Creating a Digital Literary Magazine Workshop

Create your own digital literary magazine! Learn editing, design, leadership, and publishing skills while building a standout writing portfolio.

Designed for

Students who are curious about digital publishing, writing and editing

Level

Grades 9-12

Class format

One-on-one and small group (Max. 7 students/class)

Class Introduction

Many high schools and universities publish annual literary magazines, providing students with the opportunity to showcase their writing and artwork to broader audiences through both print and digital platforms. These publications are often student-led, with young people taking charge of the editorial process under the guidance of faculty supervisors. At some schools, students must even interview for leadership roles on the editorial team—making prior experience with literary magazine production a valuable asset.

In this course, students will learn how to create, publish, and lead an online literary magazine from start to finish. This includes developing a brand identity and name, advertising a call for submissions, managing incoming submissions, and selecting pieces for publication. Students will also practice proofreading and copy-editing, as well as designing, building, and launching a digital magazine using free website platforms.

Class Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have developed a range of valuable skills, including:

Editorial and curation skills – understanding how to select and refine content with audience and purpose in mind
Literary skills – proofreading peer submissions and editing work to meet publication standards
Website creation skills – using free website platforms to design and publish a digital magazine, with potential integration of social media for promotion
Design skills – crafting visuals and layouts using Canva to enhance the magazine’s branding and readability
Effective communication – practicing clear and professional communication in both written and oral forms
Leadership – taking initiative and managing parts of the editorial and publishing process
Teamwork – collaborating with peers to complete tasks and reach shared goals
Time management – balancing multiple responsibilities and meeting project deadlines

All work submitted by Aralia students to the editorial team of this class will also be entered into The Rev Literary and Creative Arts Magazine. While publication is not guaranteed, this presents an excellent opportunity for students to gain further exposure to the world of professional writing and publishing.

Teacher Background

Has mentored numerous students in writing, helping them get published in literary magazines. These students come from top U.S. boarding schools such as Phillips Academy Andover and Concord Academy.
Currently serves as a judge for the Scholastic Writing Awards. Past students have won top honors, including National Gold Medals and the American Voices Award.
Former students have earned top global placements in New York Times competitions, including the Editorial Writing Contest and the Summer Reading Contest.
Past students have also made the Shortlist and received Merit Awards in the junior division of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition.

Outcome

After completing the course, students will:

Understand how to assess the rhetorical situation of other speakers and writers and how to assess their own rhetorical situation for a writing assignment.
Understand the purpose of thesis statements in academic essays and be able to craft their own thesis statements.
Be able to craft effective claims and body paragraphs in persuasive, argumentative, and rhetorical analysis essays.
Understand how to use personal anecdotes as evidence.
Be able to make concessions and refutations in their writing.
Understand how to handle counter-arguments in their writing.
Be able to craft effective conclusions in their writing.
Be able to introduce the arguments of other sources into their writing as evidence backing up their claims.
Understand how to format citations in-text and on a Works Cited page.
Be able to read and analyze arguments to understand the claims writers are making and the evidence they are using to support their claims.
Understand the three Aristotelian rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) and other rhetorical strategies.
Understand how to use SOAPSTone to help them analyze another speaker’s rhetorical situation (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone).
Be able to smoothly integrate quotes and paraphrases from other writers in their essays.
Understand the weaknesses of certain rhetorical strategies.
Understand how to avoid common citation and grammar mistakes

Feedback

Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class, regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on homework assignments via email.