Introduction to Book Editing

In this course students will learn about the core tenets of book publishing from the perspective of an editor. We will track the life cycle of a book, from submission assessment, pitching, advance calculation, and copywriting to editing, cover design, and publication. We will work with fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and subcategories (cookbooks, graphic books, genre fiction, self-help/business). Each week we will read one acclaimed book published after 2024, which students will choose from a provided list. We will read essays from the New Yorker, Harper’s, the Paris Review, and more, and students will submit one reader’s report and one supplemental assignment weekly. Students will gain an understanding of an editor’s responsibilities, the book market, and the publishing industry writ large.



Harriet LeFavour ’21 is a Senior Editor at Bloomsbury Publishing. She acquires and edits general nonfiction, literary

fiction, and cookbooks for the adult trade department.