Things accomplished since the last week:
-Meet with Kyle, a librarian staff member to learn about BePress. Unfortunately it wasn't as informative as I thought it was going to be. -Since the BePress tutorial with the librarian staff didn't end up working out last Friday, my co-editor and I scheduled another meeting with our staff advisor for next Friday. -Last Wednesday I announced the submissions deadline to a few of my classes. I decided to hold off on promoting the course itself to other students 'til mid-October, in order to keep the focus on submissions. -Posted the submissions flyer on social media again, emphasizing the deadline.
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In Founder's Hall 205, Toyon keeps a library of previous issues for staff to generate ideas from. When I went, I chose to look at a journal from 2012 and the 2004 50th anniversary edition.
Observations for the 2012 issue of Toyon: -The cover is the winning art submission and covers the front and back. - Contributor bios are a couple sentences in length and convey brief information about the author, such as where they grew up and their relationship with the creative world. -Table of contents is very neat and organized by genre, followed by the awards available for submissions and the monetary value. -Prior to the table of contents we have the staff listing, Editors are separated from the rest of the staff. Editors are lined up with their job title. For example. John Doe......Managing Editor, while other staff such as marketing, are all lumped together without specificity to their staff position. Observations for the 2004 issue of Toyon: -Solid matte, black cover for front and back with gold lettering, very smooth look. -Bios again are brief, and include their status as a student, graduate, or professor, along with other publications they're in. -Table of contents is organized with award winners first, then separated by genre. -Their staff seemed to be quite small, only Editors are listed as staff. Below this they have "Toyon Readers" which I'm assuming to be persons who subscribed or donated to Toyon. I'm not entirely sure. -This issue is my favorite of the two. Very well put together, the paper used is great, along with the font. I enjoyed looking through this one very much, I've got some ideas to suggest for our upcoming issue after seeing this journal. In week three I've established a meet time with the librarian staff member Kyle, to show my co-editors and I a tutorial of BePress. This walk-through will be taking place on Friday instead of Jocelyn and I meeting on our own.
I've begun reading up on Copyediting last Thursday and Friday. I split the readings into two half-hour segments because I felt it was easier to focus this way. However, I did not begin reading the Chicago Manual of Style like I had planned to, so I'm thinking of alternating reading each book every week, rather than reading both each week. In regards to advertising Toyon, I have individually spoken to a few students and friends that have show interest in submitting to the lit. magazine, or joining the course next fall. Almost all shared a common anxiety in submitting or joining Toyon due to the fact they had no experience in either. Even after explaining to them there's really nothing to fear in taking a chance with Toyon, about half still seemed hesitant. In response, I'm going to think of ways to ease their anxiety about Toyon and then speak to them again after they've had some time to process what I've previously told them. As for the business card idea I had, I'm actually going to the library after I post this to print them so I can pass them out on Friday when I speak to my classes about Toyon. In addition, I've already printed a few extra flyers that I can post at my work in town and a couple other shops too. I'll be doing this tomorrow. For progress on my resume, I have yet to contact anyone to peer edit. I mentioned in my last post that I have been dealing with a cold (which I'm now finally getting over) so I've waited until this week to start making appointments with other people. That's it for this update! See you next week! “Regardless of the nature of their contents, magazines must not only identify their audiences and shape policy accordingly, they must also act with a visionary understanding of their own importance to present and future readerships and, in so doing, help to shape the very audience they wish to reach.”
