Make sure that you find time to visit the APE stand at the London Book Fair. You will find us on stand 3E24

You can expect to meet representatives of the 15 universities that collaborate through the association to further publishing as a field of research and scholarship as well as providing a common voice for the teaching of publishing in higher education.

During the fair the APE will be announcing the winners of the annual APE Dissertation Prizes. The awards and shortlisted students are:  

Major Publishing Project Award 2016
BA Dissertations

Sophie Butcher, Oxford Brookes University (BA Publishing Media)
Reading Rehabilitation: An investigation into the extent to which access to books influences the rehabilitation of prisoners 

“It is an honour to be shortlisted for the Best Undergraduate Dissertation prize, and I am immensely proud of this achievement. The subject of my dissertation – the effects of reading on the eventual rehabilitation of offenders – is one that I strongly believe in and I hope one day to work more closely in this area. Being shortlisted for this award really does make the long hours, litres of coffee and infuriating episodes of writer’s block worth it in the end!”

Fiona Parker, Loughborough University (BA Publishing with English)
Cross-platform Study on the Social Media Marketing Activity of the UK’s Top Trade Publishers 

MA Dissertations

Simon Collinson, City University London
How are small publishers designing, making, distributing, selling, and protecting ebooks? A survey and case studies 

“I’m thrilled to be shortlisted for this prize. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity ​​to carry out this research​ during my time at City​, and ​I’m grateful for the​ generous support of so many small publishers around the world.”

Grace Flahive, University of the Arts London
Digital Self-Promotion for the ‘Underdog’ Author: Creative Opportunities and Experimentation 

“I’m honoured to have my dissertation shortlisted for the Association for Publishing Education Dissertation Prize. My research allowed me not only to include the words “lamb chop” in a formal Master’s thesis, but to hear the stories of talented authors who are innovating with their digital self-promotion. I set out to find inventiveness, humour, and unordinary approaches, and what I found from these authors was nothing short of inspired. If publishing is facing challenges, the solutions are weird, wonderful and sometimes involve weather balloons. Thank you hugely to the APE for their consideration.”

Marie-Claire Grima, Kingston University London
Challenges and opportunities in digital marketing within contemporary art book publishing 

“I’m honoured and humbled to have been shortlisted for the Association for Publishing Education awards. The Publishing MA programme at Kingston University, which included researching and writing a dissertation, gave me real world experience in various aspects of publishing which I now find myself applying on a day-to-day basis.”

Susan Kemp, Edinburgh Napier University
The Era Of The Authorpreneur: A study of – the reasons for, the market conditions surrounding, and the possible future developments of – the era of the ‘authorpreneur’ 

“I am delighted that my dissertation has been shortlisted for the APE Dissertation Prize. It was my intention when writing my dissertation to make a contribution to the greater publishing community – particularly authors and publishers – and the resultant publicity of being shortlisted for the prize will certainly raise the profile of the dissertation. The fact that my work has been shortlisted is a reflection of the excellence in MSc Publishing education that I received at Edinburgh Napier University and I am always grateful for the support and encouragement that I continue to receive from programme staff.”

Veronica Morgan, University College London
Towards an Understanding of Contemporary Male Reading 

“My first reaction to being nominated for the APE prize was the realisation of how far I had come since this time last year: I attended the London Book Fair in 2015 as a volunteer for Publishers Weekly, having just finished my taught Publishing MA programme and had an interview for the Summer Internship Programme at OUP, and I felt very uncertain about the future. Fast forward a year and I have just moved from my first real publishing job at OUP (gained after the internship) to a permanent position at Taylor and Francis as a Production Editor in Academic Books, which is the job I’ve been working towards for the last 18 months. This just shows how important Publishing Education still is to those, like me, who need help getting into the industry, and this nomination is a wonderful beginning to my career!”

Kelly Neubeiser, Oxford Brookes University
Defining the Classics: Penguin and the Evolution of a Timeless Genre 

“It is an honor to be shortlisted for this award. I feel very humbled and grateful, hope that my work and that of the other nominees will allow others to see the value in pursuing a publishing education. Thank you to everyone who helped me throughout this process, especially my advisor Jane Potter, the industry professionals who lent their expert insight and the members of the Penguin Collectors Society for funding my research.”

Michelle Phillips, University of Plymouth
Self-publishing: the culture of today. Does a collaborative relationship between self-publishing and traditional publishing make for good business within the publishing industry of tomorrow?

“I am absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for the APE Dissertation Prize 2016. When I started writing my dissertation on self-publishing, its role and future within the wider industry, I was excited to be given the space to explore a research topic within the industry which I am keenly interested in both as a publishing professional and as a writer and thoroughly enjoyed the study. It was an honour for my work to be nominated and I am extremely proud to have been shortlisted for the prize. I couldn’t think of a better way to end my time on my Masters, this truly is the perfect way to celebrate a wonderful year studying and experiencing publishing at Plymouth University.”

Sarah Elizabeth Webster, University of Stirling
To what extent does book jacket and cover design influence sales? 

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been nominated for this prize. I relished the whole dissertation process from start to finish and I am delighted my work has been so well received.”

MA Projects Prize 2016

Laura Bryars, Kingston University London
Tempus Frangit Books

Amy Ellis, Oxford Brookes University
The Self-Publishing Toolbox

“I am so excited that my project, The Self-Publishing Toolbox, was shortlisted for the APE dissertation awards. Building the website was a huge challenge and frequently forced me out of my comfort zone but I was determined to do something different and provide a practical resource to the publishing industry and authors pursuing self-publication.”

Alexandra Holmes, University of Central Lancashire
Cornwall – An illustrated guide to all things Cornish

“I am very honoured to have been shortlisted for such an incredible award. I couldn’t have had a more enjoyable or rewarding experience completing my major project for my MA in Publishing at the University of Central Lancashire. To have the opportunity to produce a book about such a beautiful county as Cornwall involving the Cornish community was truly amazing. I am thrilled and am very much looking forward to the ceremony.”

Marianne Tatepo, University College London
Author Management: Introducing iGency Publishing: traditional publishing for non-traditional authors

“‘Postgraduate study isn’t easy’—understatement. My year at UCL was incomparably intense and immeasurably stimulating. I was challenged not only in terms of the content to deliver (communicative excellence paired with commercial sensibility), but also the form under which to present it. My Author Management project is a key testament to this. Because of the high standard of work from staff and students alike, it was difficult to offer a solution that was equal parts useful, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing. I am in disbelief but also extremely pleased to be nominated.”

About The London Book Fair

Celebrating its 45 year anniversary in April 2016, The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels.

Staged annually, LBF sees more than 25,000 publishing professionals arrive in London for the week of the show to learn, network and kick off their year of business.