A-Z

Ancient Civilization Book

Overview
Your Task:
Create a book explaining 24-26 terms, people, places or ideas from your given
civilization. Each page will consist of a single word starting with a letter from the
alphabet, a graphic, and a short explanation of the term. Remember the A-Z books we
viewed and the art instruction provided. Also remember your readers are 4th graders.
Directions:
1. Take a piece of white paper copy paper.
a. Beginning with your letter; choose a term from the unit that begins with
that letter. Example: If the page is J and this was the unit on Asia you
might choose Japan. Suggestion: for difficult letters like Q or Z, look at
the heiroglyphs or names in the mythological stories
b. Write the term in big, letters on the top or bottom of the page. Consider
the layout of the pages before and after your letter.
c. Write at least 3-4 sentences explaining what the term means. Type your
text and submit it to your editor for review. Make corrections and
revisions as needed and submit text again.
d. Draw and color a picture to go along with your term. This could be a map,
chart or your own drawing; be sure the picture and text compliment each
other. Make a sketch of your idea on the page. Review your sketch with
the artist assigned to your group. Listen to his/her feedback and make
necessary changes. On a new piece of paper, draw your illustration again
and submit your text and artwork to the editor/artist. Make any changes
necessary to complete your page.
Example

Japan

Korea

Japan is an island country. It

is isolated because it is
surrounded by water.
Legends say water drops
from a spear created it..

Buddhism came to Japan

from China through Korea.
Japan traded with Korea
regularly. The Mongols
conquered Korea and tried to
attack Japan from there.

www.bookpublishingacademy.co.uk

Publishing House Roles

There are many different kinds of jobs within the field of publishing, and depending on
your skills and interests you may find yourself working on either the editorial side or the
marketing side, or a combination of the two.
EDITORIAL
An editor acquires and develops book projects for publication. Editorial assistants work
for a specific editor or editorial group, and daily duties might include:
Evaluating submitted manuscripts
Working with authors to generate ideas and revise work
Preparing acquisitions for production
Performing general administrative duties
Participating in editorial, design, and marketing meetings
COPYEDITOR
This person reads and edits page articles for grammar and usage. If you're a stickler for
detail, a job as a copyeditor could be perfect for you.
FACT CHECKER
Information books rely on fact checkers to ensure that quotes and all factual information
included is accurate. This will involve checking listed sources to make sure the facts are
right.
PROMOTIONS
Promotions departments are responsible for overseeing the creation of all
promotional/sales materials. Department responsibilities include:
Copywriting, design, and production of sales materials within the school
Reviewing effectiveness of the materials produced in the department
Helping to determine the overall publishing plan for launching the book

PUBLICITY
Publicists promote individual titles and authors through mass communication such as
advertisements and book parties. Daily activities for the department include:
Developing media contacts and press releases
Work with social media platforms
Scheduling interviews for broadcast
Distributing pre-publication materials within the school and community
Planning all book signing parties
SALES
Publishing sales departments call upon traditional bookstores, libraries, schools, book
clubs, and additional special markets. Daily activities include:
Working with the student sales team on ordering, pre-selling, and money
collection
Establishing promotional plans for selling the book at school, on the web, and at
the local bookstores
Preparing for the book signing party to ensure smooth transactions
Researching ways to donate proceeds to Mesoamerican schools
Prepare presentation for class on ways the proceeds can be donated
ARTIST
Artist assist illustrators when needed and oversee the design used throughout the book
to create a logic sequence or visually appealing layout. Daily activities include:
Reviewing all illustrations submitted and determining necessary revisions
Laying out page spreads with text and illustrations considering artistic elements
Giving classmates advice on suitable artwork to create for their pages

ABC BOOK PLANNING FORM

WORD(S):

DEFINITION:

PAGE TEXT DRAFT

DRAWING/ARTWORK DRAFT