- Eric Staley in Paper Dreams: Writers and Editors On The American Literary Magazine Toyon has constantly adapted its contents in order to shape how the journal is perceived by our audiences and in respect, the audience itself. Looking back to the issues from the 1970s, the majority of pages were filled with poetry, a handful of art, and one to three pieces of short story. In order for Toyon to reach more people it needed to increase the intake of varying genres published each spring. You can see the expansion of fiction, non-fiction, photography, and multi-lingual genres in the literary magazine throughout the years, along with the readership. One thing I noticed in a previous journal was an actual poster for one of the published drawings. This really stood out to me, to be able to pull out a poster and possibly hang it up, or share it. It made me wonder if the other issues all had the same drawing, or maybe each journal came with a different drawing. I think this would be a great idea for Toyon to consider doing for future issues. If the reader hangs up the poster, they will always be reminded of Toyon when they see it and feel some inspiration to create. Having a physical poster to see daily, could put the thought of, "if a student did this then I can too" into the person’s mind. I say this because for me personally, it’s really motivating to see students or people in general, who are in similar standings as I am, accomplish something. It makes the reality of me achieving my goals become more real and attainable. This is also a huge element for Toyon, to show young authors and artists that being published is a very real opportunity for them, all they have to do is try, like the other contributors did. It really puts into perspective that being a published person isn’t only for those who have been writing for years, or have degrees, or whatever have you. Having this poster can be a reminder that it can be you too. This idea could work also as a way to spice things up for Toyon and keep readers interested in seeing what comes next. For this week I had planned on giving a 2-minute presentation to students from other classes, however, due to a nasty cold springing up I decided to switch talking to classes for next week. In its place, I advertised submissions on social media and had positive responses from students who attend other colleges, people tagging their friends, and the post being shared on other's walls on Facebook. I've also posted some flyers in one of the school buildings I was assigned to, and plan on printing some smaller flyers to leave out on desks in the library, depot, desks outside classrooms, mainly places where students tend to sit between classes.
In regards to BePress, Jocelyn and I still have our scheduled meet time of 3:30 on Fridays. For this meeting in particular, we were planning to meet with our Managing Editor and a library staff member Kyle, to give us a tutorial of BePress. However, due to conflicting schedules we will now be meeting with Kyle on separate days to receive individual help next week. I have also set for myself a chunk of time on Thursday, roughly an hour and a half, to review the Copyediting Handbook and Chicago Manual of Style. I'm going to try and keep Thursday evenings dedicated to reading the texts, and I might add a second review time during the week based on how well I'm able to retain the information. Creating writing prompts was a fun process for me, I think I wrote about five or six. It was almost a challenge to stop going, I had to remind myself these were supposed to be prompts to pass out, not short stories. I think those who do pull my prompts will have a good time and really be able to get their creative juices flowing. Lastly, for my resume I've printed out the version I have now and have begun making edits on the paper. I'm going to reach out to student services after class today and see if I can arrange a meeting to have someone else peer edit my resume. For me, it'd be extremely beneficial to have someone who has experience of applying for a job in the publishing field, to give some feedback for improvements. That's about it for this post! I'll be doing weekly updates in addition to the response writings, so check back in on Wednesday and see what progress I've made! I have an individual goal for what I’d like to accomplish while on the staff of Toyon. I want to reach out to new students and show them the power of becoming a staff member for a literary magazine. For those trying to write and one day become published, it’s crucial to understand the publishing industry and the review process your work(s) will undergo. With this information you can only improve your writing and increase your chances for publication. As well, those who aren’t so much interested in being published but working as a publisher, the experience you receive on a university literary magazine is that foot in the door you need when applying for jobs. You will learn skills that will put you ahead of those who’ve never worked for a literary magazine, plus you will have familiarity with the publication process, what’s expected of your role, and the jargon used daily. I want people who are thinking about being involved in the industry, one way or the other, to become a staff member in their first years and build their foundation over the next few years of their college career. It’s never too late to join, but I do wish someone had told me as a freshman to join the Toyon staff. The best part is reviewing and actually reading what makes it into a journal, what issues prevent a piece from being published, etc. It’s a continual process of “not this because….” and “yes, this one because…” which helps you understand quality writing versus writing that still needs improvement. I want people to understand the value and tools Toyon can give them.
