Editing Workshop

Tentative Production Schedule (WILL be changed)

Weeks 1-2 (Online before Weekend I): Introduction to Course—Selecting Class Projects, Staff Organization, Mission of Magazines/Webzines

Assignment: Identify 5 examples of magazines/webzines with particular missions. Identify the mission and how the magazine/webzine achieves or fails to achieve that mission. Post your links or analysis on MyHeritage Forums. We will discuss this in Weekend #2.

Assignment: We will discuss this in Weekend #2. Invent a hypothethical magazine. Choose appropriate mission, theme, etc. Briefly explain your magazine and its mission, the selection criteria, and how some poems/stories/articles would fit and the others would not.

Weekend I (Jan. 25-26): Introduction to Design. Read Introduction. 4 Principles of Design: Proximity, Alignment, Repetition, Contrast. Begin Reading Chaps. 1-5. Design—Basic Tools. Introduction to Web and Print Tools (Introduction to Word, PageMill, and/or other approved DTP or HTML-editing software).

Tools Assignment: Wordprocessing Exercise.

Tools Assignment: PageMill Exercises.

Create a graphic with text overlay using any graphics program. Save as web-appropriate graphic (.gif, .jpg, .png, etc.) and post to the Forum.

Create a webpage using PageMill. Load a background. Insert a table. Then place text (whatever you wish) and your graphic from the previous exercise on your page. Make a link to another webpage. Save, then upload your set of files (the .html page, the graphic, and the background) to a Forum post.

Before Weekend II. Finish Exercises for Chaps. 1-5. Start MS-Word and PageMill 3.0 Tools Exercises.

Assignment: Post links to two (2) examples of good webpage layouts and two (2) examples of bad webpages. Link or upload to MyHeritage.

Assignment: Find two (2) examples of good page layouts and two (2) examples of bad print page layouts and be prepared to explain why you consider them good/bad. Link or upload to MyHeritage.

Weekend II (Feb. 8-9): Working with the “Talent” and Legal/Ethical Issues in Publishing. 4 Principles of Design continued. Read Chaps. 6-8. Design—Basic Tools. More Practice with Web and Print Tools (PageMill).

Tools Assignment (PageMill): Finish Tools Exercises and Upload to MyHeritage when complete.

Work through remaining PageMill (or other approved web or DTP software) tutorials and exercises. Upload to MyHeritage.

Assignment: Professional Ethics Assignment. Post your answers to the copyright questions and your analysis on the ethics questions on MyHeritage.

Assignment: Group Project—Designing Response Letters. Write a sample acceptance letter, a provisional acceptance letter, and a rejection letter.

Before Weekend III: Continue Learning to Evaluate. Evaluation/Selection of Submissions as Needed (depends on projects selected). Working with fonts, layout, and graphics.

Assignment: Work through the Poetry Evaluation Assignment. Post your examples and comments on MyHeritage.

Assignment: As submissions are posted to MyHeritage, pick out pieces you particularly like and make recommendations in the Forums.

Weekend III (Mar. 15-16):

Tools Assignment (InDesign): Begin Tools Exercises and Upload to MyHeritage when complete.

Work through remaining InDesign (or other approved DTP software) tutorials and Web + InDesign Assignment. Upload to MyHeritage.

Create sample page using shaded and bordered textbox with drop shadows. Upload to MyHeritage.

Assignment: Select appropriate text and headline fonts for assigned or original projects. Save samples of your selected fonts as graphics (by typing into your graphics program and then saving the graphic). Briefly explain the rationale for each choice and upload to MyHeritage.

Assignment: Scan or locate assigned pictures/photos or pictures/photos for your project if none assigned. Place in publication, re-size, and crop as appropriate. Add captions as necessary. Upload to MyHeritage.

Assignment: As manuscript data is entered, begin to edit your assigned or original pieces. Lay out any assigned web or webzine pieces as appropriate. Upload to MyHeritage.

Weekend IV (Apr. 5-6): Finishing up assignments and projects.

Assignment: Select appropriate text and headline fonts for assigned or original projects. Save samples of your selected fonts as graphics (by typing into your graphics program and then saving the graphic). Briefly explain the rationale for each choice and upload to MyHeritage.

Assignment: Scan or locate assigned pictures/photos or pictures/photos for your project if none assigned. Place in publication, re-size, and crop as appropriate. Add captions as necessary. Upload to MyHeritage.

Assignment: As manuscript data is entered, begin to edit your assigned or original pieces. Lay out any assigned web or webzine pieces as appropriate. Upload to MyHeritage.

After Weekend IV: Final Weeks, Applying Your Knowledge. Final Production.

Assignment: Submit any assigned DTP or Webpublishing work (chapbook pages, etc.) which is due by posting on MyHeritage. Due as scheduled (mid-April, generally at the start of the 3rd week).

Assignment: Final Production for other projects. Due by Apr. 26.

Assignment: Design and begin to distribute publicity for projects as appropriate. Due as scheduled.

© Dr. Loren R. Schmidt, 1999-2019
No part of this syllabus may be used or reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without written permission.