Celebrating a Distinction! Rhetorical Composition II

A month after my first online writing experience finished I have finally got the results!

Congratulations! These are the courses that you’ve earned a statement of accomplishment for on Coursera. It’s up to the professor how to calculate grades for a course, so if you’re wondering why you earned your grade, click the help icon to see the grading policy, and if that’s not clear, please post in the course forums.

Writing II: Rhetorical Composing

Apr 22nd 2013

The Ohio State University

You earned 100.0% with distinction

 

JUNE Review of the Month

  was another exciting month for me as a writer. New opportunities and lots of new friends and contacts were made.

It inadvertently became another month for training. This wasn’t the way I had planned it. I was unable to complete much writing towards the end of the month as the boxing my life up took priority over time and energy and I have only just survived the balance of work and house moving! I gave up on a few submissions and worked on ideas for July and the summer instead.

These included;

Preparation for Camp NaNoWriMo (Online writing retreat – writing everyday throughout July and reaching target word count) I plan to write two shorts and the beginning of a novella. All projects that I have places in mind for later on this year to edit, redraft, polish and send for submission.

Thinking about editing and changes to make to the children’s picture book manuscript, work on which is planned for July.

And completing the online Rhetoric course – which I missed the final week of as I had no internet access and was like a mad woman attempting to pack up my house and still have time to sleep and re-energise! This means that I won’t be able to achieve a distinction, as I needed to complete 1 more level up activity.  But to be fair from an academic point of view, I don’t think this would have enabled me to learn more – the bulk of the learning was in the 1^st 3 weeks and the rest was using that knowledge in writing various assignment pieces and public service work.

Considering all the sweat and tears that is a bit of a pain, the course was supposed to be 6 weeks – I never would have enrolled on a 10 week one as I was doing my writing classes in the city once a week at the same time and then as those finished work kicked in with its busy period and I found myself moving house!

I have not been put off by this experience and signed up for another online course for the summer which runs mid July through August, something to keep the creativity and ideas bubbling over – if I don’t commit to something I will end up having the summer off as I will be too tempted to stay out and play in the sunshine of the garden instead of writing.

Again due to moving house I missed some real life festival opportunities and workshops that I would have attended – they are annual so I will pencil them in again for next year. I just barely had the energy to keep going by the end of June!

The children’s picture book course was good and finished this month with the whole class going to the pub. Another group of writers I plan to keep in touch with, two have already gone on a writing retreat and we can hopefully help each other with some critiques. Opportunities have arisen from knowing these people and re-training in the genre (last classes over a decade ago and much has changed in the world of publishing since then!)

There is a conference in November that I will try to get to and also some meetings with writers in the city – one of which I intend to attend in July.

I missed an opportunity to re-unite with writers from my Scriptwriting workshops (May), as I was moving house, having been up at 4 am on my removal day I know I made the right decision with this one.

The Courtyard Theatre (where we went to Alan Harris’ workshops) hosted a Scratch Night – the deadline for writing was back in May and I was in a whirl with work and house matters and unable to come up with an idea, let alone a script in time. Debbie, a friend of mine on the course entered and her script made it through, I would have loved to have seen the work performed and  see Penny and Gill again too. Sadly I couldn’t make it. Then on the 10^th there is a trip to Cardiff to see Alan’s new play and I don’t think I can make this either. It’s a work night and a good long drive – I may look into trains.

If not I hope that the summer will bring me a chance to catch up – although looking around the house at all the work we need to do now we have moved I am not sure that the summer (only 3 weeks off) will bear the promises of most years. Plus I need to do some job searches having resigned my position last month!

Other than writing June brought a flurry of house action – we took ownership back in May, had the electrician and plasterer in and a month after we bought it – it was ready to move in – it has taken the best part of 3 weeks to manage that! But now Mr G, 100’s of boxes and I are in. Whhooahhooooo

And in the future this being home and not having to travel miles in round trips will free up space in my head and allow me more time … to write, live, sleep and

B R E A T H E!

My July writing plans are vague and sketchy the schedule has just had the words

Blog

NaNoWriMo

 Copy and pasted in every box!

With some slots for manuscript deadlines and emails for the writers meeting on the 20^th filled out too.

I think with the practicalities of finishing work, unpacking, selling my apartment, attending college reunions and arranging socialising the schedule is full on enough for the summer month.

I am also planning on attending NaNoWriMo Meets in the city – we are having at least one if not two over the course of the July camp. I missed the meets they had in April. I think it would be good and this  will make it the 4^th group of writers I have met this year who in my future as a writer may be able to keep me sane and away from that overwhelming feeling of isolation.

That was June.

Quite a month.

Busy as anything.

Half way through my writing year.

Happy with what I have managed to achieve and hopefully the fruition of some of the seeds sown will be reaped in my future. 

The Wonderful World of Publishing: Rhetorical Composition II

My next activity/ assignment – just made the deadline!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISCUSS, GUIDE etc.

