How books get made & who helps make them
What’s in the Video?
A great idea is only the first step in the journey of a book – it takes a lot of people, with different skills and talents to bring a book to life! In this lesson, you’ll explore the world inside a publishing house, and learn about the people whose job it is to take a book from an idea, to a finished thing you can hold in your hand.
Video Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:23 Meet the creators
01:39 What is publishing?
04:03 What goes on behind the scenes?
06:00 Other steps to make a book
07:00 Final words of advice
08:44 Here’s what we’ve learned
Learning Intentions
1. Learning about publishing, and some of the people involved in the making of a book.
2. Exploring the publishing process, and steps to take a book from an idea to a finished product.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
1. Identified the roles involved in book publishing and explained what each of them do.
2. Demonstrated understanding of the publishing process by creating a fictional publishing list.
Discussion Questions
PRE-VIDEO:
Once an author writes a story, how do YOU think it becomes a finished book? What are some of the steps that might be needed?
Think about some of the different books you have read. Who do you think decides how a book will look? What about the size it will be? What about the cover design or artwork? How do YOU think these things happen?
POST VIDEO:
Sasha and Susannah talk about a BOOK PUBLISHER, which is the name for the place that makes books, and the title of the person in the PUBLISHING HOUSE who makes them. Can you remember what the job of a publisher is? What sorts of things do they do?
Susannah talked about some of the questions she asks when she first reads a manuscript. What were some of those questions?
Susannah also said that it’s important that they publish a wide variety of books and creators, and that these represent the ‘beautiful diversity of the world the way it really is.’
Why do you think representing different stories and authors is important?
If you were in charge of a publishing house, what kind of books might you like to publish?
Sasha and Susannah listed just some of the people who work behind the scenes in a publishing house who help make a book into a real thing.
How many of these people can you remember? (NB – publishers, editors, proof-readers, sales people, printers, warehouse people, rights people, typesetters, designers, production people,)
Sasha also talked about her role in PRODUCTION. Do you remember what she did in that job? (NB – all about physically making the book, working with the printers, and choosing the size, paper and cover finishes).
Curriculum Links
Australian Curriculum V9.0 Links
ENGLISH Y3-4
Language:
● Text structure and organisation: AC9E3LA03, AC9E4LA03
Literature:
● Engaging with and responding to literature: AC9E3LE02, AC9E4LE02
● Examining literature: AC9E3LE04, AC9E4LE04
Literacy:
● Texts in context: AC9E3LY01, AC9E4LY01
● Analysing, interpreting and evaluating: AC9E3LY05, AC9E4LY05
● Creating texts: AC9E3LY06, AC9E4LY06
GENERAL CAPABILITIES
LITERACY
Speaking and listening:
● Speaking: Crafting ideas, Vocabulary: Level 5
● Listening: Level 5-6
CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING
Generating:
● Create possibilities: Level 3
Reflecting
● Transfer knowledge: Level 3
[Upper primary]
ENGLISH Year 5-6
Language:
● Text structure and organisation: AC9E5LA03, AC9E6LA03
CREATORS
Resources
