Taylor Burnham
Pronouns:
Research Mentor(s): John John
Research Mentor School/College/Department: English Language & Literature /
Program: UROP
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Authors:
Abstract
A writer’s craft defines who they are, each piece they create representative of their mind’s capabilities. Their passion and talent culminate into creative work unique to an author, but not every writer, especially college students, know the process on how to publish creative literature to share their stories with a public audience. Four aspiring writers at the University of Michigan read and analyzed a variety of literary journals to develop a database of information for each journal, including themes, relevant due dates, and prominent entries. The students also analyzed their independent writing on a weekly basis for peer review and workshopping, eventually submitting their pieces to the documented literary journals for potential publication. Through thorough investigation of literary journals, the group of writers were able to analyze and find publications similar to their writing style and preferred genre. The students improved their writing abilities and learned critical components about the publication process, enabling them to send their creative work out for future deadlines. In the end, the research participants created a complete, robust database of national literary journals and educated themselves on the publication process. The results of this research will allow these writers to have a starting place as they build their writing careers and continue assessing their crafts.
