Synopses & Reviews
Writing may be a solitary profession, but it is also one that relies on a strong sense of community. The Write Crowd offers practical tips and examples of how writers of all genres and experience levels contribute to the sustainability of the literary community, the success of others, and to their own well-rounded writing life. Through interviews and examples of established writers and community members, readers are encouraged to immerse themselves fully in the literary world and the community-at-large by engaging with literary journals, reading series and public workshops, advocacy and education programs, and more.
In contemporary publishing, the writer is expected to contribute outside of her own writing projects. Editors and publishers hope to see their writers active in the community, and the public benefits from a more personal interaction with authors. Yet the writer must balance time and resources between deadlines, day jobs, and other commitments. The Write Crowd demonstrates how writers may engage with peers and readers, and have a positive effect on the greater community, without sacrificing writing time.
About the Author
Lori A. May is the author of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (2011). May's work has appeared in print and online with publications such as Brevity, Passages North, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus Magazine, The Kenyon Review, Phoebe, and New Orleans Review, The Writer, Writer's Digest, The Atlantic, and American Road. She is a nonfiction editor with Kaylie Jones Books (an imprint of Akashic Books), and her previous editorial roles have included working with Northern Poetry Review and Creative Nonfiction. May is the founding editor of Poets Quarterly. Visit www.loriamay.com for more info.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. What is Literary Citizenship? An Introduction
2. The Writer and the Writing Life
3. Immersion 101: Finding and Creating Opportunities
4. Community (re)Defined
5. From the Editor's Desk
6. Book Reviewing: Write (about) What You Read
7. In Print and Online: Working with Presses and Journals
8. Community Outreach
9. In and Outside of Academia
10.The Write Direction: Customizing Your Community
Appendix A: Community Organizations
Appendix B: Sample Book Reviews
Acknowledgements