Is BA Publishing Studies only about book publishing?

Books are the core, but BA Publishing Studies also covers magazine and journal publishing, the digital long-form and newsletter market, and audio publishing. The skills — commissioning, production, rights, marketing — transfer across format with relatively little adjustment.

Will BA Publishing Studies help me become a literary agent?

Agency work is downstream of publishing in similar craft terms — submission review, rights negotiation, editorial sense. BA Publishing Studies is a strong foundation, though most agents enter the field through publishing-house experience first.

Does BA Publishing Studies cover independent and self-publishing?

Yes. The independent publishing module covers everything from zine production to indie press founding, including print-on-demand workflows. BA Publishing Studies treats independent publishing as a serious adjacent practice rather than a lesser one.

Can I study BA Publishing Studies online?

Yes. The degree runs on-campus, fully online with cohort seminars, and as distance learning. The capstone publishing project is produced at every mode and can be print, digital or audio depending on your specialism.

What fees and scholarships are available?

Fees for BA Publishing Studies vary by mode, intake and student status. LSJHML offers instalment plans, an early-application discount and a small publishing-sector scholarship pool. Contact admissions for the current schedule.

BA Publishing Studies in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Publishing Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree for students who want a serious working command of book and magazine publishing — commissioning, production, rights, marketing and the digital formats reshaping the industry. You will work through real-publishing case material from current UK trade and independent houses, and graduate with a publishing capstone project ready to show employers.

The degree is built in dialogue with the Publishers Association, the Society of Young Publishers and the Independent Publishers Guild. London is the capital of English-language publishing; this degree is taught a short walk from Bloomsbury Square, the British Library and the offices of half the major imprints.

Key Features

UK honours degree — three years full-time, with online and distance routes available.
Commissioning module — read submissions, write reader's reports, defend an acquisition in editorial board.
Production module covering print and digital production workflows, typesetting, accessibility (EPUB-A, audio).
Rights module covering domestic, international, translation, audio and adaptation rights.
Marketing and publicity module grounded in current trade campaign practice.
Capstone publishing project — design, edit and produce a real short book or zine across the final year.

What You Will Learn

The BA Publishing Studies is structured around the publishing value chain — acquisition, edit, production, rights, marketing, sales. You finish able to read a submission and write a defensible reader's report, manage a small production schedule, brief a publicist and pitch a rights deal.

Commissioning — submission review, reader's reports, P&L modelling at a working level.
Editing — structural editing, line editing, copy-editing to industry standard.
Production — typesetting, print specifications, digital formats, accessibility standards.
Rights — domestic, foreign, translation, audio, dramatic and adaptation rights at a working level.
Marketing and publicity — campaign design, social-first publicity, the publication-day choreography.
Sales — UK trade structure, Nielsen BookScan, supermarket and independent channels.
Publishing law — contracts, intellectual property, libel pre-publication review.
Industry economics — list strategy, the freelance market, independent publishing, audio and digital growth.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers who would rather work with manuscripts than write them.
International students seeking a UK degree in publishing taught in London, the capital of English-language publishing.
Career-changers from teaching, bookselling or academia moving toward in-house publishing roles.
Aspiring independent publishers and zine-makers ready for a formal degree credential.

Career Pathways

BA Publishing Studies graduates compete for entry-level roles across trade, independent and academic publishing. Typical first roles include:

Editorial Assistant (trade, academic, independent imprint)
Commissioning Editor (junior or assistant role)
Rights Executive (rights department, agency)
Production Editor (junior or assistant role)
Marketing and Publicity Assistant (in-house publisher)
Indie Press Founder (with subsequent business planning support)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Publishing, an MA in Creative Writing or directly into a publishing-house graduate scheme.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; a reading list is welcomed but not required.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio of editorial work and a short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.