Publishing Executive Education Program (EPUB1-CE)

EPUB1-CE 1000 Book Business Transformation: New Methods and Models (1 Credit)

As ebook sales have flattened, publishers need to look to other business models for their continued sales and revenue growth. Smaller digital first and digital only companies have shown how being innovative and nimble can lead to healthy profits. Larger publishing houses are also experimenting with new business models and modifications of the old formulas. In this course, learn how publishers across the spectrum are dealing with the shifting landscape through new approaches to the traditional relationships with authors and customers. Discuss and evaluate answers to the questions: Are we moving fast enough to find new business models? Are we being overly cautious…or cautiously optimistic? <ul>      <li>Explore alternative revenue or author partnership models – does moving towards a low or no advance, higher royalty structure make sense for your business? Will this attract new authors or alienate your existing ones?</li>      <li>Does the book industry need more “Netflix for Books”? Do you? Learn what subscription services offer to publishers. Explore whether these services expand the market through greater discoverability or instead cannibalize sales.</li>      <li>Discover how publishers big and small are getting closer to their readers through direct-to-customer sales and how what they’ve learned impacts editorial and marketing decisions. What resources and innovations are needed on the publisher side to support this new sales channel? What’s the value of pivoting from B2C to B2B? What strategies and resources are involved??</li>      <li>New printing technologies and print-on-demand have transformed the supply chain. Even large publishers are turning to POD as a way to reduce inventory and cut costs. Examine the move towards a low or no-inventory model or digital-only publications and whether it makes sense for your business.</li> </ul> Who should take this course: managers and directors in editorial, marketing, sales, finance and other mid-senior level professionals eager to expand and enhance their knowledge of digital media

Grading: SPS Non-Credit Graded

Repeatable for additional credit: Yes

EPUB1-CE 1002 Advanced Social Media Intensive (1 Credit)

Having a Facebook and a LinkedIn account is just the beginning. The effects a strategic social media presence can have on a business are often underestimated. While you may think you have a firm grasp on how to use social media to extend your brand and enhance your author platforms, this course will help you better understand the ways consumers interact with brands and businesses on social media, and how your efforts can make or break brand loyalty. The key to brand success in today’s marketplace is the engagement of your reader community, both online and off, in all the social media platforms they’re using. Learn how to take your social media strategy to the next level: <ul>      <li>Discover the newest trends in social media and understand which established and emerging platforms are most effective for achieving your marketing objectives</li>      <li>Analyze the numbers behind who’s using which platforms, why and for what, and how a comprehensive content strategy translates to sales</li>      <li>See real case studies on how publishers are using social media in innovative ways</li>      <li>Learn how a brand’s User Experience (UX) and a platform’s interface can support or hinder a social media campaign, and how publishers can create a social experience that will keep customers coming back</li>      <li>Discover how brands of all kinds are turning to gaming (contests, sweepstakes, promotions) to expand their social media efforts, increasing traffic, engagement, sales, and brand awareness</li>      <li>Examine the roles of the reader/influencer and how to identify, encourage, and employ community advocates and empower them to help manage the social conversation</li>      <li>Examine social listening and understand how the results can drive marketing and editorial decisions</li>      <li>Understand the return on investment in social media, how analytics are used to improve the business, and best corporate practices, from creating corporate social media guidelines to enforcing best practices across all platforms</li>      <li>Discover how C-suite executives have a crucial role to play in social media, both for their businesses and for themselves</li>      <li>Understand how authentic social media efforts lead to more transparency and a greater level of trust between consumers and brands</li>      <li>Explore new platforms on the horizon and consider how publishers decide what to try next</li> </ul> Who should take this course: managers and directors in marketing, publicity, advertising and promotion, and editorial

Grading: SPS Non-Credit Graded

Repeatable for additional credit: Yes

EPUB1-CE 1003 Discoverability: Four Steps to Success (1 Credit)

Helping consumers discover titles is one of the biggest challenges publishers face in an increasingly crowded online environment. This course will explore how publishers can improve the “discoverability” of their titles through four targeted approaches: Search Engine Optimization, Pricing Strategies, Retailer Programs, and Maximizing Book Recommendation sites. <ul>      <li>Learn the latest and best practices for utilizing descriptive metadata and the effective use of keywords in relation to SEO. Understand the growing importance of Social Media Optimization (SMO) as search engines look to social signals to rank content</li>      <li>Determine what pricing strategies work best for your titles, including price reductions, giveaways, and the role of backlist and series promotions. Understand the optimum length and timing of a price promotion as well as the value of increased sales volume vs. revenue. Explore differing strategies for fiction and nonfiction titles. Learn how to work with existing sites that promote ebooks with price reductions and prepare for new opportunities in the pipeline. Establish the most effective way to work with ebook marketing programs at key vendors to best promote your titles. As these retailers expand globally, learn how to best position your titles in the international marketplace.</li>      <li>Learn how to make reader recommendations sites your partners in promoting your titles and how to use these social networks to stimulate book discovery through sharing.</li> </ul> In addition, the course will include a discussion of analytics: how to gather and understand data to make better marketing decisions. Who should take this course: managers and directors who want to learn and expand their knowledge of how to promote discoverability and digital product through retail, promotional partners and direct to consumer

Grading: SPS Non-Credit Graded

Repeatable for additional credit: Yes