The Center header image, which features, from left to right, a pinecone, a book, a typewriter, and a notebook on a wooden table, with the words The Center for Publishing and Editing


Our courses emphasize the histories, theories, and practices central to the publishing industry.


View our most recent offerings for Spring 2021 and Fall 2021 or view all of our course descriptions in the Course Catalog.

Some notable courses offered through the Center are listed below. All of these courses are part of our Publishing & Editing minor.


EN270: Computer-Aided Publishing

A close-up image of a person typing on a Mac computer.

This course is an introduction to computer-aided publishing for print-media production. EN270 is a workshop-based class, and uses a combination of more simple to more complex publication projects to develop three essential roles: (1) the user of computer-aided publishing technology, (2) the publication designer, and (3) the manager of the publishing process.


EN280: Journalism Laboratory

Staff members of the The Decaturian, Millikin's student newspaper, receive credit for making a regular contribution to the paper for the semester, either by writing, or performing other weekly duties for each issue. Participants create a portfolio reflecting on their development during the semester. This course can be repeated each semester for up to eight credits. Pre-requisite: EN215 Newswriting 1 or consent of instructor.


EN305: Web Publishing

This course introduces students to foundational principles of writing, editing, designing, and publishing on the web and to the computer tools that can assist students with this type of work. Students develop a rhetorical awareness of design concepts and learn applicable skills through a combination of analytical and production-based assignments such as: conducting a rhetorical analysis of a specific website; creating a personal website; writing and editing web content for a variety of purposes; and collaborating on a web design project for a local client.


EN306: Freelance Writing

A close-up image of a person writing in a notebook, with a phone laying next to the notebook.

This course emphasizes the fundamentals and business of freelance article writing for print and online publications, including consumer magazines, trade magazines, custom publications, websites, and blogs. Students learn about the publishing industry and how it operates; research and study a variety of print and online publications as potential markets; develop story ideas and pitch them to an appropriate market; and write department, feature, and online articles. Students also will write articles for BURST magazine.


EN307: Professional Editing

This course focuses on the theories and practices that guide professional editors who are integral in a variety of capacities to the production of written texts. Students will learn about the different roles of editors in the publishing industry and will practice all levels of editing: developmental editing, content editing, technical editing, copyediting, proofreading, and fact checking. The course enables students to interact with current professional editors and also gain hands-on editorial experience through a performance learning client project.


EN384: Art of Publishing

The Art of Publishing is a performance learning course on book publishing. Students will spend the semester developing a new publishing company, from mission, publishing philosophy, proposed projects, business practices and goals.


EN386: Blue Satellite Press

Blue Satellite Press prints poetry broadsides (more commonly known as posters) in letterpress formats. We will learn aspects of design and print production that letterpress printing encourages: layering, color “interaction” and font as a design element, all aspects one can learn in computer layout, but only with deliberate, conscious effort. And we will be doing the editorial work of an ongoing press: selection of work to print, communications with poets, and distributing the printed broadsides.


EN480: Professional Writing Internship

A young man working on his laptop, writing code to design a website.

The internship provides qualified students an opportunity to receive academic credit for supervised, non-classroom experience in an employment setting. Students may choose to complete editorial internships with scholarly publishers, magazine publishers, and more.