The Publishing Training Centre

Name

The Publishing Training Centre

Legal name

The Publishing Training Centre Foundation

Website

https://publishingtrainingcentre.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Publishing Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assessment, Testing & Exam Prep Publishing (MPAJABAF), Professional Licensure & Certification Exam Prep (Bar/CPA/NCLEX/PMP, etc.) (EDAGADAD), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Publishing training courses
• Editorial skills training
• Distance learning programs
• Proofreading qualifications
• In-company training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Self-Study Distance Learning Courses: Comprehensive tutor-guided courses like Essential Proofreading (£290+VAT), Essential Copy-Editing (£495), and Creative Copywriting (£250). Students receive personal tutor support, complete assignments, and earn PQB qualifications. Payment available in instalments.
2. E-Learning Modules: Individual specialist modules priced at £35-50 each covering topics like marketing, copyright, proofreading, editing fiction. Package deal: 15 modules for £120 (normally £555). Access for 8 months from enrolment.
3. Virtual Classroom Courses: Scheduled online courses via Zoom in various disciplines (editorial, digital, marketing, project management, rights, sales, transferable skills). Prices range from £60 to £720+VAT depending on course length and complexity. Discounts available (charity, new recruit, team, small business, freelancer).
4. In-Company Training: Tailored training for organizations with 5+ employees. Exclusive, cost-effective off-the-shelf or customized delivery. Group sizes of 5-12 attendees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Publishing Training Centre (PTC) is a UK registered charity, founded in 1981, that delivers professional training courses to the book and journal publishing industry. It offers self-study distance learning courses, virtual classroom courses, e-learning modules, and bespoke in-company training, covering editorial skills, proofreading, copy-editing, and production, with qualifications accredited by the Publishing Qualifications Board (PQB).

Product overview

The Publishing Training Centre (PTC) offers a multi-format training platform for the publishing industry with four primary delivery methods: Virtual Classroom Courses (live Zoom sessions), Self-Study Distance Learning (tutor-guided courses), e-Learning Modules (specialist topic courses), and In-Company Training (tailored organizational training). Key courses include Essential Proofreading, Essential Copy-Editing, Essential Grammar, and Creative Copywriting. Additional services include the Freelance Package (bundle with free modules), Publishing Starter Kit, Freelance Finder directory, and webinars. The platform is delivered through an online learning portal with personal tutor support for guided courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtual Classroom Courses Live, tutor-led courses delivered online via Zoom, providing interactive publishing training in editorial, proofreading, copy-editing, and production. Designed for individual publishing professionals seeking structured, real-time learning with expert tutors who are active publishing practitioners.
• Self-Study Courses (Distance Learning) Self-paced distance learning courses covering publishing skills, with tutor support and assignments submitted remotely. Targeted at individual learners who need flexibility to study around work, including career changers and freelancers preparing for PQB-recognised qualifications.
• e-Learning Modules Online self-contained e-learning modules delivered via PTC's learning platform, focused on discrete publishing skills. Designed for individual professionals who need short, focused training in specific editorial or production topics.
• In-Company Training Bespoke training programmes designed and delivered on a publishing organisation's premises (or virtually) for editorial, production, and proofreading teams. Targeted at publishing companies that need tailored training for multiple staff, with content and scheduling customised to the client.
• Freelance Package Bundle of publishing training courses plus supporting resources, offered at a discounted combined price. Designed for aspiring and established freelance editors, proofreaders, and copy-editors who need both skills training and freelance-ready resources.
• Publishing Starter Kit Starter bundle combining introductory publishing training with resources aimed at people new to the industry, including those setting up a freelance editorial business. Targeted at career changers and new entrants seeking an accessible, bundled entry point into publishing.
• Freelance Finder Online directory service that lists PTC-trained freelance editors, proofreaders, and copy-editors to publishing clients seeking freelance support. Provided to graduates as a work-sourcing channel and to clients as a way to find PTC-vetted editorial freelancers.

Quantifiable outcome

• PQB qualification (Pass/Merit/Distinction) awarded upon successful completion of self-study courses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pan MacmillancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2020Pan Macmillan launched a proofreading traineeship scheme in partnership with the PTC and Creative Access. The scheme provides free virtual proofreading training delivered by the PTC, a trial proofread, mentoring from Pan Macmillan desk editors, and access to additional PTC courses (Essential Grammar and Successful Editorial Freelancing). The initiative aims to increase diversity in the freelance proofreading pool. Sophie Brewer, Associate Publisher at Pan Macmillan, noted the importance of ensuring the pool of freelancers is diverse and inclusive.
• Creative AccesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative Access is a not-for-profit social enterprise unrivalled in diverse recruitment, training and inclusion. They support people from groups underrepresented in publishing (ethnicity, socio-economic background, disability) to enter and thrive in creative industries. Partnered with PTC and Pan Macmillan on the proofreading traineeship scheme for underrepresented groups.
• The Publishing Qualifications Board (PQB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PQB is responsible for the development, delivery, and assessment of PTC's self-study tutor-guided courses. PQB qualifications are the most widely recognized industry qualifications for proofreading and copy-editing. The PQB awards Pass, Merit, or Distinction grades on completion.
• Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)minorOthersCIEP members can earn points towards upgrading their membership by completing PTC courses. Points range from 2-20 depending on course completed. The PTC is recognized by CIEP as a provider of quality editorial training.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BookMachine: UK publishing community and events/training organiser serving early- to mid-career publishing professionals with workshops, panels and skills programming; comparable as an emerging player in the same training-and-events category for the UK publishing talent pipeline.

Regional players

• Publishing Scotland: Scottish publishing trade body that delivers training, CPD events, and skills programming for publishers and freelancers; comparable as a regional training-trade-body peer with overlapping course topics (editorial, rights, production) for the UK publishing workforce.
• Publishing Ireland: Ireland's publishing trade and training organisation offering CPD workshops and skills events for publishers, editors and freelancers; comparable as a regional peer addressing editorial/proofreading training needs for a neighbouring publishing market.
• Columbia Publishing Course: US-based intensive publishing training course run by Columbia University, often attended by international publishing professionals; comparable as a regional peer for executive-level publishing training, with material overlap on editorial and digital publishing curricula.

Others

• Reed Courses / Reed Learning: UK marketplace and provider of short professional courses including editorial, proofreading and copywriting; comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant that aggregates training demand that could otherwise flow to specialist providers like PTC.

Broad incumbents

• UCL (Publishing MA, formerly London College of Publishing): Offers postgraduate publishing education and CPD modules with strong UK publishing-industry ties; comparable as a broad incumbent producing publishing-skilled graduates who overlap with PTC's customer base.
• London College of Communication (UAL): University of the Arts London college delivering publishing, editorial, and book-design education with industry links; comparable as a broad incumbent providing alternative credentialed pathways into publishing roles.
• Oxford Brookes University (Publishing programme): Runs long-standing UK academic publishing education (MA Publishing and related CPD); comparable as a broad incumbent offering publishing skills credentials, competing for the same career-entry learner segment though via formal academic degrees rather than short courses.

Direct peers

• Society of Young Publishers (SYP): UK-wide society running training events, webinars, and career-development programming for early-career publishing professionals; directly comparable because it serves the same aspiring-editor segment with events-format training overlapping PTC's virtual classroom offering.
• Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP): UK-based professional body for editors and proofreaders that runs its own training, workshops, and CPD-credited courses; directly comparable because both organisations serve the same editorial training market, and PTC courses explicitly award CIEP points for CPD.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PTCBookHouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Publishing Training Centre