The

Future
of
Publishing
Is
Here

The Stanford Professional Publishing Course

Every summer
for the past
SPPC class-
rooms are
equipped for
computer
note-taking.
32 years,
book, magazine and digital
publishers, marketers, ad-
vertising and circulation executives, editors, designers,
writers and people in search of their next career have
gathered on the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto,
California, to attend the Stanford Profession-
al Publishing Course (SPPC). This weeklong,
intensive course is the only one of its kind, where mid-
career professionals from the U.S. and around the
globe encounter the newest technologies, the smartest
thinking and a community of their peers, taught by a
world-class faculty.
 Students confer
on classes –
and jobs back
home.

SPPC has a
worldwide
reputation
generated by the thousands of students
whose lives and careers have been
changed by their attendance. Men and
women apply at the suggestion of enthu-
siastic former students, or their employ-
ers or through Internet announcements.
SPPC, as an agent of change, has had
a significant impact on magazine and
book publishing. Yet the Course is one
of the better-kept secrets in the industry.
The Course is divided into two segments. their own special challenges. In 2009, the faculty of the
A three-day International Pre-Course is designed famed Stanford Design School met with student teams
for students coming from abroad. The objective is to to work on methods of idea innovation.
familiarize them with U.S. magazine and book publish- There are normally six classes a day, with breaks for
ing. Highlights of the Pre-Course are side trips to San networking and refreshments. All classes are participa-
Francisco and Silicon Valley to visit major innovators – tory, allowing for dialogue with the faculty and an ex-
companies such as Google, Adobe, IDEO, Wikipedia, change of experiences among students.
Chronicle Books and Wired magazine. The Course continues to provide a strong empha-
The main seven-day Course begins immediately sis on the best practices in today’s magazine and book
after the International Pre-Course. Classes start early, publishing. Even in an age of emerging technology,
and discussions often run into the evening. During and those needs remain – editorial judgment, production
after mealtimes, students have an opportunity to meet and distribution, advertising and circulation and man-
with the faculty for one-on-one conversations about aging the internal core of the business.

In the 2009 Course, • Writing and editing for the Web

these new areas • Marketing via Web video on YouTube
of technology • Legal issues in digital publishing
were covered… • Search engine optimization
All corners • The power of print-on-demand
of the globe are
represented • Mobile platforms for books and magazines
at SPPC.
•

Using social networks to promote
books and magazines
• Understanding Web analytics
• Working with Amazon and Google
• Mastering Twitter
There has never been a better or more crucial time
for SPPC to make sure the book and magazine in-
dustries understand and appreciate the power of its
reach. Now more than ever, it is time for the world
publishing community to

become a full
partner in SPPC
Christian Schmidt-Hamkens, a recent
student, is Publishing Director of Verlagsleitung,
the leading special interest magazine publisher,
with 40 magazines in 9 European countries, based
in Hamburg, Germany. “When I returned from
SPPC, I invited all our employees and partners
(more than 350 people) to a three-hour information
seminar on what I heard at SPPC. That speech gave
the start to the biggest investment the company
had ever made. This would not have been possible
without the information, learning and experiences
from SPPC.”
The files of SPPC are filled with success stories
like this – encouragement for industry leaders who
are now calling for management training programs
to meet the challenges of the recession and new
digital and technical capabilities.
Gail Rebuck, Chairman and CEO
of Random House Group, said:

‘‘ The impact of the recession, coupled with the phe­

nom­enal pace of technological change, is having a
profound impact on the publishing sector. To take ad-
vantage of the great opportunities to create and deliver
compelling content to educate, engage and entertain
readers, the industry needs a workforce capable of
combining traditional skills with a new digital and tech-
Dorothy Kalins
nical capability underpinned by a renewed emphasis in her opening
on creativity. It is important that the industry under- address:
“Publishers
stands and moves with the market so the skills gap… cannot tolerate
does not grow.” knee-jerk
reactions to
bad times.”

