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05 Publishing Your Writing

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Publishing Your Writing Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Remind your students of the Dr. Seuss story Horton Hears a Who: 

One day, an elephant named Horton discovered a tiny planet perched precariously on a flower. On the planet lived the Whos of Whoville, and the mayor asked Horton to save their speck from destruction. The other animals could not hear the Whos, though, and were bent on destroying the flower. The mayor got everyone in Whoville to make a great racket, trying to be heard, but to no avail. Then he discovered a slacker Who named JoJo who played with his yo-yo rather than making a racket. The mayor rushed JoJo to the top of Effelburg Tower, where the child let out a 'Yopp!' that finally broke the silence. 'We are here! We are here! We are here!' the cry rang out, and the other animals heard, and Whoville was saved.

Ask students why you told that story. After listening to their guesses, say, "It's a story about people who had something to say and were desperately trying to be heard. It's a story about persistence, not giving up until that one unlikely 'Yopp!' finally breaks through. In all of those ways, it is a story about publishing. You work hard on a piece of writing because you have something to say, and then you try all sorts of ways to get people to hear what you have to say. If you persist, you will be heard: 'We are here! We are here! We are here!'

Think About It

“And you very small persons will not have to die if you make yourselves heard! So come on, now, and TRY!”

—Dr. Seuss

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

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TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 032 from Write Ahead

Designing Your Writing

Often students think that designing writing means choosing exotic fonts and flashy colors meant to dazzle readers. Unfortunately, such design choices make writing harder to read and understand. Help students realize that the main point of design is to make the ideas in writing clearer and easier to grasp.

Lead students through the design recommendations on this page, adding any of your own preferences, as well. Use the example on page 33 to illustrate each point as you make it.

Help students understand that serif fonts began when all characters were made with quill and ink. Each time a writer finished a stroke of the quill, a little extra ink remained behind, causing a widened end of the stroke. Those widened ends were serifs, and stone carvers and early type creators made fonts that had such ends on them. Serif fonts are easier to read for regular text in printed materials, while sans serif fonts work well for bolded headings. (Sans serif means "without serif.") Online, however, sans serif fonts are easier to read for regular text. Understanding the history and differences between these two types of fonts will help students make smart design decisions when using them.

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Page 033 from Write Ahead

Design in Action

Use this page to illustrate clear, effective design. Start by pointing out the features mentioned in the side notes, and for each one, ask students, "How does this design decision make the ideas clearer?" Then challenge students to notice other design features that make ideas clearer. Answers could include the following:

  • Consistent, one-inch margins on all sides (giving "breathing space" for the text)
  • Paragraph indents and slightly more space between them (helping "chunk" ideas)
  • A flush-left block giving the important information about the paper (identifying the writer, teacher, class, and date)
  • A centered, bolded title in a larger type size and a sans serif font (showing the most important idea)
  • Flush left headings in bold and sans serif (showing secondary ideas)
  • A graphic title in blue (showing the most important idea of the graphic)
  • Clear, consistent use of color in the graphic (helping readers immediately understand what is shown)

Reiterate how each feature of strong design makes the ideas clearer, more accessible, and more interesting.

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Page 034 from Write Ahead

Publishing Ideas

Most students think of publishing as getting your work printed in books and magazines. Help them realize that the word publishing comes from the root "public." Publishing is any means by which writing is shared with an audience. Simply letting a family member read a work is a form of publishing. On the other hand, students can each many more people through a wide variety of publishing options on the Internet.

Have students read through the options in each box. Then have them pick two options and write a brief paragraph telling why they would like to try those forms of publishing.

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Page 035 from Write Ahead

Sending Your Writing Out

Some students aspire to be professional writers, and they rightfully want to get started right now. If they want to go through traditional print publishing channels, lead them through the tips on this page.

Also, help them understand that anytime a publishing house selects a work, the company is basically placing a bet. It is saying, "I'll pay this much up front to publish this piece because I believe I can make a greater amount by publishing it." In other words, publishers are unlikely to bet big on a first-time writer. That's okay. That just means that students can start small. If they read a specific magazine and love the articles, they can submit a similar article. Once they get one or two articles published, that magazine will be more likely to accept larger works. So will other magazines. And, in the process, students will develop relationships with editors, who will come to trust them and seek them out with writing assignments.

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Page 036 from Write Ahead

Publishing Online

Online publishing provides students a much easier and quicker starting point than traditional publishing. Also, many students are much more accustomed to reading online sources than reading in print. If you have students interested in publishing their works online, lead them through the tips on this page.

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Page 037 from Write Ahead

Designing Web Pages

Of course, students don't have to wait for others online to accept their work for publication. They can create their own blogs or Web sites. Point them to the tips on this page, though of course their own approach will vary depending on what publishing platform they use.

In any case, help your students remember that their Web design should always help them communicate to their readers:

  • Who are my readers, and why will they want to visit my site?
  • On what page will they land, and what do they need to know first?
  • Where will they go next, and how will they get there?
  • How can I design each page to keep readers reading?

The best Web design is clear, clean, and welcoming, with easy navigation and links both internal and external. Encourage students to analyze the designs of their favorite Web sites and try to do similar things with their own sites.

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