Other Articles...

First I want to clear up that I am turning my focus away from law. I will be moving into the publication process and how to get a manuscript published.

I decided to do my project on the publishing process because of my experiences this summer working for a literary agency. During my internship, I was in charge of opening and viewing new submissions from new authors. I would probably get 30-50 submissions a week but many people would send their whole manuscript instead of a proposal, or they would mix up writing a query instead of a proposal, etc… My instructions were to immediately flag and reject most new submissions that did not come up to the standard of the company. I felt as if many good authors may have lost their opportunities because they had no idea about the publishing process. Also through out the publishing process a writer has to write queries, cover letters, and proposals. There are many tips and tricks that I know currently, and can further obtain through my relationship with this literary agency. This information will help  new authors. These tips relate to formatting, grammar, language, diction, and verbal communication. While these tips will be helpful to know, my project will mostly focus on how to get you manuscript from the author’s hands and onto the bookshelf.

Article 1

Article 2

I think that these are two very good articles for me to start out with for my project. I think this because they are set up similarly to my idea. Instead of me going through each topic as a headline, like the articles I have provided, I want to go through each persons/entity responsibilities in the publishing process: book, author, editor, agent, and publisher. I do see myself using a similar format as these articles. I think having a heading for each entity will be helpful.

Both of these articles seem very vague and not entertaining. I think that these can be two great examples of how not to introduce my paper. I think that bringing in my personal experience would be helpful in the introduction of my paper but then I think it would be better to switch to 2^nd person as I explain the publishing process. These articles give me examples of 2^nd person.

In the USA Today article there are some question directed toward the reader. I believe this is a technique that I should not use in my paper because I am telling my readers how to do something.  

I think it is very helpful to me, if I find a magazine article where I can follow the submission guidelines. I want to follow the submission guidelines for a magazine because both of these articles seem too small for me to fit my information into. I think that writing a piece about submission guidelines under the submission guidelines of a magazine is a very interesting dynamic that can challenge me as a writer. I am currently looking for the perfect magazine for this piece. I am currently very interested in Readers Digest but I would love any suggestions. I would do Readers Digest but I want it to be more directed at college graduating English majors or recently graduated English majors.