Teaching code

4S014643

Teacher

Giada Guerreschi

Credits

3

Also offered in courses:

• Workshop on Publishing Strategies of the course Master’s degree in Publishing and Journalism

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

NN - -

Period

CuCi 2 A, CuCi 2 B

Erasmus students

Not available

Courses Single

Not Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Integrate editorial and digital work: Acquire the ability (essential for an aspiring editor) to translate the literary value of a work into effective communication for the web.
- Build an Editorial Plan (EDP): Develop a coherent content strategy, learning to differentiate language based on the platform (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn) and the target audience (children, teens, parents, or professionals).
- Manage the Launch in 3 phases: Master the book market's timelines as applied to digital (teaser, launch, maintenance), coordinating social media outreach with events in the bookstore and the press office.
- Collaborating with Creators: Knowing how to map and select BookTokers and Bookstagrammers, distinguishing between pure visibility and real influence on the publishing market.
- Editorial Micro-copywriting: Writing short, effective, and web-optimized texts that capture attention in seconds without diminishing the quality of the book.
The overarching objective is to develop critical thinking about digital: not to be a victim of trends, but to learn to ride them while maintaining the publishing house's identity and prestige.

Prerequisites and basic notions

To successfully complete this course, no prior technical experience in digital marketing is required, but it is essential to possess:
- Basic Publishing Culture
- Knowledge of the supply chain: Knowing, at least in broad terms, what happens in a publishing house (from manuscript to distribution).
- Curiosity about the market: Knowing the main players in Italian publishing (large groups vs. independents) and current trends.
- Active use of social media platforms
- Being observant of other people's social media content
- Ability to analyze and summarize: Essential for writing short texts (micro-copywriting) and interpreting sales/traffic data.
- Open mind to cross-fertilization: The willingness to view the book not just as a physical object, but capable of adapting to different formats (video, podcast, meme).

Program

MODULE 1: The Digital Revolution in Publishing (8 hours)
1.1 Publishing 4.0: The Market and the Role of Social Media Understand how social media has redefined the book lifecycle and the role of all company figures (editor, press office, marketing).
1.2 Audience and Publishing Product Analysis Learn to identify the target audience (e.g., parents vs. kids, BookTokers, etc.) and how a book's characteristics (genre, author) determine its digital strategy.
1.3 Exercise to begin together and complete at home: Creating a Buyer Persona and a Digital Profile for a sample book. Understand that buyer personas are necessary even for those who don't work in marketing to understand when reading manuscripts whether a book is potentially marketable to the target market.
MODULE 2: Architecture and Planning (12 hours)
2.1 Social Media Ecosystem for Publishing: The Big Players. Distinction between platforms: Instagram (Visual & Community), TikTok (Trend & Virality), Facebook (Parent Community/Adult Target), and LinkedIn (B2B, Author-Professional). Focus on children's publishing.
2.2 The Editorial Plan (PED) as a working tool. Transforming strategy into an operational calendar. Roles and synergies between teams (Editorial, Graphic Design, Digital). Defining launch objectives (sales or community creation).
2.3 TOV: Communication Archetypes and Narratology. Together with the class, we analyze the different communication archetypes and lay the foundation for understanding how a good story works.
2.4 Exercise to do at home and correct together: Defining Tone of Voice and Content Pillars (content categories) for an editorial profile. Editors dictate the tone of voice a publishing house should use on social media: children's publications require an adult tone, nonfiction requires a serious and authoritative tone, fiction gives voice to the authors...
MODULE 3: The Launch: Execution and Content (12 hours)
3.1 Content Creation for Books: Copy, Visuals, and Video The basics of persuasive copywriting (CTAs, previews). How to create images (e.g., Canva) and videos (Reels/TikTok) that respect the brand and the book. The role of generative AI as a support. Editors often prepare marketing presentations, and writing with the target audience in mind using these techniques helps when drafting back covers, which are often entrusted to editors or junior editors.
3.2 Influencer Marketing and Collaborations Analysis of the BookTok and Bookstagram phenomenon. How to select influencers (booktokers, book bloggers) suitable for the young audience and how to manage partnerships. Creators are increasingly chosen as godmothers and godfathers of publishing projects (e.g., Rizzoli's La Biblioteca di Daphne series; DeAgostini's Booklover Approved series).
3.3 Happy Release Day: Launch Tactics What to do before, during, and after a book's release. Examples of successful campaigns (real-world case studies in publishing for children and adults).
3.4 Workshop: Brief for creating a launch Reel/TikTok for a specific book. Social media increasingly appreciates behind-the-scenes content, and a good editor must be able to explain their projects over the course of a reel and support marketing in the launch strategy because they are the person who knows the book best.
MODULE 4: Final Projects (4 hours)
4.1 All previous exercises are used to create a final project that involves the creation of either a new profile for a publishing house or the launch strategy for a book.
4.2 Presentations Students present their projects to the class. Feedback and evaluation will be returned during the exam.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

In-person lessons, individual and group exercises, and the opportunity to work outside the classroom to create video content.

Learning assessment procedures

The exam will be oral and will include the presentation of the project in front of the class and subsequent feedback with evaluation.

Evaluation criteria

What does the project involve? Students will submit a document (PDF/Slides) containing: Positioning Analysis: Who is the book aimed at and why should it work on social media? Channel Strategy: Which platforms to use (and which to exclude), explaining the reasons behind the choice. Creative Concept: The central idea of the campaign (e.g., a TikTok challenge, an Instagram book club, a series of author interviews). Launch Editorial Plan (EDP): A two-week calendar (pre-launch and release week) with copy examples and content types (Reels, Posts, Stories). Influencer Mapping: Selection of 3-5 profiles (BookTokers/Creators) consistent with the book and an explanation of why they were chosen. All of the above will be covered in class.

Exam language

Italiano