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Editorial Project Management

Managing editorial projects brings risks and challenges but also rewards – whether you work in-house or freelance. This course will give you the confidence to navigate your way successfully through each stage of your project.

Clear explanations of best-practice theory and terminology, combined with hands-on practical experience, will give you the tools to effectively manage both print and digital editorial projects.

The course promotes active learning, using a blended approach of self-study, interactive activities, group work and an in-depth editorial case study to guide you through the practical tasks required for the job.

You will learn how to set up a project, handle issues and changes, manage resources and prioritise effectively.

At the end of the course, you will have gained skills and knowledge you can put into practice immediately. Plus, you will have access to a suite of templates and documentation to help keep your editorial projects running smoothly and successfully from start to finish.

Please note that this course focuses exclusively on editorial projects. If you have a non-editorial role and want to gain an understanding of general, non-editorial projects, we recommend Introduction to Project Management.

Who is it for?

Anyone who manages editorial projects, in-house or freelance, including:

  • desk editors
  • editorial project managers
  • editors
  • freelance editors
  • managing editors who are responsible for the management of complete editorial projects
  • production editors
  • project editors.

What will you achieve?

On completing this course you will be able to:

  • assess the scope, needs and risks of an editorial project
  • set up robust processes to maintain and document progress and issues
  • accurately estimate timings to produce a detailed and reliable schedule
  • create and maintain the project budget to ensure profitability
  • effectively manage and communicate with your team and other stakeholders, wherever they are.

Programme

Before the first session, you will be sent details of the editorial case study that forms the central example for the course. Completing the tasks will take 30 minutes and is required before attending on Day 1. There will also be homework tasks set between the three days, each requiring around 30 minutes' study time. 

Day 1

Session 1: Setting up a successful project   
  • Leading a project – skills, accountability and responsibility  
  • Understanding goals and objectives 
  • Determining workflow and dependencies 
  • Assessing and mitigating risk 

Session 2: Managing content and processes  

  • Documenting progress, content and issues   
  • Managing complex, multi-part projects  
  • Working for continual improvement  

Day 2

Session 3: Managing your time and tasks 

  • Techniques to keep on track 
  • Defining and prioritising tasks

Session 4: Scheduling  

  • Estimating and allocating time  
  • Mitigating delay and why  
  • Scheduling tools and tips 
  • Linking dependencies 

Day 3 

Session 5: Budgeting  

  • Estimating costs  
  • Understanding profitability   
  • Using contingency   
  • Keeping to budget  

Session 6: Working with suppliers 

  • Negotiating fees 
  • Briefing suppliers – local and offshore   
  • When things don’t go to plan  

Session 7: Talking teams 

  • Roles and communication 
  • Leading virtual/hybrid teams  

Next session

9, 11 & 13 February 2026

Price

£720 + VAT

A number of discounts are available

Course format

  • Virtual classroom
  • 9.00am to 12.30pm 
  • 3 x 3½-hour sessions including breaks, comprising 3 sessions on 3 days

Date information for future sessions

February 2026

  • Dates: 9, 11 & 13 February 2026
  • Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm

June 2026

  • Dates: 15, 17 & 19 June 2026
  • Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm

October 2026

  • Dates: 19, 21 & 23 October 2026
  • Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm

What you will need

To join the course, you will need access to a computer or laptop with a camera and microphone. You will need to activate a free Zoom account to join the course. This takes 2 minutes and does not require any payment. It is purely for administrative purposes.

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