Traditional skills meet digital realities

When students Dorothy Kalins, a member of the core faculty,
have questions,
they interrupt voiced these sentiments in the keynote speech
and ask. at SPPC’s 2009 Opening Night:

‘‘ Make books and magazines readers value, with con-

tent they are passionate about and cannot find else-
where. Invigorate the publishing formula with inventive
products – books, magazines, special issues, Websites,
interactive forums, events – all targeting those same
readers. Publish to their passions, and readers will re-
ward you with their loyalty.”
Education
in action: an
SPPC class in
a Law School
lecture hall.
The Students From its inception in 1978,
more than 3,000 students from all over the world have
attended, coming from profit and non-profit publishing
houses throughout the U.S., North and South America,
Western and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Far East.
Almost every continent is represented.
American students are still in the majority, but this
rich mix of cultures provides an opportunity to share
experiences and competence that cannot be found in
any other publishing course.
Most students are in their mid-30s, some on a fast
track are in their 20s, and others are over 50 and seek-
ing a second career. They are all professionals, hold-
ing positions as editors, marketers, writers, advertising,
promotion and circulation managers, designers, IT ex-
perts, etc. What they all have in common is a passion
for book and magazine publishing and a keen desire
to learn what is best and new. The students themselves
are one of the richest educational resources of the
arrive
Course. They
as strangers,
TEACH one another
and leave as comrades
Some remain friends for years. As a result of their time Dress at
spent at SPPC, they represent the hope of the future in SPPC is as
informal
publishing. as the
classes.
Meet the faculty
Keith Clinkscales, Senior VP/Content Development &
Enterprises, ESPN, where he launched a new ESPN incubator
media lab to develop new sports-driven content for all media
The Course faculty numbers about 60 and are carefully platforms; he also oversees Publishing, responsible for ESPN
selected for their command of content and their teach- The Magazine and ESPN Books.
ing skills. Each lecturer is outstanding in his or her field. Michael Gold, Principal, West Gold Editorial Consulting,
who develops launch and repositioning plans for magazines,
They are major executives in magazine, book and on- newsletters and books through his (and partner Susan West’s)
line publishing. They are Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. consulting firm; he also co-founded Hippocrates magazine,
now called Health.
They are also Stanford tenured faculty, leading indepen-
Jeff Gomez, Senior Director/Online Consumer Sales & Mar-
dent designers and electronic specialists. For all, this is keting, Penguin Group USA, who has been involved in elec-
tronic books and digital reading since the industry’s beginning
a labor of love, not money. The entire faculty is evaluated in 1999; he is also the author of four published novels and one
by the students, and each year new teachers are added nonfiction book.
to meet the needs of an ever-changing industry. Rob Gursha, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Of-
ficer, Time/Warner Retail Sales & Marketing, which distributes
Michela O’Connor Abrams, President & Publisher of Dwell more than 600 Time Inc. and client publications; before that
magazine; she has more than 17 years of experience in pub- he was President of Time Inc. Home Entertainment and Vice
lishing and Internet strategies, including serving as CEO of President of Sunset Publishing.
Computerworld.
Bruce Harris, Consultant to major publishers; previously he
Robert E. Baensch, President of Baensch International Group had management positions at Crown Publishing, where he
Ltd., a consulting firm specializing in international, profession- founded Harmony Books, Random House, and was CEO of the
al, trade and electronic publishing and professional training of U.S. publisher Workman.
publishers throughout the world.
Caroline Herter, President, Herter Studio, which offers con-
Mary K. Baumann, Partner, Hopkins/Baumann, a firm spe- sultation, literary representation and packaging and design
cializing in editorial design; she has worked for major pub- services to clients such as Simon & Schuster, Random House,
lishers such as Time Inc., Editora Abril, American Express, Abrams, National Geographic and MIT.
HarperCollins, Duncan Baird and Viking.
Nigel Holmes, Owner, Explanation Graphics, which, as he
Walter Bernard, Principal, Walter Bernard Design, an edito- says, “explains things to and for a wide variety of clients,” with
rial design and development company, whose credits include pictorial explanations of complex subjects; he was Graphics
the redesign of magazines such as Time, The Atlantic Monthly, Director of Time magazine for 16 years.
Fortune, Barrons and Adweek.
Will Hopkins, Partner, Hopkins/Baumann, a firm specializing
Bob Ciano, Creative Director, Saint Mary’s College of Califor- in editorial design; he has worked for major publishers such
nia, following a long career as Art Director/Creative Director as Hearst, L’Express, American Express, Duncan Baird, Abrams,
at Wired magazine, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Life magazine, HarperCollins, Viking and Rizzoli.
Travel & Leisure and Esquire, among others.
Dorothy Kalins, Director of Dorothy Kalins, Ink., is former
Executive Editor of Newsweek and Founding Editor of Saveur
and Metropolitan Home; she currently consults on magazines
and produces best-selling food books.


