POD. It's not just for publishing anymore!

It's for learning, too.

In what may be the biggest stroke of genius in the world of higher education (regarding publishing; we're not curing cancer here), Loyola University (Baltimore) has created a publishing house to help students learn about publishing. What model are they using to produce the product? Why POD, of course. It could not be done (realistically) otherwise.

The publisher is called Apprentice House (I love it already) and they will produce about one title per month, from what I can tell. From their website:

AHP is a non-profit student-run publishing activity originating in the book publishing course under Prof. Andrew Ciofalo in the Department of Communication at Loyola College in Maryland. The organization is an activity of an advanced elective in our journalism concentration, Book Publishing (CJ365). When the class is not in session the publishing activities are carried forward by a co-curricular organization, The Apprentice House Book Publishing Club, which pursues publishing activities through Resonant Publishing, whose principal, Dr. Kevin Atticks, is a member of the Communication faculty.

Boy, the Communications major has come a long way since I was in college. What better way to learn how publishing works--and I mean really works: editing, deadlines, promotion, book covers, pricing, distribution--than to start an imprint and run with it.

Apprentice House is just one of many experiential learning opportunities available to Loyola students in our Communication disciplines of journalism, advertising, public relations, digital media, radio and television.

I wish I could take the course myself. What a great idea. And wouldn't it be a gas if they produced some award-winners!
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One other note: the Cafe will be closed Friday due to an overabundance of leftovers at your house. We will, however, return Monday with hot, fresh treasure.