The semester is coming to a close—slowly, but surely. Currently at the library, I’m still developing a resource guide for creative writers to use in order to understand what path in publishing they should follow. As a writer, the research has been very beneficial. There are a variety of options to choose from when considering publishing, and to be “published” can be as simple as posting one’s work on social media. I’ve very much enjoyed learning more about the differences between traditional and digital publish—the pros and cons, the costs, the underlying dilemmas—the entire process has been fascinating. I am especially excited to be able to connect this project back to my Intellectual Property class, and to specifically focus this research on the topic of ownership and sharing. As I entered into this project, one of my biggest concerns was the difficulty in finding information on copyrights for writers planning to submit on a digital platform. Writers will publish their writing on, say, a blog, but may not realize that by doing so they are surrendering certain rights involving distribution of their work—even more, some writers may not be aware of the difficulty that comes when trying to publish something already posted on a website. Most publishers want to be able to have first publishing rights, however, if writers are sharing their work digitally, they lose the opportunity to publish that same work somewhere else. I’m hoping that the LibGuide that I am designing will help to clarify more information like this, and provide students with a basic background in copyright before they choose to publish.
Hopefully, this research will become even more beneficial as I begin to dive into new research for a creative writing project. Looking forward into the Summer, I am very excited to continue my work in the English department by attending the Kenyon College Poetry Workshop. I’ll have the chance to work one-on-one with poets Natalie Shapero and Solmaz Sharif, as well as meet some fellow writers. By the end, perhaps I will be able to apply the research I’ve done in my Intellectual Property class to seek publication!
Quote o’ the Post: “Publishing a book is like stuffing a note into a bottle and hurling it into the sea.” –Margaret Atwood
Building Bridges 