assignments ENGL227 Introduction
to creative nonfiction workshop: Publication Talk
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Overview. Part of being a real writer is, for better or for worse, publication. Publication holds a lot of glamour and pay off, but it is like a second job in and of itself. And don’t even get me started on the rejection. The first step in this process is to know where and how to go about sending material off. Well, the first step is probably actually having something to send off. But while that is getting ready to happen, you can work on this other part.
Early in the semester, you and a partner (if we have enough students to merit partnering) will select a journal from the new pages website (http://www.newpages.com/), and, over the course of the semester, you’ll read up on that journal. At the end of the semester you will do a five to ten minute presentation about the journal as a possible venue for publication. You will locate the contact information for the journal, most likely located on the web. You will need to find and present the following information in a one-page handout to your colleagues:
We will go through the process of assigning journals during the second week of classes to allow for enough time for you to get a copy of the journal in your hands (some journals have online versions, but not all) by the time the presentations roll around. You should probably look at a couple of issues so you can speak with some authority on number four above.
See the syllabus for the date, late in the semester, when you will present your findings to the rest of the class.
Early in the semester, you and a partner (if we have enough students to merit partnering) will select a journal from the new pages website (http://www.newpages.com/), and, over the course of the semester, you’ll read up on that journal. At the end of the semester you will do a five to ten minute presentation about the journal as a possible venue for publication. You will locate the contact information for the journal, most likely located on the web. You will need to find and present the following information in a one-page handout to your colleagues:
- Who is the editor of the journal? What can you tell us about the editor?
- Provide a brief history/overview of the journal: where is it published? Is it connected to a University? How long has it been around? Done anything it is known for? Published anyone’s break through anything?
- What are the submission policies: multiple submissions? Electronic submissions? Snail mail only? Name on the submission? Fee? Please, please note that this is not an exhaustive list but just meant to give you some sense of the kinds of info to be on the lookout for.
- TOUGHEST QUESTION: What kinds of essays do they publish? What does a “typical” piece of nonfiction look like? Understand that this will require that you actually read some of the nonfiction in a particular journal. You’ll want to think about the list of genre qualities we will be developing during the semester so that you can talk about these essays in a language that your colleagues will understand.
We will go through the process of assigning journals during the second week of classes to allow for enough time for you to get a copy of the journal in your hands (some journals have online versions, but not all) by the time the presentations roll around. You should probably look at a couple of issues so you can speak with some authority on number four above.
See the syllabus for the date, late in the semester, when you will present your findings to the rest of the class.