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Virtual Classroom

Publishing Strategy Toolkit

Develop your publishing strategy skills with this intensive course on competitive strategy for commissioning editors with at least two years’ experience.
DATES

28.09, 30.09 & 2.10.2026

TIME

9.00am–12.30pm

FORMAT

Virtual classroom via Zoom

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 3 training sessions
  • Completion certificate
  • CIEP membership upgrade

PRICE

£720 + VAT

See available discounts
Looking for training for your team?
This course is also offered as Team Training for organisations.

Why should I take this course?

If you're charged with maximising the success of a publishing list or market segment and want to compete effectively, this introduction to competitive strategic thinking is for you.
Designed for print and digital publishers, the course aims to give you the confidence to develop your products and lists so that they are positioned as well as they can be within the market.

The course is built around applying business-school models and theories to real-world examples, both successful and unsuccessful. These models will help you to structure your thinking and give you new ideas and approaches to how, what, and when, to publish. The three-session course contains a stimulating combination of presentations, practical exercises, discussion and delegate interaction, so that you understand these concepts and can see how they might apply to your role and sector.

By the end of the course, you'll understand how these new ways of thinking can be applied to your own strategic questions, and you’ll have the answers and tools to make your list a commercial success.
Benefits

Control how you learn and progress

Who is it for?

Anyone responsible for publishing strategy within educational, academic, professional or trade publishing. This includes but is not limited to:
  • commissioning editors
  • managing directors
  • publishers
  • publishing directors
  • publishing managers.

Learning outcomes

On completing this course you'll be able to:
  • clearly define your overarching goals and those of the organisation in which you work
  • analyse the opportunities and competitive environment in your market
  • identify the important strengths of your organisation
  • generate strategic options and choose the most successful
  • communicate your plans concisely and effectively.

Programme

Day 1: An introduction to strategic thinking and SWOT analysis

  • Strategic context and objectives
  • The strategy process
  • Internal analysis and resource-based strategy
  • External analysis and market-based strategy.



Day 2: Deciding where to play and generating strategic options

  • Customer segment analysis
  • Evaluating emergent markets
  • Ansoff’s matrix
  • Porter’s generic strategies
  • Customer value disciplines.


Day 3: Evaluating options and deciding how to win

  • Marketing warfare
  • Rumelt’s Sources of Power
  • Differential advantage analysis
  • Prioritising and action-planning
  • The essentials of a good strategy plan.
Details

What you need to know

Delivery

The course consists of 6 x 2¼-hour sessions including breaks, each a mixture of delivery and interaction using Zoom breakout rooms and other online tools. There will be a 45-minute exercise set to complete between the sessions, and a 45-minute break. The course will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm on each day. 

Software requirements

You will need access to a computer or laptop with a camera and microphone and with Microsoft Word and either Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (free version) or Adobe Acrobat Professional installed. Any information to be completed beforehand will be sent via email.

Zoom

You will need to activate a free Zoom account to join the course. This takes 2 minutes and does not require any payment. It is purely for administrative purposes. 

Accessibility

Please contact us with any accessibility or special requirements, for example having in-session captions or the learning materials sent to you in advance.

Chartered Institute of Editing & Proofreading (CIEP) membership upgrade

Completing this course counts towards the continuing professional development (CPD) requirement of a CIEP membership upgrade. For more information about upgrade criteria, visit the CIEP Membership Upgrade Hub.

Certificate

Upon completing the course you will receive a certificate from the Institute of Publishing.

Team Training

This course is available for in-house training, delivered either virtually or at your offices. The content can be tailored to meet your organisation's requirements.

What our students say

I very much enjoyed this course. I appreciated having time to try out different exercises even though I found many of them challenging. Kay was also great at coming round breakout rooms and providing support. I’ve gained lots of practical tools and tips for thinking about strategy well and chance to start applying them to my list.

Delegate, Bloomsbury Publishing

I found the course very helpful, and the teacher extremely knowledgeable. The breakout sessions and activities really helped to deliver the strategies explained. I’ve learned that I should step away from my own list and think about wider internal company strategies and external publishing trends.

Commissioning Editor, York Press

What our students say

I have gained clarity on high-level strategic decisions and, in particular, the need to play to your strengths and not get distracted with smaller and riskier investments. I have also learned not to be obsessed with publishing new content for its own sake!

Senior Commissioning Editor, Hodder Education

The course was excellent – very engaging, interesting and helpful. I have gained clarity about what needs to be focused on.

Managing Editor, Raintree

What our students say

I thoroughly enjoyed the course. The beneficial feedback from Kay is well-suited to a small group size. I have acquired models for understanding why things we have already been doing have worked (or haven't!), as well as new insights and ideas. These benefits will increase my confidence in explaining rationale to colleagues in future and lead to new successes.

Delegate, Educate.ie

The course was challenging and took me out of my comfort zone (though I see that as a good thing!). I’ve gained clarity on which areas of my existing lists to focus on and what to consider when it comes to thinking of expansion.

Delegate, Bloomsbury Publishing

About the trainer

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Kay Symons

Trainer
ABOUT KAY SYMONS
Kay Symons has 30 years' experience with some of the foremost educational publishers in the UK. She worked at Heinemann for 20 years, as publishing director and Managing Director of Heinemann Secondary and Vocational during a period of huge success from 1997 to 2004. She has an international executive Masters in Business Administration from Henley Management College, and is now a publishing consultant and trainer.
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