Creative Writing and the Publishing Industry

COURSE OBJECTIVE
The second course in creative writing underscores the skills learned in the introduction to creative writing and offers students a chance to explore the ins and outs of the publishing industry in a practical manner. The objectives of this course are (1) to produce an editorial report and proposal on a piece of creative writing, (2) to learn how to effectively critique work as an editor and copyeditor, (3) to create a special issue of the VU’s new creative writing journal *Expanded Field* to apply what they’ve learned. The course thus not only further trains students’ writing skills, but teaches them about how the various publishing industries of today operate, which can be useful for aspiring writers and for employment at book, journal, or magazine publishing houses.

COURSE CONTENT
The course teaches students about the publishing industry from proposal to contract to editing and copyediting. Students will apply what they’ve learned to create a special issue of the creative writing journal *Expanded Field*.

TEACHING METHODS
Lecture (2 hrs a week); seminar (3 hrs a week); office hour (1hr a week). Attendance is compulsory. If you are absent at more than 20% of the course meetings, you cannot pass the course. Exceptions may be made in grave personal circumstances. Make sure to inform both your lecturer and the student advisor in such cases.

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
• Produce an editorial report and proposal on a piece of creative writing (30%)
• Edit a piece of creative writing (15%)
• Copy-edit a piece of creative writing (15%)
• Creating the special issue of the journal (40%)

Consult the study guide of the course for a description of how the different components build up to the final grade.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Students must have taken part in the modules “Literature, Culture, and Society” and “Creative Writing”.