Successful publishing is largely built on successful negotiations. These can include negotiations between author and editor, agent and publisher, editor and marketing manager, and production manager and suppliers. Such negotiations need to have outcomes which are acceptable to both parties and help maintain ongoing relationships.
Negotiating for a Win-Win Outcome is for anyone in publishing who negotiates with others, inside or outside the organisation. It offers plenty of tips, techniques and tools for successful negotiating. However, everyone has a different approach to negotiating, and the course encourages you to think about your current negotiating feelings and behaviours – which people and situations do you find most challenging? What goes well or not so well?
It also covers an understanding of the structure negotiations take, the behaviours which work best, how to deal with difficult parties and ways to build your own power, credibility and authority to get the outcome you need.
With a mixture of theory and practice, working on your own and in small groups, you’ll put a variety of techniques into action and learn how to be a more effective negotiator.
Who is it for?
- Commissioning editors
- designers and design directors
- junior editors
- managing editors
- publishers
- production executives, managers and directors
- publishers
What will you achieve?
On completing this course you’ll be able to:
- prepare for the different stages of a negotiation
- make use of the other person’s motivations and needs
- use assertive behaviour in negotiating
- assess and build your negotiating authority and power.
Programme
Day 1
Session 1
- Your personal objectives
- Introduction to win-win negotiating process
- Group negotiating exercise
Session 2
- How thoughts and feelings affect negotiating behaviour
- Assertive behaviour as the foundation of negotiating behaviour
- Negotiating with “difficult” people
- Power, authority and credibility: how to increase yours
There will be a short exercise on building credibility to complete individually before Day 2
Programme
Day 2
Session 1
- Recap on learning points
- Rehearse negotiating in small groups using your own scenarios or those provided
Session 2
- Discussion of practice scenarios
- Features and benefits
- Methods of communication in negotiations
- Reflection on personal objectives
The course will include interactive discussion and small-group exercises in breakout rooms
Course format
- Virtual classroom
- 9.00am to 12.30pm
- 4 x 1½-hour sessions, split across 2 half days comprising 2 half-day sessions
Date information for future sessions
November 2025
- Dates: 11 & 13 November 2025
- Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm
April 2026
- Dates: 28 & 30 April 2026
- Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm
November 2026
- Dates: 10 & 12 November 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.
How the course is delivered
The course consists of 4 x 1½-hour sessions, each a mixture of delivery and interaction using Zoom breakout rooms and other online tools. There will be 15-minute breaks between sessions with the opportunity to do exercises and take a break. The course will run on the same day across 2 weeks, split into 2 ½-day sessions in the morning from 9.00am to 12.30pm.
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.
Any information to be completed beforehand will be sent via email.
Accessibility
Please contact us at with any accessibility or special requirements, for example having in-session captions or the learning materials sent to you in advance.
If you have any concerns about technical requirements or access please contact us on or telephone +44 (0)20 8874 2718.
In-company training
This course is also available for in-company training, either virtually or in person at your office. Course content is tailored to suit your requirements. Group sizes range from five to twelve attendees. To find out more, email or telephone +44 (0)20 8874 2718.
Delegate feedback
“I enjoyed the course very much! There were plenty of exercises to engage our thoughts, and lots of information in the handouts and the presentation. I’ve increased my confidence, and gained guidance on how to approach negotiation.” Commissioning Editor, Bloomsbury Publishing
“The course was a great mixture of lecture-style teaching and interactivity. I have learned the skills behind being a good negotiator and it is helped me re-think my own approaches. I feel equipped with lots of great resources.” Pan Macmillan delegate
“The course was brilliant. The leader was incredibly insightful and a wonderful coach, creating a welcoming environment to share our problems. Collaboration was fostered between attendees during practical exercises, which were very useful. It was great to meet and bond with a diverse group of women working in publishing who were having similar difficulties with asserting themselves. I’ve gained confidence and reassurance in my abilities to negotiate. I now feel I can fully use my voice in some of the more challenging business interactions I face. An empowering experience!” Institute of Materials, Mineral and Mining delegate
“Valerie was an excellent tutor, engaging and extremely personable. She was patient and let us share only what we wanted to. I felt very comfortable talking to her and the group. The course structure was great, allowing time to learn directly from the tutor and to discuss with each other. I gained skills I can immediately use in my role and everyday tasks.” Class Professional Publishing delegate
“The course has given me newfound confidence in my own skills and new ways/tools of thinking about how to approach negotiation.” Bonnier Books delegate
“The course was perfect! I’ve gained the tools to enable me to go into meetings and negotiate successfully.” Sales Representative, Pan Macmillan SA
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Valerie was an excellent tutor. The group was lovely, and I felt like I'm not alone in my anxieties and fears. This course has really helped me gain confidence, both in and outside of work.” Commissioning Editor, Class Professional Publishing
“The training was extremely interesting and useful. Valerie is a wonderfully engaging presenter, very easy to listen to and the course was just the right mix of theory, practical demonstration and anecdotes. The materials she provided really helped put conflict resolution and good communication skills into perspective for us. They are simple, easy to follow and practical tools for us to use in our work lives.” IntechOpen delegate
“The course was excellent. I’ve gained a wider understanding of negotiating and what techniques are best to use. I have no further feedback as there is nothing I would change.” Operations Manager
“The tutor was very experienced, encouraging and gave practical, helpful advice. It was useful to have the spare day in the middle to reflect on and apply what we had learnt, and to revise the tips and learning points so the techniques really stuck. I’ve gained the confidence to negotiate and practical advice to apply to my own situations.” Head of Zeus delegate
About the tutor(s)
Valerie Fawcett worked in publishing for about 15 years before moving into training. During this time, she specialised in educational publishing as an editor at Oxford University Press and a commissioning editor at Blackwells. Valerie hasworked with a number of publishing companies including Elsevier, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Heinemann and Macmillan.
Valerie is an experienced Learning and Development consultant, specialising in providing training and coaching in people management and personal development. She has run courses for a wide variety of organisations in both the public and private sectors, and as a former publisher, enjoys combining both areas of experience in her work for Publishing Training Centre.
Valerie's professional training enables her to work with people on both improving skills and increasing the self awareness which enables change. She works with people on the three main gateways to change: behaviours (and skills); attitudes, and emotional intelligence. She uses Myers Briggs personality profiling, Transactional Analysis and other models in her work.
Related courses
The PTC offers virtual classroom courses, self-study distance-learning courses, and a range of e-learning modules. See below for those that complement or build on this course.
Virtual Classroom Courses
- Copyright – the Basics
- Developing Effective Management Skills in Publishing
- The Fundamentals of Public Speaking
- Online Presentation Skills
- Publishing Strategy Toolkit
- Working with Authors
e-Learning Modules