Passionate about Training and Creative Publishing

Knowledge Centre & Free Publications | Blog | Contact Us

020 7221 3399 | Email UsSubscribe to our Newsletter

• About Us
• Corporate and In-House Training
• How to Enrol
• Credentials
• Course Approval
• Notting Hill Poetry Centre
• FAQ
• Course Calendar

FAQ

Suitability for Courses

01. Who are the LSP courses aimed at and what specifically will they train me in?

The LSP certificated courses are primarily targeted at people who wish to enter publishing as part of their career progression. The courses are also suitable for those who are currently in the early stages of a publishing-related role, but have not had any formal training.

People who join our courses are keen to focus their efforts on developing their careers and on acquiring the necessary skills in order to enter and progress within a demanding industry. The courses provide these skills and give course delegates a good knowledge base and a competitive edge.

The courses teach modern publishing skills, but also assimilate the concept of traditional publishing skills, especially in relation to editing and proofreading. The courses also inform course delegates about how the industry works and current trends. The training will ensure that delegates are ready to be employed within the various roles in publishing and will further their career progression.

02. What is the average age of delegates taking a course?

The courses are not age-specific. Typically, course delegates are aged between 21–35 - LSP welcomes people of all ages, the minimum being 21. Indeed, the School has noticed a significant number of people re-training who are 40+. There are also a number of people training with us in order to update skills to return to the industry after taking time out to start a family – the majority wish to apply for freelance positions on completion of their training.

03. How much work and commitment is involved – and will I be able to cope with being in a full-time job?

In order to fully benefit from a course, one has to commit to attending the sessions and completing any work set. We are aware that most people are in full-time employment and that is taken into consideration when work is set outside the class time.

Where missing a session is unavoidable, we would ask the delegate to let us know in advance so that we can inform the tutor and notes will usually be sent out in the post. In terms of the extra work that is completed outside the class time – again we are aware that delegates have work commitments and the average amount of extra homework would normally be only be 2 hours per week. Detailed notes are provided and it is advisable to review them outside the class time. In addition, there are a couple of small assignments set and a little more work needs to be done leading up to the examination or handing in of final projects or features. In short, the courses have been designed to take into account the busy schedules of delegates and as long as you communicate any potential issues in advance, we are very happy to be understanding and flexible in our approach.

For those delegates who are taking our two or three-day electronic publishing courses, those delegates in full-time employment will need to book 2 or 3 days off from work in order to undertake the training.

04. I am an overseas student – will the courses be suitable for me and will my qualifications be recognised?

The key variable for us with regards to any overseas student, is their level of English. We expect students to have at least IELTS level 6.5 - a test can be provided to establish your level.

For the Advanced Editorial, the Editorial & Proofreading and the Magazine & Newspaper Sub-Editing courses, you are required to have a higher standard of English Language, in terms of grammar and syntax, as these courses are centred on the precision and perfection of editing and proofing skills.

We accept overseas degree qualification for course entry. If you do not have a degree, but have two/three years relevant experience, we will also consider you. If you have any doubts, please telephone the Course Co-ordinator to discuss your situation. Furthermore, we would advise you to attend an interview.

Required Qualifications/Experience

05. Do I need a degree in a particular discipline?

No – the industry does not specify a particular discipline, although people with English or Classics degrees are often more in demand, as a flair for language and communications is required for editorial and subbing roles. However, someone with a scientific background would be more suitable for working within the pharmaceutical or medical publishing sector. Equally, graduates in financial, business-related courses or economics are also in demand for business and financial publications. Furthermore, those with a degree or working background in photography would be very suitable for entry into our Picture Research course.

In short, any degree is acceptable, but certain specialised areas of publishing tend to prefer related degrees. Irrespective of your background, the focus of our training is to provide a solid foundation in industry skills so that you can apply for a position with confidence. Examples of such skills include: editing, proofreading and subbing (using the BSI industry marks), improving grammar, improving writing style, how to use images, how to source images, copyright and legal issues, use of QuarkXPress, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, FrontPage, HTML, and Dreamweaver.

06. Do I need to be a graduate in order to enrol on a course?

Our entry requirements reflect the needs of the industry. The publishing industry is generally graduate entry, although there are exceptions and people with relevant experience within a commercial environment are welcome. We will accept non-graduates with a minimum of two years commercial experience. If in any doubt, please do not hesitate to contact us by telephone or email. Graduates will have greater opportunities than non-graduates to secure a position, but experience and the training provided by LSP are also important in helping with employment prospects. For those who are non-graduates the courses can consolidate the training with commercial experience to enable a delegate to become more marketable.

Please contact the Course Co-ordinator if you have any questions relating to entry.

07. Do I need to have any previous experience in publishing in order to enrol on a course?

Previous experience within publishing is not a pre-requisite to course entry. The courses give participants the important balance between theory and practice so as to enable them to quickly understand what would be required of them within a modern publishing environment. The intensive nature of the courses also allows delegates the chance to absorb and assimilate key skills and to apply them to a position within a publishing role.

Career Progression

08. What are the advantages of my attending the LSP courses rather than those of other course providers?

The London School of Publishing offers some of the most up-to-date courses of their kind in the UK. Course contents are up-dated regularly and content reflects changes and developments occurring within the industry.

None of our courses are run as distance learning. We firmly believe that course delegates training in areas of publishing learn new skills when being trained face-to-face with an expert tutor.

