Von der Idee zum Buch: Verlag und Lektorat im Zeitalter von KI

The publishing industry is undergoing profound change as a result of artificial intelligence: AI is no longer regarded merely as an experiment, but is rapidly transforming the entire sector. For publishers, on the one hand, it opens up new possibilities, such as optimising certain workflows (like proofreading), generating and implementing creative ideas more quickly, or reaching target audiences more precisely through personalised marketing.

At the same time, it raises questions: Which applications of AI are truly useful and actually make day-to-day work easier? Where do the legal and ethical boundaries lie? And how can AI be integrated responsibly into day-to-day publishing operations? And the big question for students: Is it worth pursuing a career in the publishing industry – for example, in editing – or will these jobs soon cease to exist?

This seminar aims to address all these questions and demonstrate what AI can and cannot do in publishing. For it is precisely in the age of AI that the ‘human factor’ is becoming increasingly important in publishing houses – the work of editors is becoming more demanding than ever: It requires a deeper literary understanding, more sophisticated strategic thinking and stronger conceptual skills. The paradoxical truth is that AI does not make an editor’s work any easier – it makes it more important and more valuable.

The aim of this seminar is, whilst taking these new developments into account, to provide participants with an in-depth insight into a) all the different departments of a publishing house in general, and b) to examine editorial work in particular, using numerous practical sessions to demonstrate what the day-to-day professional life of an editor entails.

Lecturer-led input alternates with intensive practical sessions involving individual, team and group work: in addition to editing and proofreading individual text examples, participants will, amongst other things, work through the standard timetables and work stages for individual book projects, draw up cost estimates together, etc., but also providing specific advice on how to break into this area of publishing and what the current career prospects look like.

Course content

• Editorial work in publishing – a career with a future? – An analysis of the current situation in this professional field in Germany
• Hurdles, stumbling blocks, or the ideal career path? Ways to start a career in publishing and as an editor
• A quiet little office or caught between two stools? The position of the editorial department within a publishing house
• Plan A, B or C? Aspects and principles of programme planning
• A soldier of fortune, or: How do you find the golden nugget? Finding ideas and authors
• Carrot or stick? Working on the text: the tasks of editing and proofreading
• A book – a faceless entity? On titles, covers and the right layout
• Big talk, big impact? On blurb, press releases and preview texts
• Out of control? Timeframes, schedules and time-related factors
• Does the market drive things? The right book, at the right time, for the right customer

Further information can be found here.