Guest poet to teach publishing class

You’ve just finished writing your dream novel.

Now how do you get it to the readers?

This spring, after a prolonged hiatus, CSB+SJU’s English course, “Editing and Publishing,” is returning to answer this question.

The class demonstrates the steps an author takes to get their idea onto the shelves of a bookstore by exploring the world of editors, publishing houses, literary agents, marketing and more.

The course, which will run from 2:20 – 3:40 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is being taught by guest poet J. Bailey Hutchinson.

“Historically, Editing and Publishing has been one of [the English Department’s] most popular classes,” said Jessica Harkins, English Department Chair.

After the pandemic, a long-time teacher took another job, and the course fell through the cracks until this past summer, when several connections brought Hutchinson and Harkins together.

Hutchinson, Harkins said, is “a vivacious character who students will enjoy,” bringing the perfect blend of professional and relatable to the classroom.

Hutchinson, who currently lives in Minneapolis, is the author of Gut: Poems, a poetry collection that won the prestigious Miller Williams Poetry Prize.

Originally from Tennessee, she received a BA from Rhodes College and an MFA from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, according to her website.

Hutchinson currently teaches creative writing workshops alongside her work as an editor for Milkweed Editions, an independent literary publishing company in the Twin Cities.

Students taking the course will be exposed to different career roles within a publishing house, learn about the work of literary agents, examine the importance of marketing, as well as cover the basics of book design.

Additionally, students will get to see things from an editorial perspective, differentiating between the multiple kinds of editing, from copy editing to line editing to developmental editing.

“[The editing industry] is a subject area that from the outside seems very niche and specific, but there’s so many things you can do with knowledge in that area,” said Brenna Kaufman, CSB first-year English major.

Harkins said that editing is a universal skill that is required in almost every career, so the course objectives are applicable to students across all majors.

“The course is a pre-professional class that is also very creative and fun, [where students] get to play around,” Harkins said.

Hutchinson will be inviting several of her friends within the editing and publishing industry to come to campus in-person and virtually, exposing students to valuable professional connections within the field.

“Professional jobs are looking for people who can understand narratives and tell a compelling story, [as well as] design meaningful research questions,” Harkins said.

The kinds of questions that you’re asking matter more than the content of the questions and taking an editing course helps students work on the flow of their language, a deeply transferrable skill to other careers.

Harkins said that the goal is for this course to be the first Experiential Engagement (EX) attributed English class at CSB+SJU.

With so many opportunities for real-time engagement with editing and publishing directly on campus, from Liturgical Press to the literary magazine Studio One, adding the EX designation would encourage students to get relevant professional experience editing and publishing their own work and would help English majors and minors earn an Integrations Curriculum-required attribute without having to take a course outside their major.

Harkins also said there are still seats open for the course, so interested students should consider adding it to their upcoming schedule.

Depending on the success of the class, it will return to the annual spring semester lineup of English offerings.