This fall DePaul University will be offering a course on small-press publishing taught by local indie press pioneers Jonathan Messinger and Zach Dodson, the founders of Featherproof Books. Students can hope to learn some of the secrets that have made Featherproof stand out from the crowd to become a nationally known press whose books are regularly covered in major media outlets.
Via the Chicagoist:
“’The first step is creating a quality product. If the book doesn’t read well, and doesn’t look good, it makes everything else much harder,’ Dodson said. It’s also necessary to edit and design a great title and figure out how to get it out there. Lastly, Dodson said the digital component has rapidly advanced to the short list. ‘The industry is one of the last to embrace the Internet, and there are major upheavals right now. The ability to see where things are going, to understand Web presence and ebooks, will serve anyone who wants to learn about publishing today.’”
While it sounds like Professors Messinger and Dodson will focus on the page, one of the course’s three workshops will be on publicity and marketing—which means students may also get some insights on how to put on a great show from the funny men behind the Dollar Store and The Show N’ Tell Show.