The key advantages of following the LSP courses include:

• LSP has been established since 1984 and we continue to be one of the most recognised and well-respected training organisations in the country. Our courses provide comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of the current publishing processes.
• We work closely with our tutors to ensure that key developments are implemented within the training.
• Detailed notes on each of the sessions are provided – with plenty of exercises given and homework set regularly.
• Course tutors are all working within their respective fields with many years of working and teaching experience.
• The courses have intellectual rigour and help course delegates develop specific publishing skills.
• The courses teach in a practical way – ensuring that course delegates are prepared for the demands of the industry and are ready to be employed within their respective fields.

09. What are the career outcomes once I have completed a course?

Naturally, career expectations are dependent on a number of factors and variables, such as previous educational attainment, age and suitability for a position. However, according to our own research, most people who successfully complete our courses are highly motivated about a career in publishing. The vast majority gain employment soon after completing the training. A number start attending interviews whilst they are still taking a course – normally towards the end of their training, by which time they have both the skills and industry know-how to approach a job interview with a great deal of confidence.

Course delegates who are sent to our courses by their employers, usually find that as a direct result of the training their career progression improves, with many gaining promotion and/or greater responsibilities soon after completing an LSP course.

10. Is there any help given to course delegates in order to find a position within publishing?

The school is pleased to offer references for up to two years on completion of the course. The combination of training coupled with a serious attitude towards searching for the right positions, creates a much better chance of career advancement.

LSP currently has a link with a publishing recruitment agency, and the details can be made available to our students.

We are occasionally approached by various publishing houses seeking to offer job positions to our students – on those occasions, we provide our students with the information. This is a great chance to gain employment, as these job offers are aimed exclusively at LSP course delegates.

11. How well recognised are the courses within the industry?

LSP has been established since 1984 and is part of the David Game Media Group – established 1974. LSP courses are all approved by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). Furthermore, our course delegates are able to apply for the NUJ membership and Press Pass.

Our Picture Research course (as taught by Octavia Lamb) is also approved by the British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA).

The two and three-day courses that we run in conjunction with our partners Media Training (awarded the prestigious European Training Partner of the Year Award for 2005 – in recognition of the consistently high standards of training – Macromedia Inc.) are approved as follows:

• Adobe Certified Training Provider
• Macromedia Authorised Training Provider
• QUARK Authorised Training Centre

We also have a significant client base - some of our clients include:

BBC Worldwide, BMA, CIO, Christies, Dorling Kindersley, Eaglemoss Publications, English Heritage, EMAP Publications, Financial Times, GlaxoWellcome UK, HarperCollins, Hodder & Stoughton, Design Council, Macmillan Publishers UK and Penguin Books.

A full list of clients is available here.

Booking and Payment

12. How can I arrange my payment?

Booking can be made by completing and submitting an online booking form. You will be contacted thereafter, either with a provisional confirmation offering you a place, or you may be requested to provide further details. Thereafter, payment will be required in order to secure your place.

Payments for the PR Professional Development Programmes are payable in full in advance of the start of the training. There are two options of how to make your payment: via bank transfer or a credit/debit card. You will need to show whether you are being sponsored or paying yourself. Once payment has been made, you will be issued with a letter of confirmation and a receipt.

Payment must be paid in full no later than a week before the start of the course.

We do not have a system that allows course participants to pay by instalments. All fees can be paid by cash, cheque or credit/debit card – paying by a credit card enables budgeting of fees.

13. Is there any government funding for the fees available?

LSP is registered with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) as a recognised provider of training. Those potential course participants who may require assistance in funding can secure a loan by visiting the Career Development Loan (CDL) website at: www.lifelonglearning.dfes.gov.uk/cdl (opens in new window). CDLS aim is to help people overcome the financial barriers to learning by making it easier for them to manage, plan and invest in their own learning.

Alternatively, you can telephone the DfES on: 0800 585 505 (freephone). They will provide you with the necessary information and assistance

14. How do I book a place on a LSP course?

In order to book a place, please complete and submit the online booking form.

Once your form has been received, you will be sent a provisional confirmation email offering you a place. On receipt of the provisional confirmation, you will be required to secure your place with payment. You have several options of payment methods, which are listed below.

1. Bank Transfer:

Bank Name: Barclays Bank plc
A/C No.: 10417041
Sort Code: 20-06-05

2. Credit/debit card: We accept Visa, MasterCard, Switch and Maestro. Please call 020 7221 3399/3432 to make your payment.

3. Cheque: Please make your cheque payable to the London School of Publishing, 118A Kensington Church Street, Kensington, London W11 3JS. Please attach a note with full details or add details on the back of the cheque of delegate(s) attending. Receipts will be sent in the post, together with the booking confirmation.

4. In person: Please book an appointment if you wish to make your payment in person

Sponsored delegates – LSP can raise an Invoice: An invoice will be issued on receipt of the letter of sponsorship authorising training. Please email the letter to: enquiries@publishing-school.co.uk

Course Assessment

15. What is the nature of the assessments within the courses?

Advanced Editorial: Assessed by a two-hour advanced editing, grammatical and proofreading examination.

Editorial and Proofreading: Assessed by a two-hour editing, grammatical, spelling and proofreading examination.

Feature Writing: Assessed by the production of four features by each course delegate that need to be of publishable standard.

Magazine Sub-Editing: Assessed by a two-hour editing and subbing examination.

Picture Research: Course delegates are to prepare four projects for assessment. Course delegates are awarded the LSP NUJ-Approved Certificate.

Electronic Publishing day courses are not examination-based. However, delegates will be given an attendance certificate.

16. What happens if I fail an examination?

In the event that a candidate fails an examination, they will be allowed an opportunity to re-sit, focusing on the particular areas of weakness. The Course Co-ordinator will inform those who have failed and when necessary, arrange to provide the candidate with feedback on where they underperformed and what specific areas need to be improved. A re-sit will be arranged thereafter.