Activity 7:1

Step One – Revised Statement

“I’m interested in” Statement:

As a writer, I’m interested in creating a blog post, intended to persuade an audience of writers to consider the self-publishing route in light of e-publishing and technical advances. Self-publishing used to be looked down on by ‘real writers’, nowadays there is still a stigma attached to self-publishing but depending on your writing goals it could be a successful route and be quicker and more financially rewarding than the traditional publishing route. This article will also inform the readers of details about the world of publishing.

It is intended to help writers who have reached the pitching stage and are considering  which route to take. My article will help them in this process by informing them with the how’s and why’s and what’s of publishing and summarising the choices they have.

Step Two –  Creating a Research Plan

Writers and Publishers are part of the larger conversation into which the marketing of Self-Publishing fits. The larger conversation is about the content of the writing and ensuring that is of a publishable standard. Ultimately it is connected to the choice of the writer which route into publishing is pursued. I contribute to the conversation by summarising courses of actions and providing the ‘How to’ model for both publishing routes. Informing the writer of their choices.

Some of the individuals and organisations include;

Articles;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/self-publishing

Self Publishing Books – The Guardian (Article)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/11/self-published-ebooks-20-per-cent-genre

Self-Publishing ebook sales up by 20 %

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/09/margaret-atwood-positron-online-publishing

Digitally savvy authors

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/feb/24/self-publishing-apple-ibookstore?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

Self Publishing revolution

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/29/self-published-laziness-charge-sue-grafton?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2012/nov/15/self-published-novels-where-to-start?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/aboutus/gettingpublished.html

Table of Self – Published books later picked up by publishers. Cite: Wikipedia

Conference notes from Self Publishing conference

Blogs;

http://angstanxietypanic.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/how-to-become-a-self-published-author-in-101-easy-hard-steps/#comment-694

Angst Victoria Sawyer

http://gailkavanagh.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/what-to-avoid-in-self-publishing/

Gail Kavanagh (Thank you Suzanne)

Message:

I want to inform my audience about the benefits of considering self-publishing as a route to marketing their writing. Ultimately my goal would be to inform and support a writers decision to pursue this market and then find that they had successfully produced and marketed a book. That this article was the tipping point that motivated and persuaded them to pursue this track. Buying into the idea that there is another solution to getting published and it is one that counts in the 21^st Century!

Medium:

I’ve decided to create an informative blog post on my personal writing blog, A Writers Fountain. This medium allows me distribution beyond my primary audience (as I have readers that are not writers but who may know some writers.) this which might leverage commentary by or support from the larger community. I see the site as an opportunity to employ more visual arguments as well as links to additional source materials. I can summarize the findings and experiences of other writers and link to it for readers who might want to know more.

Manner:

I will use a range of rhetorical appeals there will be some Logos included in statistical data which acts like proof to reinforce arguments and opinions.

I will use Ethos in relation to citing sources from authors who have actually self-published, people who talk from first hand experience.

Kairos connects to the persuasive text in a way I will explore in the next section ‘Recency’ in this ever changing society, the role of publishing and books in our lives. How we access information in 2013.

Recency:

I think recency in my sources and their the data is important. I will be citing from articles and authors who have self published or written about it within the last year 2012- 2013. The world of publishing and writers markets changes as swiftly as the fashions on the High Street (well that’s a slight exaggeration, it can feel this way sometimes.) My argument is intended to appeal to authors who have work ready to submit however, it may persuade some writers who are still working on a project. This is another reason I feel my research has to be up to date and as recent as possible. It could be another year before these writers take on their publishing challenges. The information needs to be relevant and useful.

Relevance:

I suspect I will mostly be using evidence as to back up the positive impact of self publishing. Data and opinions will be cited to support my argument.

Readership:

I think the statistics and primary accounts from authors who have successfully self published will be of relevance and interest to my audience, as will the changes in publishing. I have to be sure to acknowledge (and not dismiss) the concerns the audience may have with regards to what was known as (in the olden days) as ‘Vanity Press’.

Alignment:

I’m really aligned with finding out more about the new world of publishing and the global acceptance of self publishing, as a niche writer it is a market that may suit my work well. I am not arguing against traditional publishing (the route I have personally taken) instead I am arguing for an informed decision. Every author has the right to make their own publishing decisions. I am merely informing them in a pro-active manner about the benefits of choosing the self-publishing route, where at the same time I will attempt to dispel the myth and snobbery surrounding it.

Adaptation:　

I am keeping my research as local as possible by researching UK markets, although by its very nature e-publishing has a global audience. I will have to adapt and even adjust to some degree the evidence I’m using. To maintain both the integrity of the evidence (my source) and my claim and argument I will only use successful examples of self-publishing.

The writers in my audience are already aware that the world of publishing and writing successful (or best) sellers is a hard nut to crack whether they choose to go it alone or attempt to be picked up by a publishing house and that neither of these markets guarantees success. The success comes from their hard work, passion and marketing!