English 357: Literary Editing and Publishing

     Instructor: Bryan Fry
     Office: Avery 371
     Office Hours: Friday 12:00-1:00 p.m.


     Project Planning Assignment  

Project: Your major assignment for this class is to create a literary journal, solicit writers and artists, select submissions, and present your first issue to the public. In order to successfully complete this task, you will have to create marketing materials, set up a web page, write editorial documents, select submissions, and design the layout of your first issue. The best way to ensure that you carry out all of these tasks as a group is to create a plan using a project planning form. 
 
Format: You will incorporate your project planning form into the final presentation of your materials at the end of the semester so make sure to use your basic knowledge of visual rhetoric and make your planning form look professional. You are welcome to use the Project Planning Form template, but I encourage you to incorporate your own schedule that includes multiple draft dates of marketing materials, technical documents, webpages, etc.. 

 

 
Information to include in your Project Planning Form:

 
Create a schedule for rotating group managers: Each team member should have a chance to act as group manager. The manager keeps track of assigned tasks as well as conducts meetings and keeps the editorial group on track. Their final task is to submit a progress memo at the end of their designated position.
 
Create an editorial board: Though everyone in your group is responsible for completing the final production of your journal, it will be helpful to break up individual tasks and designate positions to oversee them. You should assign each team member one of the following positions: submission editor, layout editor, copy editor, marketing editor, and web editor.
 
Divide tasks: Decide who will be responsible for which parts of the project. Who is best at doing what (writing early or final drafts, editing, layout, design and graphics, oral presentation)? Which tasks will be done individually and which collectively? Keep in mind that your collected group materials should display one consistent style throughout, as if written by one person (the copy editor should keep an eye out for this help you with this).
 
Decide on a meeting schedule and format: How often will your group meet? Where and for how long? Who will take notes or minutes? Set a strict time limit for each meeting and for each discussion topic. A meeting works best when each member prepares a specific contribution ahead of time.

Appoint a different “observer” for each meeting: The designated observer keeps a list of what worked well during the meeting and what didn’t. This list is added to the meeting’s minutes.
 
Establish a procedure for responding to the work of other members: Will the work be done face to face, as a group, one on one, or online?
 
Select a group decision-making style: In order to prevent members for making executive decisions on their own, you should use one of the two following decision making styles:
 
            Consultative—the leader makes decisions on the basis of group input.
            Voting—decisions are made by majority vote.
 
Establish procedures for dealing with interpersonal problems: How will gripes and disputes be aired and resolved (by vote, by manager, other)? How will irrelevant discussion be curtailed?
 
Submit regular progress reports: Each team manager will have to submit a progress memo at the end of their designated position. These reports track activities, problems, and progress. You will want to write down the due dates for these reports somewhere in your planning form.


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