Guy Kawasaki, Managing Director, Garage Technology Ven- Robert Miller, President, Harper Studio, HarperCollins Pub-
tures, an early-stage venture capital firm, and columnist for lishers, a new corporate division geared to exploring new
Forbes.com; previously, he was an Apple Fellow at Apple Com- business models for book publishers; previous President of
puter, where he helped make the Macintosh such a success; Hyperion, a company he founded for Disney.
he has written eight books, including The Art of the Start.
Terry Newell, President & CEO, Weldon Owen Publishing,
John Kilcullen, former Publisher, The Hollywood Reporter/ the premier packager of branded books in the U.S., whose
Billboard/...for Dummies and Founder/CEO of Brand Revolu- current projects include books for Williams-Sonoma, The Body
tion, LLC, a media consulting boutique; his immensely popular Shop, Pottery Barn, Gymboree and Hallmark.
“…for Dummies” series has sold over 150 million copies in 29
John Owen, Chairman & Group Publisher, Bonnier Publish-
languages. 

ing; Founder and Chairman of Weldon Owen Publishing, a
Peter Kreisky, Chairman/Founder, The Kreisky Media leading packager and co-edition publisher; his company cre-
Consultancy, LLC/Boston Consulting Group, a management ates some 200 new titles each year.
consulting boutique that focuses exclusively on strategy
Amy Rennert, Founder & President, The Amy Rennert Agen-
and business transformation issues for top management in
cy, a literary agency that specializes in quality fiction and non-
media and entertainment.
fiction writers – many of them award-winners; her authors
Jeremy LaCroix, Creative Director, Lifestyles & Entertain- include singer Jimmy Buffett.
ment, CBS Interactive, who made the leap from print to Web,
Alan Rinzler, Executive Editor, Jossey-Bass Publishers/John
where he now works on such editorial Websites as CHOW.
Wiley & Sons; a book editor since 1962, beginning at Simon &
com, after serving as the multiple-award-winning art director
Schuster; before books, he was Vice President and Associate
of Wired magazine.
Publisher of Rolling Stone magazine.
Cynthia Leive, Editor-in-Chief, Glamour magazine, since
Paul Saffo, Technology Forecaster & Consulting Associ-
May 2001, where she won National Magazine Awards for Gen-
ate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University; a
eral Excellence and Personal Service; she is a former Presi-
forecaster who for two decades has explored long-term tech-
dent of ASME.
 


