Creative Writing and Publishing

Study Creative Writing and Publishing and learn to shape stories, information and ideas for print and digital.

• Find your voice by experimenting with a wide choice of writing styles and media through creative studio-based collaborative working.

• Prepare for industry on a course that combines project management know-how with creative and writing skills.

• Your projects, your way, with our support. Literary festivals, publications, podcasts - you’ll graduate with industry experience and a stunning digital portfolio of your work.

Join us at Bath Spa University where writing is the thing we love to do and the thing we love to talk about. We’ll equip you with a wide range of the latest digital making skills, such as Adobe InDesign, web and multimedia social content, alongside core publishing skills such as copywriting and editing, design, layout and marketing.

On this Creative Writing and Publishing course, you'll learn through innovation and experimentation. Our approach is characterised by innovative approaches, creative studio-based collaborative working and supportive workshop environments.

You’ll enjoy working on our unique campus, surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th-century landscape, perfect for creative inspiration. You might experiment with nature writing or discover poems and stories you’re driven to write as a response to climate change and environmental issues.

You'll get access to key industry resources such as Nielsen Bookscan sales data, the BookMachine online industry community and Society of Young Publishers South West events, some of which are hosted at the University.

Through collaborative project development, you'll acquire essential creative skills in working with others, carving out your own role and achieving high-quality results. You’ll graduate with industry experience and a stunning digital portfolio of your work.

Please note Creative Writing and Publishing is a combined honours award, to find out more information please refer to our website: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/ug-creative-writing-and-publishing/

Combined Honour Awards
At Bath Spa University many of our undergraduate programmes can be combined, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one subject. If you choose to study a combined award then in Year One you’ll start by studying both subjects in equal depth. From Year Two you can choose whether to continue with equal numbers of modules from each subject, or whether you want to select additional modules in one or the other. Upon successful completion of the programme you will graduate with a joint degree.

Professional Placement Year

A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in multiple placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

Course structure

Year one
The course is carefully designed to enable you to explore and experiment with your writing and understand the foundations of writing craft. In the Writer’s Workshop modules you’ll be introduced to an array of different writing forms and genres and you’ll be experimenting with them each week. You’ll have your first experience of the BSU writing workshop where you’ll learn how to work with other writers, giving and receiving feedback. You’ll also attend lectures from visiting writers and members of staff who will talk to you about their writing lives and experiences in the industry.

We’ll introduce you to core publishing principles, with a focus on copywriting and editing. You’ll become familiar with layout, production and publishing software. There will be weekly deadlines, so you’ll get used to turning around work quickly and in a well-presented form. Alongside this you’ll start to build an in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry and have the chance to work collaboratively on all-day challenge projects. 

Year two
In the second year of the course, you have access to a range of modules that will enable you to specialise in a particular form or genre of writing. You’ll take a mixture of core and optional modules from a list that includes, for example, genre fiction, life writing, short stories, form and listening in poetry, and writing for screen. You will also take the project module, Professional Portfolio. This is an opportunity for you to develop your own creative project, designed to help you develop the skills you need as a professional writer, supported by a member of staff.

You’ll gain greater insight into particular areas of publishing, such as marketing, editorial and design. Optional modules allow you to delve deeper into areas such as illustrated books, independent magazines, fiction editing, and the use of publishing skills for social enterprise and charity work. 

Year three
The final year of the programme is designed to consolidate your writing practice and support your progression into a writing-related career. You will take a dissertation-equivalent module in at least one of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, scriptwriting or writing for young people. Alongside that you have a choice of career-focused modules which include Live Literature and Professional Practice which offer you the opportunity to develop your own industry-facing creative projects.

Tutors will guide you to focus your skills and knowledge around your personal creative and career interests. You’ll be encouraged to develop your individual approach as a creator, curator or project manager; your final portfolio will reflect this, showcasing your work for prospective employers. Optional modules cover book commissioning, children's publishing, and cross-platform digital publishing.