May 18, 2025: Publication Day!

         Publication Day is thrilling for an author. It is when our months, (or in some cases, years) of work comes to fruition and our work is now hot-off-the-press and ready for purchase.

         Some of my elementary students recently experienced the thrill of this day! Thirteen students in our after-school Writer’s Club had had their writing selected for inclusion in a published anthology. It was related to a writing contest they had entered last fall, with the theme of Scary Tales, sponsored by Young Writers USA.

         As soon as they were notified that their writing had made the cut, there was a list of tasks to complete. Some legal, (parental permission) and some fun, (ordering extra copies for grandparents), and then it was hurry-up-and-wait.  Publication date was months away.

         It was a great opportunity for them to think about the entire process involved in publication.  As student writers, their focus, as it should be, had always been on the writing. Now we had a chance to chat about the other aspects of published writing. The vast array of “others” who are involved in the process of getting a writer’s work out into the world. Proofreaders, copywriters, editors, graphic designers, production managers, marketing teams, ….. the list goes on.

         When the copies of the book finally did arrive, the awe on their faces said it all.  Our school copy was passed around so all could get a close look.  Some held it as if it were a tiny baby bird that needed protection. Some gazed at it as if it were the most beautiful thing on which they had ever laid their eyes.  

         The arrival of the book coincided with our last club meeting of the school year. It was a wonderful way to wrap up and celebrate everyone’s accomplishments of this year.  But it also seemed to be a source of inspiration, for not only the students who’s writing the book contained, but to all the writers in our group. 

         As we chatted about summer break and plans, students talked about how much writing they hoped to do. The stories they wanted to finish. The collaborations they had planned (yes, some had already set up shared documents and were team-writing pieces). The writing goals they were setting up for themselves.

         Publication Day was the perfect spark to keep the passion for writing going.