nological change and its impact on business and society; he
Jeremy Leven, Novelist, Screenwriter, Film Director, distin- advises private and governmental clients worldwide.
guished in all three disciplines; director of My Sister’s Keep-
Ina Saltz, Principal, Saltz Design, and Professor of Electronic
er (2009), screenwriter of The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Design and Multimedia at the City College of New York; con-
and author of such novels as Creator.
sults, lectures and writes frequently on magazine design and
Martin Levin, Counsel, Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, PC, a typography-related topics.
New York City law firm specializing in intellectual property, in-
Richard Stolley, Senior Editorial Adviser, Time Inc.; Reporter
ternational co-ventures, mergers and acquisitions and editorial
and Editor for the weekly Life, Founding Editor of People, Editor
rights and development; previously he was CEO of Times-
of the monthly Life, Editorial Director of Time Inc. and Editor of
Mirror Book Company.
three best-selling photographic histories of the 20th century.
Kevin McKean, Vice President/Editorial Director, Consum-
Art Streiber, Cover Photographer, WAS Photos; a freelance
ers Union, who oversees the editorial content and design for
photographer since 1993, specializing in reportage, travel,
all of CU’s publications, including Consumer Reports magazine
portrait and entertainment photography, whose clients include
and ConsumerReports.org.
leading American magazines and many Hollywood studios.
Scenes around
the campus;
at left, designer
Ina Saltz critiques
a student’s
publication.
All classes are held on the
Stanford
campus, a huge expanse
of stunning northern California country-
side and handsome buildings. Most class-
es meet in the comfortable facilities of the
Law School in the heart of this storied in-
stitution. Housing is available in suites
in a newly built, nearby dormitory. Many
Course students rent bicycles for better
access to the sprawling campus, with its
libraries, well-stocked bookstore, cafes,
fountains, trails and arched promenades.
The summer weather during the Course is
ideal: warm days, cool nights.
The charming city of Palo Alto, with its
unique shops and wide range of fine res-
taurants, is within walking distance or ac-
cessible by a free campus shuttle bus.
There is also frequent rail service to San
Francisco. For those students who might
be interested in a holiday after the Course,
a variety of exciting vacation spots are only
a short drive away.
Rob Gursha
explains the Resources
ins and outs
of magazine
Podcasts: Ideas that transform:
circulation. short videos featuring key media experts.
publishingcourses.stanford.edu/blog
Stanford E-Newsletter: News for publishing pro-
fessionals: upcoming programs and events, indus-
try notes, scholarships and hot jobs. To subscribe:
publishingcourses.stanford.edu/keepintouch
Alumni Directory: A networking guide for
Stanford Publishing Course alumni.
publishingcourses.stanford.edu/alumni
Job Board: Current career opportunities
for media professionals.
stanfordpublishing.jobamatic.com/a/jbb/find-jobs
YouTube Channel:
The Stanford Publishing Course channel:
a way to keep in touch.
www.youtube.com/user/SPPC1
Virtual Seminars: Learning at your desktop:
one-hour presentations by top publishing experts.
publishingcourses.stanford.edu
Social Networks: Check out our new communities:
stanfordpubcourse.ning.com
stanfordwebworkshop.ning.com
www.linkedin.com
(in the upper right-hand corner, choose Groups
and input Stanford Publishing Courses)
Tuition and Housing Coffee breaks
help everybody’s
Main Course concentration.
Main Course tuition includes Course materials, breakfast and
lunch daily, Opening Reception and Dinner and closing Western
Barbecue. Because of the intensive nature of the Course and
valuable interaction with on-campus speakers and peers, partici-
pants are encouraged to stay in the on-campus student residence
reserved for the Course. Tuition $3,950, plus $623 for seven-night,
single-room housing package.

International Pre-Course (optional)

Tuition for the International Pre-Course covers Course materials,
breakfast and lunch daily, Pre-Course Opening Reception and
Dinner and several field trips. Tuition $1,330, plus $267 for
three-night, single-room housing package.
Discounts and Scholarships
There are discounts for early reservations and for groups. There
are a limited number of scholarships available.

How to Sign Up
Tell us about yourself…
• Your name
• Your e-mail
• Your present position and bio
• Your career goals
…and we will tell you more about the Course.
We would be happy to hold a place for you in the Class of 2010.
Email us at [email protected]
If you wish to contact someone personally,
Martin Levin can be reached at [email protected].
 The Future of Publishing Is Here

“ The best professional workshop I’ve ever attended.

Like a mini-MBA for anyone working in the print media field.”
Cyndi Schoenbrun, Senior Research Analyst,
Consumer Reports, USA

“ I returned to the office with nearly 40 pages of notes,

a hard drive full of handouts, a bag full of inspirational books,
a Rolodex full of new associates, and a head packed
with new ideas and strategies.”
Laura Cerruti, Dirctor of Digital Content Development,
University of California Press, USA

“ Inspiring and informative. Great preparation for positioning

your brand for the future.”
Storm Mascall, Business Development Manager,
O The Oprah Magazine, South Africa

“ Living on the Stanford campus and getting to know publishing

people from all over the world was an amazing experience.”
Edward Pimenta, Training Director, Editora Abril, Brazil

“ The tours – such as the visit to IDEO – were especially interest-

ing. Overall, the course was an out-of-the-box experience.”
Min Liao, Editor-in-Chief, Trends Traveler/National Geographic, China

“ We really explored the impact of the digital transformation.

And the faculty spent time helping develop our individual
publications – a valuable tool as we enter the next stage
in the evolution of publishing.”
Paul Kent, Advertising Director,
Fairfax Integrated Solutions, Australia

The Stanford Professional Publishing Course

[email protected]