A collective goal I have for the semester is to improve the way we present and advertise the Toyon. The creativity bound within the covers of Toyon should be reflected in how the journal is presented to the community. This year’s staff is already rocking some great ways to attract new readers and contributors. I feel one of the main aspects of Toyon is to inspire others to write, to be artistic; we should be fueling people’s fires to create. I want people to think of Toyon, and pick up a pencil or a book. This is something our staff can do by passing out daily prompts, or other inspirational words to the community. The person may not be submitting what they write down, but they are writing. Who knows, maybe some writers will be born through this process. As for my role, I’d like to dedicate as much time as possible to learn the ins and outs of using BePress, keep other editors aware of evaluation deadlines, and keep a separate file for all contributor emails. My vision is to keep production of the journal running smooth, and accomplishing this by keeping on top of deadlines and starting as early as possible so any delays wont be an issue. This will be key in communicating with contributors about any final edits to their pieces before being put into the first proof, as many people do not check their email or forget to respond. September Week Two -Schedule a meet time with Jocelyn and Marissa to learn about BePress. -Receive specifics about what is to be done through BePress. -Advertise submissions to my classes and give a 2-minute blurb about why Toyon is worth their time/ benefits of being involved with Toyon. -Create writing prompts to pass out when advertising Toyon. -Post flyers on campus. -Re-write resume, possibly switch to CV instead. -Keep up with readings and blog posts. --Review Copyediting Handbook and Chicago Manual of Style September Week Three -Meet with Jocelyn on Friday and continue to familiarize ourselves with BePress. -Also work on acceptance/rejection letters with Jocelyn -Have someone look over my resume and point out weak spots, etc. -Speak with a couple students I know are interested in the publishing world but don’t know if Toyon is for them. -Keep up with readings and blog posts. -Post submission flyers in town and post online flyer. -Continue to encourage students to submit or mention Toyon to friends. September Week Four -Meet with Jocelyn and continue playing with BePress and being with InDesign -Keep up with readings and blog posts -Tabling? -Announce call for submissions again to classes, emphasizing deadline is on Friday the 30th. -Revise works and post in example section of portfolio -Review Copyediting Handbook and Chicago Manual of Style October Week One -Meet with Jocelyn on Friday and work with InDesign and BePress -Review submissions, 4-5 a night (may change depending on how many I need to review). -Keep up with readings and blog posts -Talk to someone new about joining Toyon staff --Review Copyediting Handbook and Chicago Manual of Style October Week Two -Continue reviewing submissions. -Remind other staff to keep up with evaluations. -Meet with Jocelyn on Friday and begin research project and work with InDesign -Keep up with blog posts and readings -Work on contributing to portfolio -Review Copyediting Handbook and Chicago Manual of Style October Week Three -Evaluations due the 19th! -Speak with other editors about needed revisions to accepted pieces. -Meet with Jocelyn on Friday and send out acceptance emails along with mentioning any changes needed from contributor. -Work with InDesign -Keep up with blog posts and readings. October Week Four -Meet with Jocelyn -Create final PDF for each accepted piece, and have them approved by author. -Email award recipients to have their paperwork submitted by December or January. -Create first proof!!! -Keep up with readings and blog posts. -Speak with Spoken Word/Multimedia Division Editor and Managing Editor about online issue. November Week One -First proof due on the 2nd! -Work on research project with Jocelyn. -Keep up with readings and blog posts. -Begin proofreading proof and make a list of edits. -Refer to copyediting handbook and Chicago Manual of Style. -Advertise Toyon as a class for returning fall students/ Advertise spring issue release November Week Two -Review proof for errors and continue list of edits. -Refer to copyediting handbook and Chicago Manual of Style. -Keep up with blog posts and readings -Work on portfolio and resume - Speak with Spoken Word/Multimedia Division Editor and Managing Editor about online issue November Week Three -Work on final draft of research project with Jocelyn. -Keep up with readings and blog posts - Advertise Toyon as a class for returning fall students/ Advertise spring issue release -Add something to portfolio, or make significant edits. Fall Break November Week Four -Research Project Due on the 28th!! -Keep up with readings and blog posts -Complete FINAL proofread -After edits are all made, meet with Jocelyn and upload finalized pdfs to BePress for online version. December -Keep up with readings and blog posts -Write and post letter for future Toyon staff to moodle -Come up with ideas for spring release and advertising Toyon -Mention Toyon as a class to students, and the benefits/value of being on staff. -Advertise spring release to classes. |
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December 2016
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