Hello. My name is Elen, and for the last three and a half months I’ve been working for Atebol, a publishing company, as part of the ARFOR and Llwyddo’n Lleol programme’s career path.
Atebol is a multimedia publishing company that creates a variety of educational and leisure publications. The provision is very varied, and includes the development of websites, apps, games and television programmes. The provision is aimed at children, young people and adults, with the publications either in Welsh, English or bilingual. Atebol publishes novels, picture books and educational material, as well as providing professional translation services in several languages, including foreign languages. On top of all this, the company also includes Cyfatebol, which provides a subtitling service for S4C and the National Library of Wales, for example.
During my work experience, I was part of the Publications Department. This work included two elements: being part of the team that prepared educational resources, and the team responsible for Atebol’s new imprint, Sebra. Sebra prepares reading materials for adults.
I got a taste of the publishing world, getting to understand and appreciate the detailed steps and processes involved in preparing new publications for the publisher. In particular, I worked on the preparation of two new volumes for students who follow a Health and Social Care vocational course. This work was sponsored by the Welsh Government, WJEC and City & Guilds for a new course starting in September 2024. Two volumes had to be prepared from start to finish in just four months! They were very bulky volumes, about 284 pages each. During the period, I worked with another member of the team preparing the initial text in order to send drafts to the main author and the other three authors, as well as sending copies to WJEC in Cardiff. We needed to check and edit the text as well as ensure it was proofread at least three times. It was also necessary to ensure that the language level was suitable for the target group, namely Post-16 students. There was a lot to learn while making sure that the text was within the grasp of the students – in both languages. Emphasis was also placed on using the correct terms – especially so in Welsh. As many of the terms were unfamiliar in Welsh, it was necessary to use different ways to ensure that students understood the meaning of the term. This included the preparation of a comprehensive Glossary. As the Welsh and English versions would be used in bilingual sessions, possibly, the text in both languages needed to fit together. The same text also needed to be on the same page in both languages.
While editing, I learned about the attention to detail that is required in the publishing world. It includes all kinds of skills, including the selection of relevant visual material, the layout of the pages, and the design. Another task that required attention to detail was preparing an Index for the two books. Precision was needed in making sure that the page numbering matched the text. Details of the Acknowledgments and Copyrights also had to be drawn up and checked – not to mention creating a cover that attracted attention!
I also worked with the Publicity and Marketing team in relation to the Sebra imprint. This work included preparing several drafts for one of Sebra’s latest publications. I came to understand the true importance of creating a good cover that attracts attention, and the need for the text on the back to be an effective summary that creates a desire among people to buy and read the book. I really enjoyed this creative element.
The work experience was extremely varied, with some creative and some less creative elements when preparing educational volumes for the publisher. Having this variety of work was a special experience, and it enriched my experiences of both the creative and publishing worlds. The experience offered a broad view of the field through direct experiences of the nature of the work. I am very grateful to ARFOR and Llwyddo’n Lleol for giving me such an opportunity in the publishing world. This project is crucial and offers an opportunity to get a taste of an industry with a progressive and experienced company.
As well as having this opportunity to work in a publishing company in Wales, I enjoyed the social sessions with other members of the programme. It was an excellent opportunity not only to gain new experiences, but also to create a new social network. This is an excellent opportunity which will be a valuable basis as I move forward in the publishing world in west Wales.
