This project-based course allowed students to join a team developing a text for publication, learn under the mentorship of a professional in the field, and later apply what was learned to publish their own work.
Over the course of 80 hours, students:
- Created a budget for their projects
- Reviewed commercial print house options, selecting the one that best met their goals
- Aligned their files with the printer’s specifications
- Went through the proofing process
- Explored opportunities for online sales, selecting one that best met their goals
- Contacted local retailers to learn about their purchasing process
- Made direct-to-customer sales at a regional gaming convention
- Had the text reviewed by an award winning journalist
This course was offered as an extension to a student’s years-long work developing games. The student concurrently studied graphic design (focused on book layout) and continued developing the game they wished to publish.
In addition to its larger projects, LEAF’s publishing arm, Lyndhurst Free Press, also publishes student work. For this course, the student was invited to join a team working to publish a short rulebook for a game. In collaboration with their team, the student went through the process of publishing this shorter text, even overseeing online and retail sales. After completing this group project, the student worked to apply what they had learned to their own project.
This course was taught by Andrew Harris, M.Ed., a publisher, game designer, and small business owner, with assistance from Elizabeth MacDowell, published author.
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