design software, marketing strategies and project management. 

For the project tasks, which we’re excited to be sharing with you this week, students received briefs from their clients, formed small project teams to respond to these, assigned  roles and  responsibilities, and  liaised  with their  contact to agree a set of deliverables. They  took  responsibility  for setting  all schedules, managing budgets where necessary and working with the University of Plymouth Press to deliver their end products.  

Despite COVID challenges, it has been a fascinating year: occasionally exhilarating, often terrifying but always full of learning. And, as we trust you’ll agree, the outputs have been exemplary! We hope you enjoy finding out more about our work.